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#1 2002-10-18 12:24:11
- Palomar
- Member
- From: USA
- Registered: 2002-05-30
- Posts: 9,734
Re: More Exposure - Mars Society & Merchandising Options
*For starters, I think the Mars Society should reinvent its logo. The current one definitely captures, in very bold images, what we're attempting to accomplish...however, as someone else here [can't recall who] pointed out awhile back, the current logo isn't something most people would wear on their golf shirts while smacking a few balls around on the green. IMO, the new logo could be sleeker...and simpler.
I'm surprised the Mars Society hasn't issued keychains and bumperstickers. They used to sell shirt pins and iron-on patches.
Is part of the reason the merchandising is so paltry because the Mars Society is a nonprofit organization? Surely keychains and bumperstickers could be given upon request along with a *donation.* What better way to advertise the Mars Society than with a bumpersticker?
The flags, maps, and globes of Mars they have for sell are nice...but I can't affix those to my car! Keychains are always getting noticed, especially flashy ones.
I wish they'd beef up the advertising materials.
--Cindy
We all know [i]those[/i] Venusians: Doing their hair in shock waves, smoking electrical coronas, wearing Van Allen belts and resting their tiny elbows on a Geiger counter...
--John Sladek (The New Apocrypha)
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#2 2002-10-18 12:57:31
Re: More Exposure - Mars Society & Merchandising Options
Hear hear! We've heard too many times from too many people on these forums that the current Mars Society logo is not suitable.
The problem is that there isn't really a Mars Society admin office, apart from the beleaguered Maggie Zubrin, and she can't be expected to come up with all of these materials on her own. Unfortunately, most members aren't even aware that there's a problem and even if they were, they don't feel like they can do anything about it. So this is an area ripe for community action (i.e. us 
). Once I get the wiki up and running next week or so, people can start brainstorming on it there.
Editor of [url=http://www.newmars.com]New Mars[/url]
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#3 2002-10-18 13:04:30
- Bill White
- Member
- Registered: 2001-09-09
- Posts: 2,114
Re: More Exposure - Mars Society & Merchandising Options
I know the symbol for Mars is also the symbol for man - as in male - just as the symbol for Venus is the symbol for woman - as in female. Still, I have always found the Mars Society logo rather too "macho male adolescent" for my taste.
As for the power of logos, I suggest the following book:
No Logo: Taking Aim at Brand Bullies
This book takes aim at the abuse of logos by folks like Nike - however its criticisms illustrate the power of logos nicely.
For the record, Adrian's logos for NewMars and FirstWords have been first rate, IMHO.
Adrian - I nominate YOU as the proposed NewLogoDude!
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#4 2002-10-18 18:15:03
- Phobos
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- Registered: 2002-01-02
- Posts: 1,103
Re: More Exposure - Mars Society & Merchandising Options
I like the idea of a Mars Society keychain. I usually shy away from things like bumperstickers, but not keychains. I think a MS keychain would go well with the NASA keychain I already have. And I agree about Adrian's logos, they're simple but highly effective. The current MS logo feels cluttered, it's trying to show too much and not everyone is hip to the idea of terraforming anyway so I think that "blue sky" portion should go. Something along the lines of those New Mars crescents would make a good logo for the Mars Society I think.
To achieve the impossible you must attempt the absurd
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