Margate puts new identity to the public vote

Margate is launching a new identity ahead of the opening of the Turner Contemporary gallery in April. The identity’s final appearance is to be decided by an online public vote.

Underscore has created three iterations of a visual identity for the Kent town having won a five-way pitch organised by Thanet Council in October 2010. It began work on the project the following month.

Three different options for the identity include variations on black-and-white and colour typographies, ‘The original seaside’ strapline and examples of how the identity will appear on promotional materials.

The iterations can be seen on http://www.thisismargate.co.uk/culture/this-is-margate-toolkit.aspx and voting is open until 4 February. The final identity is set to roll out in March.

A spokeswoman for Thanet Council says, ‘We briefed [Underscore] to create a toolkit to promote Margate. We gave them a massive amount of information about Margate and its key renovation projects.’

Alongside the new strapline, typography, logo and colour palette, the ‘toolkit’ will include historical and current photographs of Margate and facts about the town.

The identity will appear across all online and printed marketing materials, signage and street furniture.

Underscore was unavailable for comment at the time of going to press.

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  • Keith Sargent November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    What a stupid idea/approach. Crowd sourcing is the school of dumb way out. Thanet Council should be ashamed. Really awful choices which probably occurred after many committee meetings with earlier better designs being rejected for superficial reasons (not same colour as my bathroom, I’ve got a shirt that colour etc). Why is it that the design profession can be so humiliated and so grateful for the humiliation. Idiotic.

  • Natalia Mesh November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    I totally agree. Public taste should be driven by professionals, not other wise.

  • Keith Sargent November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    I hope the four unsuccessful companies were paid for their pitches.

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