April Fools' Day can be a whole lot of fun, but when it comes to news featured on the web today, be weary... be very, very weary!
Earlier today, The Stranger's Slog posted an Ivar's press release that had been making the rounds this morning. Titled "Ivar’s Seafood Restaurants Move to Modern, Splashy New Logo", the press release seems completely plausible -- especially considering how well Starbucks' recent minimalist redesign has been received with the public. The only indication that this release is a complete joke, is that April 1 is highlighted (see below) and there was a note included with the release stating, "Please see below for important April 1 news from Ivar’s."
But like I said, be weary! If even the eagle-eyed, always-skeptical Stranger can be fooled by April Fools' Day gags, so can we! And frankly, I am extremely gullible.
See below for the full press release, we'd love to hear your opinions on this "modern, splashy new logo" -- even if it just an April Fools' Day gag! Should Ivar's go with the mustache-looking logo after all, or stick with the tried and true?
And be sure to catch the very last line -- "More information on Ivar’s can be found at Ivar’s new logo." Heh, heh, heh, heh!
Ivar’s Seafood Restaurants Move to Modern, Splashy New Logo
Ivar’s Rides Minimalist Wave with New Identity Look
SEATTLE — April 1, 2011 — After successfully marking what would have been founder Ivar Haglund’s 106th birthday last week, Ivar’s Seafood Restaurants set its sights on the future today as it unveiled a modern new logo created to better capture the Millenial essence. Notably, the recognizable cursive “Ivar’s” has been dropped from the company’s identity, leaving behind a clean blue wave simply complemented by the number “1938” to denote Ivar’s founding year.
“Ivar’s key management deliberated over this change for quite some time, but in the end, we felt a fresh logo will help evolve Ivar’s to a point that feels more suitable and approachable for today’s diner,” commented Kirsten Wlaschin, head of Marketing for the regional chain. “We must embrace change and be fluid. The wave is symbolic of our ability to do so and adapt as a brand throughout the last 73-years, while still expressing our love of fresh Northwest seafood. It evolves us forward, yet stays true to our maritime roots and our founder Ivar Haglund’s entrepreneurial vision and spirit, which is still part of our culture today.”
The new Ivar’s logo will be rolling out to all Ivar’s full service restaurants (Ivar's Acres of Clams, Ivar's Salmon House and Ivar's Mukilteo Landing), Ivar’s Seafood Bars and stadium locations in the coming months. The logo will also be prominently displayed on the 8,765,432 takeaway cups of chowder served to guests annually, as well as integrated into all future marketing campaigns and collateral. In addition, the company will soon launch a line of apparel and lifestyle products marked with the refreshed logo, so fans can enjoy Ivar’s in all aspects of their life.
“Ivar’s is taking a risk by dropping it’s synonymous cursive company name from their logo, but our extensive research showed people simply don’t read as much as they used to, especially cursive, given people’s tendency to text and microblog — it was no longer relevant,” explained Seth Godfin, a world-renowned brand strategiest from Gotcha Creative & Branding whom Ivar’s commissioned to develop it’s new identity. “Once we opted to drop the name, everything literally opened up and enabled us to create a new, clean design with ample negative space that gives each element room to breathe. Because Ivar’s is intrinsically linked to refreshing waterfront dining, it was very fitting. This new execution will resonate with the restaurants’ existing clientele, while attracting new diners as well.”
To celebrate this milestone, Ivar’s has two large scale logo unveilings planned for the public. The first is based on public feedback in renaming Qwest Field to Ivar’s Chowder Bowl. Subsequently, a giant chowder cup adorned with the new logo will be raised to the field’s exterior in the coming month. The second will come this fall as a large scale Halloween corn maze replica, in which maze-goers will find their way out of the undulating “waves” of grain cut in the form of Ivar’s new look. Ivar’s infamous dancing clams will be on hand to greet fans. Complete event details will be released as the dates approach.
Consumers wishing to further explore and weigh in on Ivar’s new look are invited to participate in a poll and leave commentary on Ivar’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/IvarsRestaurants. More information on Ivar’s can be found at Ivar’s new logo.
