The council chambers at Squamish’s municipal hall became a scene out of Mad Men Tuesday afternoon.
Not in the booze-soaked, smoke-filled, skirt-chasing sense, but in the hush as Squamish’s Brand Development Committee unveiled the fruits of its labour.
One could almost hear atmospheric background music in the buildup to the final reveal of Squamish’s new branding strategy and tagline.
Hundreds of hours of work by staff, consultants and community leaders over several months, with contributions from more than a thousand citizens, have culminated in three words: “Hardwired for Adventure.”
Give it a second to sink in.
OK, take another one.
The first thought that might come to mind is: Which word took the longest? (Aficionados of the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy will remember that it took 15 years to come up with “Mostly Harmless” to describe the planet Earth.)
That’s, of course, a facetious way of looking at it. The absolutely tremendous amount of thought that has gone into Squamish’s branding is noted and greatly appreciated, and there is, of course, much more than three words to show for it – 94 pages of documentation, for starters.
As Downtown Squamish BIA president Glenn Davies said to council: “No logo is perfect.” Nor will this tagline, or any other, be met with universal acclaim. There will be critics, from those who want to keep “Outdoor Recreation Capital of Canada” – a phrase that has served us well for more than 15 years, but is far from unique – to those who think they have a better idea.
But the work unveiled this week is more than just a few words, a new logo and some drawings. More importantly, it sets a tone and a direction, a statement of purpose that is worth following. It also comes with a comprehensive list of recommendations, set out in chronological order, for us to turn vision into action.
As Coun. Ted Prior noted, the real work begins now. What we have is a framework – a promise for the future, unveiled at exactly the right time to decide if and how we will fulfill that promise.
It’s a great starting point. Where will we go from here?
