Whoops! Normally I try to calm nerves, not exacerbate them…
A little over 20 years ago when her business was merely a dream, Stephanie doodled an idea for her logo on a random scrap of paper. It was a simple jumping horse made from two mono-line letter S’s.
The horse’s legs… music notes.
The farm name… Symphony Sporthorses.
As years went by, Stephanie incorporated dressage horses into her breeding program and created a second sketch to match the style of the original jumping horse, but this time in an extended trot.
With the addition of her stunning Palomino Trakehner stallion, aptly named “Crescendo”, eventing has become a large part of her well established breeding program. This year, she wanted to include an eventer so the brand identity would correlate with the evolution of her program.
However, instead of creating a third sketch on her own, she scheduled a brainstorming session hoping I could draw a cross-country horse to match the style of the other two legacy SS horses.
The blunder…
Me being the genius I am, I did the very thing that worried her the most…
About 30 minutes into an amazing conversation, I asked Stephanie if it would be okay with her if I “play with the design of ALL the horses”?
Understandably and completely justifiably, she became extremely nervous and apprehensive.
I had no idea this was her greatest fear about working with a professional designer.
And, I had no idea this is the one reason she never contacted anyone for help in the past.
She loves her double SS horses. They hold the history and the sentiment of everything she’s been building over the past 2 decades. She didn’t want anyone to even as much as talk about altering her horses.
Once she realized I truly understood how meaningful and important her SS horses are to her, she began to trust me a bit more. I assured her I could achieve a redesign without diminishing the sentimental nature of the original brand. I also promised to put them right back to the original horses If she didn’t immediately fall in love when she saw them.
By the end of the call, she gave the ‘go ahead’ and ultimately felt comfortable enough to hand over free rein and see what I could do to transform her vision.
I could not do what I do without understanding the emotion that runs so deep behind the brands in our industry. This is an industry steeped in tradition, compassion and an unexplainable dedication to working ourselves to the bone day in and day out, all for the betterment of our animals and the passion for doing what we love.
If you’re hesitant to refresh your long-standing brand due to the meaning and significance it holds, just know, there’s someone out there that truly understands. And your trust in my ability to maintain the original integrity of a brand you are deeply connected to, is a responsibility that will never be taken lightly.
I had my original jumper logo for over 20 years, and it evolved with me from a hand drawing on a scratch piece of paper, to a electronic adaptation, to the addition of a dressage and a refocus of the business.
The time came when I knew my logo needed a face lift and some modernization but being so attached to my original “double S” horses made me so nervous to work with a professional.
Would they understand the legacy sentimentality? Would they update but not lose the base of the design? Could they incorporate all three phases of eventing instead of just the CT I had? What about the music aspect? Our slogan is “put some rhythm in your ride,” so could they help incorporate that concept?
The answer was not only overwhelmingly yes to these questions, but Jackie went above and beyond my expectations, helping me create a modernized logo for not just the farm, but my stallion as well. The process was so easy and both Jackie and David are an absolute pleasure to work with. Highly recommend.
