By Tara DeRock Mahoney
Senior Staff Writer

    Madison Main Street Director Ann Huff officially rolled out the newly-redesigned city logo at Monday night’s regular city council meeting.
    The new design will replace three official city logos, as well as a plethora of city references in brochures and mailings produced at both city and chamber offices.
    The new logo is expected to help potential guests and visitors—as well as residents—readily identify references to the city in print media, as well as on business cards, city vehicles, and even the local water tower.
    “We’re all screaming ‘Madison,’ but we’re not using the same voice,” said Huff.
    The logo is expected to receive a great deal of local, regional, and national exposure in the coming years; because of this, the city went to local professional graphic designer Colleen Hall for the design. Hall holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in graphic design for Yale University, and worked on the graphic representation of New York City’s bid for the summer Olympics.
    Hall presented the “first look” to council members Monday night, noting the red-clay color of the logo which references the Georgia earth, as well as a border evoking images of architectural columns.
    “It’s the consistent use of the logo as part of a family of elements…that will make the logo successful,” said Hall. Those various elements were also presented at Monday’s meeting; although the basic, clearly identifiable logo will remain unchanged, several versions of the main logo have been designed for use in various specific situations. A couple versions of the logo have a downtown-Madison streetscape capping the logo; versions that will be used by the Chamber and the Convention and Visitors’ Bureau include the word “Georgia” within the design.
    “All of the elements work to extend the positive message,” said Hall.
    Some printing and advertising projects initiated by the Main Street program and the CVB have been on hold while the new logo was designed and approved, and those projects are expected to be green-lighted immediately, so the new logo will be in evidence very quickly. Eventually, city stationery, trucks, and a water tower will also carry the logo, as those products are replenished and replaced.
    “Cost [of the changes] doesn’t concern me as much, “ said city manager David Nunn.
    “A lot of these things change over time.”
    Council members voted to move forward with the new logo, despite some nostalgia on the part of Mayor Tom DuPree and Council member Fred Perriman for the old city logo, with its representative columns.
    “[But] we recognize the value of the consistent message,” said DuPree.
    “I really like it,” said council member Connie Booth. “I’m ready to see it in use.”