Passports act as a country's best-traveled ambassador. Easily spotted in arrival and departure queues around the world, they're quiet pieces of diplomacy, but they are not invisible. For Australia, a recent redesign offered the opportunity for a potent soft power push that would showcase the nation's design prowess. But despite a costly new national "visual identity," that cohesive look and feel is nowhere to be seen in the country's new "R Series" passport.
Tea Leaves
Passports can say a lot about a country
Australia's new design is a missed opportunity in soft power projection
Australia's recent passport update was a chance to showcase the nation's design prowess. What the public got instead was the same sober navy-blue cover. (Courtesy of Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade)
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