Bath-based design firm creates ‘deadpan’ sheep logo for Snowdonia tour group
A Bath-based design studio has created what it calls a “deadpan” sheep logo for a tour group in Snowdonia.
Thisaway has crafted the “identity” for the newly-launched company, Knowdonia, because “obviously Wales has an association with sheep”.
According to Thisaway founder Graeme Cook this is because they wanted a “fun element to come through”.
He told Design Week: “Having done an audit of brands in the area, we saw an opportunity for a brand to have a personality and a clear point of view.
Cook suggested that the central part to conveying the brand’s “personality” is through the sheep icon: “We wanted it to feel deadpan. Obviously, Wales has an association with sheep, but we wanted the fun element to come through.”
The branding has not received universal acclaim. Social media expert Owen Williams shared a screenshot of the article with the words “screams in Welsh”.
*screams in welsh* pic.twitter.com/83nZtED3ib
— Owen Williams 🏴 (@OwsWills) July 15, 2021
Cook added that the icon plays off the idea of how sheep stare at people, but also aims to create a sense of “unexpected” movement.
The article in Design Week incorrectly claimed that “Snowdonia is home to the highest point in the UK, Mount Snowdon.” The highest mountain in the UK is Ben Nevis in Scotland.
(and in scottish) https://t.co/Fkpis0xJ6s
— Owen Williams 🏴 (@OwsWills) July 15, 2021
‘Resurgence’
The article added: “The area witnessed a resurgence of popularity during lockdown, in addition to the millions of visitors it already attracted annually.”
The Thisaway team’s target audience is “curious tourists”, which includes people travelling from London and who say they are used to high-quality brands and design work.
The Knowdonia tour group offers “curated” tours of the area, the brand’s tagline, “Don’t follow the flock”, is an attempt to encourage people to look beyond the usual attractions.
On the Knowdonia website it says: “Welcome fellow explorer. Welcome radical thinker, curious questioner and rebel breed.
“A big hello to the contrarians and adventurers who will happily step off the beaten path and into the lesser-known.
“This extraordinary corner of the universe is blessed with trail runs and tumbling waters. Coastlines and castles. Forests and lakes.
“Beyond the crowded summits and tourist traps lie hidden caverns, artisan gin and stinkingly good cheese.
“Our sole purpose is to proudly guide you into the unknown. To places you’ve never seen and will likely never forget.”
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Nice to see them recycling the same “joke” 1000 years later.
But surely these attention seeking knobs know they should be calling themselves knERYRI not this other fictional place the English keep going on about).
To be fair if you are getting chaps from Flatland to take you around Eryri you kinda deserve the sh1te tour you are going to get
Chaps from flatland? I’m from Denbigh and live in the Conwy Valley. Where do you live Chris? Go onto our website and see how many times the word ‘Eryri’ is used. I’ll tell you – every time. Bear in mind. This is an article by Design Week – not by me or the brand agency I used. I can’t control that. The whole ethos of the business is to showcase the heritage, culture, local produce and support the smaller businesses that struggle to be seen above the bigger boys. If I need to use some clever branding to attract people… Read more »
Sorry, Christian, the loons on here are always looking for another story to spin into outrage. They’re desperate to be offended, so they can start frothing about the hated English. I’m sorry your company happened to be caught in their sights this time.
They could use this old logo for county lines tours.
Knowdonia is based in Capel Curig, and at least one owner appears to be Welsh.
Some clever advertising, obviously aimed at a specific English market. That English market doesn’t know any better so let’s fleece them.
(Sorry…)
This company is actually an improvement on the free-for-all that you currently get on Yr Wyddfa, and might turn out to be an example of the kind of higher-grade, properly-organised, more remunerative (for Cymru) tourism that the country could do with while the economy is still tourism-based. If it’s a Welsh company, even better. The profits will stay in this country.
Agree.
Aren’t there any Welsh PR firms doing this kind of work? A five year old could have bettered this effort.
It’s a nicely done piece of design, aimed at the upmarket visitors Cymru needs.