Wednesday, September 19, 2007

What the heck is a plectrum?


Ben Sherman is releasing a new logo that they hope will have as much identity as the Nike swoosh. They chose the symbol of the plectrum, which they feel will connect with the edgy Britrock crowd. Makes sense to me.

Now if I could only figure out what the heck a plectrum is!

In January, the primary logo will be the plectrum symbol. Personally, I am seeing a shield, but that is not what a plectrum is. So here’s some things that don’t make sense about this logo change:
1. Ben Sherman is not eliminating its other logos – the plectrum will be the
primary logo, but they will still use their signature, Union Jack, check
pattern, crest, and target logos. Can you say brand confusion?
2. The resemblance to things that are not plectrums is understood by Ben
Sherman. It looks like a shield. It looks like a coat of arms. It looks like
a soccer patch. It does not (really) look like a plectrum. How is this an
identifiable symbol?
3. Ben Sherman marketing execs want this new logo to tap into the edgy Britrock
crowd and give their products a more sophisticated look. Edgy and
sophisticated? What?

So what is a plectrum? You in the American audience might be more familiar with the term “guitar pick”.

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