Thursday, December 13, 2007

not number 4

Simon;

There's 1 more day to vote, and you clearly haven't been listening to me. Goddam democracy.
OK, it's clear that number 4 seems quite popular, but look at all the lovely choices you have to pick.

Just to clear things up, the winner of this competition will be the font we use on our shop front, our headed paper, our advertising, our newsletters. It's going to be part of our brand, and we're letting you decide.
So, let's got through them one at a time

1. It's a bold statement. It's clear from a long way away, and quirky when you get closer to it.
2. Ah, the typewriter with the ink running out. It's smudgy, it's literary, it's kinda 'Murder She Wrote'.
3. Magpie, Rainbow, 70's chic. How can you not want this to win. It cheers me up whenever I look at it.
4. Yeah
5. This reminds me of that Stone Age comic strip that I can't think of the name of.. something to do with 'ID' (help me out here).... or captain caveman. Another reason to vote for it.

VOTE VOTE VOTE. Change your vote if you feel the need. But please VOTE VOTE VOTE.

Ooh, i'd better open the advent calendar...

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't really like any of them. They're all a bit too, erm, quirky? Not very clear when you are seeing the sign from over the road. No. 1 is too NotSoScaryMonsters. No. 2 is... OK. No. 3 reminds me of the Goodies. Which is nice, but not sure I'd want my bookshop to be quite that daft? No. 4 is just wrong. Your risers are floating. No. 5 is too fuzzy & indistinct. Imagine that on a business card?!

I think you need something far simpler and more classic. Bold, visible, splash of colour. Something like this.

Simon Key said...

Julie,
thanks for the thoughts. Tim and I produced this shortlist after a few days of squabbling and with the help of my dear brother Justin. I think what we all didn't want was something too traditional. I'm kind of glad you think they're too quirky in a way, it means our work wasn't in vain! If number 5 wins, well probably unfuzz it slightly, but I think they'll all stand up to the 'over the road' test.
I know whatever we choose isn't going to please everyone, just like the name 'The Big Green Bookshop', but I hope that whatever we do decide will win you over in time.
Simon

Anonymous said...

OK, Simon, I see your point. I don't agree with it, but I see it. ;-) I'm going to have to vote for no. 2 then.

Anonymous said...

I think the cartoon strip was (is?) called "BC"

Steerforth said...

As a 70s boy I'd be the first to go for Magpie chic, but we're now in the age of 80s retro and I think no.3's a bit too space age. No.4 is the best of the bunch because it's going to offend the least number of people, which is probably why you object to it.

It's not too late to add a completely different name. How about Ottaker's? (note the slightly different spelling to keep you out of court!) - a fine bookselling company.

Vanessa said...

As another child of the 70s I like number 3 best but I'd have to agree with other people that I'm not really excited about any of them.

I love the name of the bookshop but I don't think you need to try to be wacky - it might feel as though you're trying a bit too hard.

I really like our sign - two shades of blue on a slightly off-white background and the name of the shop is cut out of perspex mounted on risers so that it stands a couple of inches proud of the background. And it's a fairly simple (yet elegant) font - I really didn't want anything that yelled 'kids' even though we're a children's bookshop. But I'm obviously biased!

Looks like you might get stuck with number 4 though - the perils of democracy!

Simon Key said...

hello all,
it's looking like it may be number 4 unless there's a little christmas miracle.
Thanks for all the advice. I think we've chosen this shortlist because we like this shortlist! We felt that each of them brought something of our personality to the shop. Vanessa, I don't think we were trying to be anything we're not. Quite the opposite in fact. I think I can speak for Tim (can I, Tim?), and say that we are just 2 very positive people who really enjoy life.
Whatever gets chosen (grr..) will be right for the shop, because, as I said we chose the shortlist.
S
x
and anonymous, BC, of course!

Vanessa said...

Oh noooo - sorry! I wasn't meaning to imply that you were trying to be anything you're not! Sorry if that's how it came across - maybe there wasn't enough caffeine coursing through my veins when I typed that. I just meant that I didn't like 'wacky' signage.

I know you're very positive people - far, far more than me as I'm given extreme grumpiness at times! Sorry again if I caused offence.

[slinks off feeling guilty...]