-From the desk of the Guard Dog
It is not very often that people born during the 21st century speak during a Naperville City Council meeting. When it does happen, the council seems reluctant to use the word “no”.
Neuqua Valley Students Conner Tenney and Andy Wang (among others) approach the council with a novel idea about how to improve the city and the branding. This was a nice presentation by the two young men who clearly stated their inspiration and objective.
Conner and Andy’s suggestion to change the city logo was received with open arms from Councilman John Krummen. Here is the sage like advice the councilman provided to the teens:
After hearing Councilman Krummen’s comments, I couldn’t help to be reminded of a scene from the appropriately titled film “Airheads”
While re-branding can be a good thing, it also comes with great price. If you think back to the gold rush in the 1800’s ask yourself, who made all the money. The answer: The person who sold the shovels.
When it comes to re-branding, who stands to gain? The answer: The person who prints the business cards. But it goes further as the city logo is such a coveted representation of Naperville, that making this change would cause more than a few things to have to be adjusted. Think of all of the things that should be taken into consideration before the change to the “current” logo should be approved.
- Road signs that welcome people to Naperville (leave aside the incorrect population numbers) would have to be reconfigured
- All the placards adorned upon the various statues scattered around the city would have to be melted down and recast
- Water towers would have to be repainted for the “updated” brand
- Any business cards and letterhead with the “current” logo would have to be reprinted
- Attorney’s fees for filing new copyrights
If the potential financial repercussions are of no concern to the council (after all it is not their money), then perhaps the council should approve any logo. As stated by Councilwoman Becky Anderson, she would be proud to fly whatever is decided in front of her business.
The question is what could represent Naperville since ultimately we have an imaging issue. Here are some potential logo ideas which may not showcase the city’s brightest highlights, but lights none the less:
- A set of handcuffs (representing Naperville’s ranking of #3 in D.U.I. arrests in the state)
- Some needles (depicting Naperville’s heroin problem and what law enforcement officials call the heroin highway I-88)
- A mother being arrested for filming city workers
- Street Dwellers/Protesters
- Traffic on Washington street (especially highlighting now that the Water Street Project is underway)
While there are many problems within the city, I think the logo ranks low on the list. Spending money on non-essential problems doesn’t seem to make the most sense. All of this could have been resolved by simply using the power of the word “No”. The students seem to be confident young men and would accept the word and the honest feedback.
If the council were to approve the change, what is to stop students of Naperville Central requesting a change a few months after the re-branding is completed. Why not change the name of the city while they are at it?
Regardless, I think the Joker (played by Jack Nicholson) said it best about the town:
-Guard Dog