Fly Your Freak Flag 2
Nothing quite like a flag as a branding symbol. As those of you who have been reading Godspeed for a while know, I’ve written about this before – which is why we’re revisiting the topic again.
When we interviewed Michael Green, founder of Flags for Good, for that post, he said he’d been surprised by sales of Maine’s state flag from 1901. “Blows me away how much pride they have in their state and don’t have a symbol to show that pride, so they’ve used this great design from 1901 that’s not official, but everyone flies it.”
Well, guess what? The State of Maine is holding a contest to redesign its flag, and that 1901 flag will serve as the jumping off point for the redesign – speculation is the state won’t reboot 1901 as-is because it might have a passing resemblance to the controversial “Appeal to Heaven” flag, which hit the news when a certain Supreme Court Justice and his wife flew it over their vacation home.
Designs must pay homage to Maine’s 1901 flag by including certain elements, but from there it’s up to your ingenuity with simplicity of design scoring extra points. The contest is being held prior to a ballot initiative in November to put the idea of changing the flag to voters.
I’ve been a big fan of flags as branding instruments for a long time, as anyone who’s seen the flag atop our building in Boise can tell you. As a branding guy, it’s appalling that many states fly lookalike flags, relying on a background of blue with insipid state seals or shields as primary design elements. A few states are realizing there’s a brand positioning opportunity to stand out via redesigns; Minnesota and Utah recently embraced new, more distinctive flags.
We have our own checkered history with flag redesigns in Idaho at the municipal level; the City of Pocatello, Idaho, was once chosen as having the worst flag in North America 🤮. The City seized the PR opportunity and turned a lemon into lemonade with a sharp redesign that ranked as 11th best city flag in a recent survey. Our state flag here in Idaho, part of that milquetoast cadre of state seal designs, could similarly benefit from an inspired, new design.
Designers Start Your Engines
Since we have quite a few designers in the Godspeed community, we thought some of you just might want to throw your hat into the ring – it’s not every day you get an opportunity like this. There’s even a tight design brief for the project, and yes, it’s open to non-Mainers as well. The deadline’s coming up fast, but that’s nothing new for a designer, eh? You can get your design on and submit your design here.
And…if you need an awesome flag for your home or office, don’t forget our friends at Flags for Good. They’re an impact business that gives back significantly, and they’ve got all sorts of flags that will help you express yourself, your values, and your causes.
Godspeed, friends.
Russ
💬 Quote of the Week
"I don't wave a flag for anything. I'm a musician." Keith Richards
💥 Quick Hits
• Survey says – Thanks to those who voted on the name for the new coworking space we'll be launching here in Boise. It will be called Inspiration Alley. Opening early July – stay tuned.
• Dreaming of a four-day workweek? – We didn't always work 40 hours each week. Fifteen hours, anyone?
• Should we downsize overdeveloped economies? – The Degrowth Movement is gaining attention in a number of quarters, including one leading university in Spain that now offers a master's degree in degrowth.
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