New Logo/branding concept.

[Jack May]

I'm doing a few changes in my business over the next few years. One of them is seperating off my inspector and mill work with my carpet repairs and stain treatments so that eventually I can put a manager in my carpet cleaning and restoration business and I can focus better on this side.

Basically, what I was trying to achieve is more a 'corporate' look and not a real flashy logo. I also wanted a timeless feel about it that won't require updating every 5 years.

I wanted a personalised look without attaching my photo to it and I got that by my initials and then name. This is for work that only I do in my company. Eventually, I'm picking I'll want to potentially sell off the cleaning and resotration business (5-10 years possibly) and a seperation NOW, will allow both companies to become viable entities in their own right and there's no confusion during a sale as to what goes and what stays. Also, If I waited till the last moment to seperate, then I stand the chance of people not following me.

Apart from the fact it would be difficult to enforce a non compete clause for a 'new venture' verses a seperate business that has been running parrell for a number of years.

I plan to basically have the one email and mobile phone, and people will KNOW that they are two businesses running paralell with the email signature containing both businesses. (I think :? )


As such, here's the concept branding/logo for my new 'division' or business if you like.

Let me have it. It's in drafting stage.

Cheers, John

 

[Brian R]

I can't help but think "Fishing" from a customers standpoint.


Friggen awesome artwork though.

Don't want to tweak it and screw that up.

Who will be seeing this ad?

 

[ascrubabove]

Very good looking art, other than the word carpet, nothing else say's "carpet". I understand the tufts but I'm a carpet guy, I dont think Mr & Ms Joe Shmoe are going to get it.

 

[Bruce Humphrey]

I'm looking at it and I'm seeing a phone cord. remember the 50ft phone cords so people could walk all over their house while talking on the phone?

 

[hogjowl]

anchor

 

[alazo1]

The concept is cool. Not sure the JM is working for me. Do you have access to more realistic fibers?, maybe play around with a few different tools. Are you doing this yourself?.

Albert

 

[billyeadon]

John,
I feel like I am piling on. I agree with the others. Don't ask us, show it to a bunch of non cc people and get their input.

Bill Yeadon

 

[Wayne Miller]

It's a nice job with the artwork but its meaning seems a little ambiguous to me. I'd do what Bill suggests, show it to some non-carpet people.

 

[hogjowl]

You guys leave him alone. It seems perfectly obvious to me that thing is either a boat anchor, or he's a seamtress.

 

[Jack May]

Thanks for the feedback.

This is MY concept that I've had for a couple of years. Played around with other things but keep coming back to this original idea. About a year ago, I took it to a company that has done a lot of signage for me and got one of their 'designers' to play with it... and she basically stuffed it up big time. After about three consultations, I asked the manager to bill me a % of what was owed and I'd move on.

Recently, my Dad entered the industry again and he got his brand done by a local company. They subbed the graphics art work out to a lady that specialises in this type of thing. I was so impressed that I decided it was time to bring my concept out again.

Re the 'will the customers get it' comments, I hear ya, but 90+% of this work is for Mills, Retailers, Insurers etc. For the odd private job I do, they are always a referral from the first group.

On the idea of the needle, I made it look more like a 'J' so that I could link it in with my name. Also, I use my re tufting services as a USP.

I also have the philosophy (learned from others) that an inspector that has the ability to correct, is generally more valueable than just an inspector who identifies a problem, but can't fix the problem.

I had wondered about the 'yarn' look but couldn't come up with anything better myself. I did get the file from her in Ai so I may just do a copy and have a play in illustrator.

John

 

[Brian R]

Try to fix the idea but use the same technique. I love the artwork.

You should sell it to a fisherman with the same initials.

 

[rhino1]

In the US, if you are Registered it means you can't live within 5 miles of a school and you get free advertising on the local police website...

 

[rhyde]

i like it the only thing i'd think of doing is maybe some pile like this perhaps ..?

 

[hogjowl]

It's a shame you can't figure out a way to make that "M" look less like a rope and more like carpet.

