Friday, October 06, 2017

Town of Breckenridge updates logo after 16-year run; reaction is mixed

#Breckenridge #Colorado
Summit Daily News

Summit Daily News Link


The town of Breckenridge has rolled out a new logo, updating a 16-year-old design in favor of something town officials feel is cleaner, modern, more easily identified and different from any other emblems around the county.
"We wanted to come up with a design that could pivot in all directions," said Haley Littleton, the town's communications and marketing coordinator. "We were looking to develop something that looks official on documents but also contains elements of our character and history."
Explaining the need for a new logo, Littleton said the old one was outdated and hard to read, especially on town vehicles. After 16 years, she continued, it was time for an update, and the goal was to create a new logo in line with current trends while honoring the town's rich past.
To produce the logo, the town hired Breckenridge resident David Rossi as the graphic designer. Overall, town council allotted $8,600 in last year's budget for the effort, and Littleton said the new logo did not run over.
She also complimented Rossi for "taking all the opinions involved in the project and developing a logo that is both modern and exciting and received unanimous approval" from town council after the months-long design process, which incorporated direction from council members and town staff alike.
Rossi developed the new logo with a reference to the roofline design that's seen throughout Breckenridge, and he included an allusion to the mountains. The blue and the gold colors reflect Breckenridge's heritage as a mining town and its alpine environment, according to Rossi.
Comments on the town's Facebook page, where the new logo was revealed Tuesday, ranged from the highly complimentary to a number of people who weren't nearly so supportive.
"We understand that design is always going to be somewhat subjective," Littleton said, acknowledging the mixed reviews on social media. Still, with more than 80 likes and a large number of positive comments on the post, the new logo was fairly well-received, especially for Facebook, where opinions often can be raw and brutal.
Many of the comments came from people like Timothy Faust, Mikayla Springer and Juli Rathke, who all echoed language used by town staff in applauding the new design, calling it "clean" and "fresh."
Breckenridge councilman Jeffrey Bergeron noted he can't wait to see the new emblem on a hoodie: "Light blue size med."
Perhaps the most supportive of the bunch came from Lucy Beth Greene: "As someone who wants to put down roots here in Summit County, I think this is a great move for the future of Breckenridge. Love it!"
Others thought the new logo looks too much like the banner on a sailboat's spinnaker, or they thought it "boring."
"Some things don't need to be changed and are better off left alone," noted Kevin Wood, adding later: "Don't hate it, but I'm entirely underwhelmed."
Littleton said she believes the new logo will grow on people as the town puts it into use and people see it pop up around Breckenridge.
The push for a new town insignia began in February, when town council proposed a "refresh" of the old logo that was created in 2001 and features another rooftop design over the words "Town of Breckenridge" in a light, artsy font.
Council approved the initial design for the new logo Sept. 26, and town staff is working on a new media kit and brand standards. Subsequent designs of the new logo will be released in stages, according to the town.