One reason I like the look of the B/O badge is that I think it reflects the aesthetic of the 70's very well. The olive green and turquoise blue...the parallelogram shape...those were things that were seen in lots of places during that era -stoves, refrigerators, cars, upholstery, clothes. They were "futuristic" symbols whereas the keystone badge represented a more traditional look.
That's why I think they airbrushed the badges out on that ad. Ludwig wanted to convey that they, too, were moving in the direction of the times....moving away from the old traditions and embracing the 'new' aesthetic.
Anything that came out of the 70's was slightly odd. It has come to be expected that the browns and oranges and lime greens and olive greens and turquoise blues were part of the 70's much the same way that bell bottom pants were. We all laugh at those now....but I'll bet there are a few of us who actually wore them and thought they were cool at the time!
If you want to see an UGLY badge, just look at the Arbiter AT badge! Now, THAT'S UGLY!