What you have will certainly do the job, but if you could fix that in some way it would look better.

 

[Jack May]

Randy, one of the earlier variations to this designs also included the short tufts but I felt it lost it's 'cleaner' look.

Marty, I'll have a play around and see if I can do more with the yarn. But essentially, yarn is small rope so I'll have to see.

Thanks for the comments.

John

 

[rhyde]

i agree it looks cleaner without

 

[Ken Snow]

I agree with many of the comments and now feel a little better about it that your clintele is mostly industry insiders.

Couple suggestions:
What about Middleton Carpet Inspection & Repair (forget the qword certified, as that is a given and it lets them know you can fix things vs just evaluate).

Lose your first name in the logo and have your name on your bus card and people will get it, but you won't have as much an issue if you hire someone else to do work also and there name isn't John Middleton.

Ken

 

[Brian R]

What Ken said.


But I still like the look of the logo.
What esle can you come up with?


Let it go Bro...Let it go. :wink:

 

[Jack May]

Ken,

taking your comments a bit further, If I was to drop John out of the wording, would that necessitate the dropping of the needle out of the logo? If so, the 'M' would loose context and look odd, if not, what does the 'J' needle represent?

Or does it just become a logo in it's own right and not link through to my initials?

Up until now, without my logo, any marketing materials that I've sent out, have had a tag line under my name along the lines of:

"Carpet Inspection & Correction Services"

Not too far from what you suggested.

John

 

[hogjowl]

The M already looks odd.

 

[Brian R]

Go with simple.
Last name without the initials
Use the swoop under the name and all that.

You might be able to do the carpet "M" in your name some how...as long as it doesn't look cheesy.

 

[Ken Snow]

Good point on the J hook John, perhaps its best to rework without it or make it a needle or something else representing the industry that is not a letter. Might run it past Wayne Miller, from the work I have seem him do he would be worth a consult fee at the very least.

 

[Brian R]

is this any better?
Just an idea

 

[Desk Jockey]

This is an old post card we use to use. Kinda cheezy, it's tough looking back, but it has carpet fibers you can use as examples.

What if you left the "M" in regular font, but put the carpet on the sweeping line that goes across the card?

 

[Jack May]

These are the ideas the last designer came up with. They were WAY removed from the initial concept I showed her, but the yarn does look more like yarn than rope. Both designers were given a photocopy of our 'scribble page' that had the concept pretty clear.

I only had them in a pdf so here's photos of that.

Originally, I couldn't decide between inspector or consultant but since decided on inspector as I feel it could be more user friendly than consultant.

John

 

[Jack May]

I've actually forwarded the top image through to my designer to show her the difference in the yarn style and asked her to see if she can produce a similar looking yarn.

She hopes to get back to me either tomorrow (Friday for us) or Monday.

Thanks for the feedbac and comments, I really appreciate it. I'll keep you updated.

John

 

[Brian R]

This is the thread I was trying to find.

Hey John, did you get your logo figured out?

 

[Jack May]

Hi Brian,

yeah, sort of. It's probably going to be a 'transition' branding over a couple of years.

This is what the designer came up with as a final.

The problem there is whne I placed it on a report page, it disappeared in the text because the colouring is too close to black and the khaki just didn't make a statement like I had hoped.

I downloaded it into Ai and had a play and tried different colours etc and finally settled out with this.

While I'm not 100% happy, I'm more happy with this than the previous one. On a page it actually stands out now.

I tried greena nd also maroon (only because that is the colours I had before the logo came along) but they didn't sit well with the design I felt.

Thanks to everyone for teh help on this. I see in about 18 months time, another change in my existing Carpet Pro business and if/when that happens, that will force a slight change on this one for the better... I'll have to wait ansd see.

John

 

[alazo1]

They did a good job modifying the yarn. I like the blue best.

Albert

 

[Brian R]

John,
I like the way the blue one turned out as well.
Logo's are like people, everchanging...even if only a little bit.
Either way, it looks great.