'None of the above' wins Packet poll on Helston branding ideas
7:00am Wednesday 24th October 2012 in News
While Granite Strength was the design that has proved most popular with Packet readers out of the six potential brands for Helston, the most popular choice was, 'none of the above'.
The Packet ran a fun poll on its website thepacket.co.uk, to gauge an idea of public opinion. While the results will have no bearing on which brand design will ultimately be used to promote Helston, Granite Strength polled 20 per cent of the votes cast.
However, the most popular option of all was ‘none of the above’, with 30 per cent of the votes. Of the remaining designs Cultural Style and Paving the Way were next favourite, both polling 15 per cent, while Celebration Star had ten per cent of votes, United Cross 7.5 per cent and Cornerstone 2.5 per cent.
The proposed designs have already prompted a lot of debate, including on the Packet website thepacket.co.uk Gill Zella Martin said: “I vote for Granite Strength. I like the selection of photographs that accompany that one and the relevance of the granite buildings.”
Meanwhile another reader, Meerkats, preferred the design Paving the Way. John and Gloria Knight from Coverack were inspired to create their own suggestion for a logo, after believing Flora Day should have been better represented in the options.
While stressing that they were not trying to provide competition to the designs on the table, the couple – which have their own company Knight Design – wanted to give an example of what they felt would be more fitting to Helston.
They said: “We really want the new initiatives to succeed, as over recent years the town has become shabby and it's inspiring to see the shoots of regeneration and giving the town its own identity is a step in the right direction.
“We know how incredibly demanding it is for designers to come up with an idea that is original and attractive, particularly when working with focus groups and committees, and as a consequence the designs that have emerged – although some are attractive – are graphically trying to be too clever, resulting in being somewhat vague and abstract; design shouldn't be complicated or need explanation.
“It doesn't matter how much some might try to move away from it, Helston's marque is Flora Day, a Cornish celebration of music and dance to welcome spring – not paving stones, flags, granite or architectural features on buildings as represented in the suggested designs to promote the town. Why even attempt at denying the obvious when the iconography is so evident?”
To this end, their logo features Helston’s capital letter ‘H’ in Celtic letter form, in a “movement of shapes’ to represent the swirling colours of the midday dancers’ dresses.
This would have the strapline ‘All together’ – lyrics from the Floral Dance and also indicating townsfolk working together, as well as a reference to Cornwall’s motto ‘One and All.’
“Design is subjective and one person's concept of art is what another would chuck in the re-cycling, but what is never wrong in this day and age of image and branding is the clique, 'you can't get a second chance to make a first impression'.
“Helston needs strong branding with character to represent a blend of the old and the new; contemporary, progressive and nice place to be, but without denying tradition and history and more than anything else, some sort of indication that it is in Cornwall,” they added.
Comments(28)
Lord Barrington Forbes-Smythe
says...
9:10am Wed 24 Oct 12
Top of branding features some iconic emblems of other towns and cities such as the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, New York skyline, etc.
Below comes the slogan:
"Helston: it's like none of the above."
Gill Zella Martin
says...
9:30am Wed 24 Oct 12
How can you consider "Helston Completely Cornish" when you keep promoting things like continental markets !!
Lord Barrington Forbes-Smythe
says...
9:39am Wed 24 Oct 12
They need to 'think outside the box' a bit.
Gill Zella Martin
says...
10:29am Wed 24 Oct 12
Ian Helston
says...
10:35am Wed 24 Oct 12
Certainly a LOT better than all the other ones, in my opinion.
Gill Zella Martin
says...
10:45am Wed 24 Oct 12
meerkats
says...
10:59am Wed 24 Oct 12
meerkats
says...
11:20am Wed 24 Oct 12
meerkats
says...
11:20am Wed 24 Oct 12
Gill Zella Martin
says...
11:46am Wed 24 Oct 12
livingincornwall
says...
11:51am Wed 24 Oct 12
Gill Zella Martin
says...
12:11pm Wed 24 Oct 12
Gill Zella Martin
says...
12:17pm Wed 24 Oct 12
DCI Jen
says...
12:45pm Wed 24 Oct 12
Lord Barrington Forbes-Smythe
says...
1:57pm Wed 24 Oct 12
Helston: much better than it sounds
Gill Zella Martin
says...
2:34pm Wed 24 Oct 12
meerkats
says...
3:12pm Wed 24 Oct 12
Lord Barrington Forbes-Smythe
says...
3:19pm Wed 24 Oct 12
Or how about echoing an old bank advert: "Helston, the town that likes to say "YES"
meerkats
says...
3:33pm Wed 24 Oct 12
Lord Barrington Forbes-Smythe
says...
3:48pm Wed 24 Oct 12
meerkats
says...
3:52pm Wed 24 Oct 12
Gill Zella Martin wrote:Glad we got it sorted Gill.!! sounds fine to me
So that is settled then, John Knight's design, with the photographs from 'Granite Strength/Paving the Way' with the slogan "Paving the Granite Strength Way"
Gill Zella Martin
says...
4:54pm Wed 24 Oct 12
Gill Zella Martin
says...
5:11pm Wed 24 Oct 12
livingincornwall
says...
5:30pm Wed 24 Oct 12
Gill Zella Martin
says...
5:46pm Wed 24 Oct 12
meerkats
says...
9:45pm Wed 24 Oct 12
livingincornwall wrote:gosh that is some explanation ,but like you i prefer slogan . i am obviously not trendy as i have never heard that before today.
I've been informed by a friend who is a dyed-in-the-wool newspaper man that , a strap line is a secondary heading that goes above the main deck. A subsidiary heading, below the main deck and tucked under the intro, is a shoulder head --- whatever any of that means! So 'strapline' used by trendy people is a new meaning! Prefer slogan myself!
telstar1962
says...
2:37pm Fri 26 Oct 12
'Helston, The First and Last Town'
( like Sennen,home to smugglers and wreckers !)
Gill Zella Martin says...
9:10am Wed 24 Oct 12