by Steve Cony
What comes to mind when you think of McDonald’s?Prudential? How
about United Way?
Chances are that you recall that product or organization’s most
consistently used visual symbol, its logo. For McDonald’s, the arches;
for Prudential, that imposing rock; and for the United Way, a poised hand
in front of a rainbow.
In the last issue we considered the value of a well-chosen theme line
to match your camp logo. Now let’s take a step back and consider
the logo itself.
Your logo is your camp’s visual identity for anything and everything
people see other than the facility itself. More than any single marketing
tool, letter, or postcard — your logo is the consistent element
that represents your camp.
Therefore, there is no better way to say the following — your
logo must be good. If the best thing you can say about your logo is that
it was developed the year the camp was founded, you need to strongly consider
a re-evaluation.
There are five important attributes for a good logo:
- Originality and distinctiveness
Your logo is perhaps the most frequently seen symbol of everything that
you are. As such, it should represent the resourcefulness and the spirit
which you apply to the total operation.
- Legibility and simplicity Any logo
must be seen in many different environments. When it appears on a business
card or on a fax cover sheet, it is necessarily small in size. In these
situations, it must communicate just as effectively as if it were spread
across a large sign or Web site home page.
- Memorability You want your logo
to make a lasting impression. Think once again of those unforgettable
logos that you don’t need to actually see in order to experience
them in your head.
- Ease of association with your camp
Too many camp logos don’t even hint at the types of organizations
they represent. Some are too corporate; others are too generic. Something
about your logo should suggest what it is you provide — a fun-filled
summer experience.
- Ease of adaptability for all important
media Camp logos go in lots of different places — even
on camper and staff clothing items. Your logo should be something people
want to see — and want to wear.
There are seven mistakes to avoid in refining a camp logo:
- Lines too thin Thin lines do not
communicate boldness. (How’s that for a revelation?) A fun and
adventurous and sometimes loud experience like a summer camp should
have a look of boldness to it — starting with the logo. In addition,
thin lines wash out when copied and reproduced in certain media.
- Strong dependence on color for successful
communication There are times when your logo appears in black
and white, and it should communicate effectively even when not shown
in full color.
- Inappropriate imagery Take great
care to make sure your logo does not appear too sophisticated, too stately,
or too “quiet.” Yes, your camp is steeped in tradition,
but it is not advisable to design a logo that looks more like it represents
an Ivy League college.
- Wrong proportions Your logo must
not be too vertically oriented or too horizontally oriented. Particularly
when applying it to clothing, it is best to make it fit roughly into
a square.
- Too busy As discussed earlier, your
logo must often be reproduced in a small size. A high density of detail
works against clear communication in a small format.
- Fad fonts Every year sees the rise
of several trendy fonts. You seem to see them everywhere, and then they
just sort of disappear — often after people are weary of their
usage. For all these reasons, avoid them.
- No imagination A camp logo is the
first way to communicate the spirit, the mission, and the total ambience
of the experience that is offered to children. If your logo does not
do this, you miss a valuable opportunity to communicate.
There are countless examples of logos that have been updated, in order
for the visual image to remain relevant and thus maximally functional
while styles evolve. General Mills updated the image of Betty Crocker
five times between 1936 and 1980. Each revision made the image of this
lady more and more “modern.”
How does your logo fit in with our present-day styles and standards?
The concept that camp is built strongly around tradition does not mean
that the symbols we use should remain antiquated — just because
they are the “originals.” You can update and even, if necessary,
overthrow your current logo.
Work with a seasoned graphic designer who can suggest multiple options
for revisions — various graduated degrees of change from subtle
to radical. Having these alternatives from which to choose allows you
the opportunity to best determine how much to change the logo. Once a
decision is made, plan to introduce the new design in the months following
a camp season. Your loyal campers and staff will have the time during
the winter and spring to see the new logo design on various pieces of
communication, and it will be familiar by the time camp begins —
and the new T-shirts appear!
Will your loyal campers and staff be upset? Perhaps, but remain steadfast.
You will have made an important business decision that they may not be
able to fully understand. Explain to them that this is similar to your
efforts to upgrade, modernize, and enhance the facilities and programming
of the camp.
Regardless of your logo’s stage of development, you must make a
firm commitment to use it with perfect continuity.*
Too often a camp sends out various forms of communication and uses whatever
font happens to be handy in the word processing program, enlarges it,
bolds it — and then pastes it across the top of the page. It bears
little or no resemblance to the actual logo. This is similar to having
the name Jeannie, then spelling it Jeanie, Jeanny, Jenny, Geney, or Genie.
If your name is Jeannie, you always spell it the same and when others
spell it differently, you correct them.
Your logo is your camp name.
*OK, what would this column be without
an occasional contradiction? It is fine to occasionally “play”
with your logo. For example, allowing some kind of humorous modification
on the front of a T-shirt can add to the fun of a particular event or
award. Just make sure that the modification is done in a loving spirit
of good-natured satire and not of sarcasm.
Originally published in the 2003 November/December
issue of Camping Magazine. |
