Dearest Addison: It has come to my attention that you have decided to change the logo for your town. This greatly saddens me. I have loved that logo since its inception. Every time I drive down Midway Road and find myself passing through your suburb, I yell, "Yay, I'm in Addison!" It is difficult to yell in italics, but I have practiced. Because your logo was that amazing.
Your logo in italics immediately said to visitors, "This place is super fancy. It's so fancy, its name can't even be set in regular type. Check out our many churrascaria options, you guys. Yeah, you heard right. We have Texas de Brazil AND Fogo de Chao, motherhumpers." It said, "We're different from Farmers Branch, with its stupid FB logo that looks like it just stands for Facebook." It said, "This isn't just Addison, it's Addison! You need a shortcut on your keyboard and a halfway excited voice to pronounce us properly."
Which brings us to punctuation. The old logo didn't have just any punctuation, it had the most powerful punctuation mark that exists: the exclamation point. You can't not be excited about things when an exclamation point is around. It's the law. By putting an exclamation point after an italicized Addison, you made it known that your town is a freaking badass place to be. This isn't "Frisco?" It's not "Plano&." This is Addison! Where people go to have brunch at a chain restaurant and talk about their recent successes!"
Your new logo is "ADDISON" in all caps. In one caps lock, you just took your town from friendly cheerleader voice to creepy stalker. "Welcome to ADDISON. NOW GET IN MY TRUNK." The tag line you've adopted is "It All Comes Together." Which could easily be followed by "It puts the lotion in the basket."
Addison Magazine reports that this new logo creation was "a 12-month process involving nearly 4,000 people including surveys and focus groups with business leaders, residents and visitors along with the City Council members and employees."
It took you a year and 4,000 people and focus groups to go with all caps on a blue dot?
Please add the italics and exclamation point to the current design, and I guess I'll be happy. Or wingdings. Add wingdings. Or a taco. I'd accept adding a smiling al pastor taco to the new logo as a compromise. Even if you don't add anything, I'll still yell "Addison!" in italics when I drive through. Never forget.
