My last column was all about how to brand your business and a big part of branding is the logo.
The logo is that simple little symbol that signifies your identity. Great logos are immediately identifiable.
All I have to say is the swoosh logo and every reader can see the swoosh and know it means Nike.
Logos may carry as much weight and value as the product itself.
Sanoi, the Japanese company that created the Hello Kitty character makes about $7 billion per year just franchising that image.
Or in the car industry no one in the world would buy a Mercedes Benz without that nice looking grey three-pointed star within the circle.
Even three years olds can recognize that symbol and understand it symbolizes luxury and quality.
The Starbucks logo is instantly recognized as representing the world’s largest coffee chain.
Their logo is based upon a 15th century Norse woodcut of a mythical two tailed mermaid and is a perfect symbol of coffee’s seductive nature.
The two tailed mermaid has undergone color and design changes over the years to soften up its seductive look but is still a power house.
Logos are also used by places as well as products. The Pebble Beach Resort along the famed 17-Mile Drive on the Monterey Peninsula uses a wonderful image of the Monterey Pine called The Lonesome Pine.
This image of the lone pine on the cliff represents everything that is natural, outdoors and beautiful about California.
So let’s take a look at the Williston Park logo which is usually blue and has those two white diamonds atop the one blue diamond with a tree inside it. It picks up the idea of a ‘W’ and also looks pretty solid, which is a lot like the town itself.
But I sometimes wish it had more playfulness to it.
After all if Metlife can use the Snoopy character to enhance its appeal why can’t we have a fun character to enhance our town’s fun appeal.
I have written often about the Henry Hildebrandt antique toy that hovers over the diners at Hildebrandt’s as the most magical image in town.
You may recall that I even asked the bestselling writer Michael Jan Friedman to do a quick story about this character.
And let’s not forget that Hollywood came to town last summer to film The Book of Henry and used Hildebrandts Luncheonette because it represented Americana in all its nostalgic beauty.
So if there are any talented cartoonist/logo designers out there who agree with me feel free to send some sketches.
Maybe I should ask a budding young cartoonist in training at A Gathering of Artists to create a Henry Hildebrandt image to be used within the Williston park logo.
Could be a fun idea to play around with and hey you never know.
Maybe we can create a sweet enough character that can not only brand the town but also keep us safe from all the madness that we live in.
That’s how Michael Jan Friedman’s story of Henry Hildebrandt magically ended.
