Jump to content

The Shetland Brand - Do you remember the logo?


Frances144
 Share

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 59
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Nah, this one......

 

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e302/Frances144/Picture2.jpg

 

Apparently, it has gone in the bin as there are no funds to regulate who uses it, apart from the Tourist Board, who can use it, in a small corner at the bottom of their website.

 

£123,000 up the Swannee.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"Shetland: 'Pride of Place'

 

In a bid to give inhabitants their own identity and provide the local economy with a boost, Shetland Islands Council, Shetland Enterprise and local industry bodies put their trust in Corporate Edge in 2003. In what was dubbed "the island's" biggest ever marketing initiative", £123,200 was spent over two years as part of Corporate Edge's strategy to portray Shetland to the rest of the world as a modern, forward-thinking place. "Although those at Shetland Island's Council insist the development of a Shetland brand cannot be boiled down into one slogan, the project did result in the strapline 'Pride of Place', which was unveiled in October 2004, and a logo which will be used by the tourist board.

 

http://heritage.scotsman.com/ingenuity.cfm?id=2050352005

 

Originally it was set up for everyone to use potentially.

 

Tis a sad, sad day. Yet again we have been sucked in and spat out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I remember making a 'hooha' about this at the time. I get more and more pissed off with the attitude of our so-called 'leaders' in the council, tourist office etc, that do not seem to even contemplate that there is perhaps a small amount of talent available in Shetland. Not once (to my knowledge) was this offered as a free/open design entry for Shetland Residents.

 

We all buy the Shetland Times every week and those that get to read it first always pass on the knowledgable, "No wirt lookin' at dis week" comment afterwards. Why not run a little competition to see what ideas are out there? It would cost a helluva lot less than 123 grand and if a few ideas were bandied about and maybe even combined then they could maybe get a design agency in afterwards to incorporate those ideas. The best entries could be showcased in the Shetty Times for an open vote.

 

When I initially saw the 'logo' my initial thoughts were that it is outsized. It is an awkward shaped thing to try and incorporate into any published works, be it a book, website or packet of bannocks. I can see the idea behind it but £123 000 quid? Whoever sanctioned this should be given a good slap.

 

If you want to market Shetland, or for that matter anything...it is a good idea to ask those who actually live, breath and work in the place.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Okay, i have no connection with the conception of the logo, but have had enough idle graphic time in my mind to ponder over a "Shetland Logo" and you know what? It may be overpriced, but once you start artistically trying to convey what makes Shetland unique, i'm sorry to say, a lot of it's in that logo. It conveys wind, waves, the interaction between the two, music and hence culture from the strong presence of the musical emblem.

I could waffle on, but you can ponder over it yourselves and perhaps suggest what graphic image you think should be used. It'd be very interesting to hear.

 

I think a little touch of colour would have improved it greatly, but unless somebody offers me 100k i'll not say where. :wink:

 

The point i would take issue with is that of whether it was ever going to be possible to encourage more local businesses to adopt a shared corporate identity, which seems to me to go against the grain of normal business practice.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree completely-ish. It is a good logo to sum up Shetland. My point was that the Shetland folk could have been consulted prior to it being thrown to a London Agency. It might have cut the costs a little if it was already half-designed.

 

It all comes back to the recent discussion about the French/Shetland photography. Why is the local community not at least asked in the first place?

 

If all the ideas are sharn then fair enough, chuck a lot of money elsewhere. It would be nice to think that the people running Shetland had faith in the Shetlanders though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Okay, i have no connection with the conception of the logo, but have had enough idle graphic time in my mind to ponder over a "Shetland Logo" and you know what? It may be overpriced, but once you start artistically trying to convey what makes Shetland unique, i'm sorry to say, a lot of it's in that logo. It conveys wind, waves, the interaction between the two, music and hence culture from the strong presence of the musical emblem.

I completely agree. It's a good, relevant logo. Definately not worth 123K though. Not even worth a third of that.

 

It would be interesting for anyone else to post ideas or possibilities for an alternative. I'll certainly spend the next little while thinking about it.

 

I know a few graphic designers down here who have visited Shetland on at least one occassion. It might be interesting to hear what they have to say about it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, i agree with that (Pooks) sentiment. I would be slightly skeptical about the response the tender might have got locally. Still should have been public knowledge that it was up for grabs.

 

 

But, to re-address my point, where would a Shetland Logo, be displayed? Next to a companies own logo? As a quality "kite-mark' (which would require QC)? On goods solely of shetland origin, or shetland manufacture?

Alongside festival logos?

 

I just don't really see where it fits into the greater scheme of things. Except for the VisitShetland, in which case it should be their logo, perhaps it is? :?

 

Any cooncillors like to justify it's origins? :wink:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share


×
×
  • Create New...