The City of New Orleans announced a new seal yesterday morning, unveiling a design meant to “modernize and reflect the city’s spirit.” By late afternoon, officials confirmed the city would return to its previous version.
Unlike recent corporate logo changes, they stressed this decision was not due to public pressure or backlash. Rather, according to City Hall sources, “the circumstances behind the redesign have already served their purpose.”
The short-lived minimalist seal featured a “modern, streamlined” look officials claimed would “carry New Orleans into the future,” and was described as “short-lived but profitable.” Insiders noted the project had already accomplished what it needed to: moving some money around, before being filed away with the city’s long list of quick-turn contracts.
One insider, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the seal “wasn’t designed to last, it was designed to invoice.”
A public records request was submitted seeking details on the contract and final payment, but the email response read simply: “Mailbox full. Try again later.”
For now, the city’s seal is back where it started: unchanged, unimproved, and as timeless as the waiting list for a pothole repair.