The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Water tower shows off its fresh, new look
Colorful logo is painted on iconic landmark to highlight Grand River Valley wine region
A colorful logo is painted on the iconic landmark to highlight the Grand River Valley wine region.
After nearly two years of being covered with a plain white coat, the tank of the Madison Village water tower is now sporting a colorful new logo.
This past weekend, a blue and green emblem with white lettering touting the phrase, “Grand River Valley — Ohio’s Wine Country” was painted onto the bowl of the tower, which is located just north of the Interstate 90 and Route 528 interchange.
Motorists traveling east on I-90 and south on Route 528, in the area where that thoroughfare crosses over the interstate, get the best views of the new logo.
With the emblem’s placement on the south side of the tower, the design is less visible from the westbound lane of I-90, requiring passing motorists to turn their heads or catch a glimpse in the car’s rear-view mirror.
The logo, which will serve as a brand and shared identity for the Grand River Valley wine region, was created through a project spearheaded by the executive directors of the Lake County Visitors Bureau and Ashtabula County Visitors Bureau.
Lake County Visitors Bureau Executive Director Neil Stein got his first look at the logo on Nov. 9, while driving on Interstate 90.
Stein said it was “extremely satisfying” to see it, considering the history of the tower and the cooperative approach taken to come up with an insignia for the top of the structure.
“My goal with this project was to make sure whatever we chose for the logo or design on the tower was going to be something that had input from all the stakeholders in the Grand River Valley and would help brand this unique region not only for our residents, but also for those visiting the GRV from outside our area,” he said.
After Stein was appointed as executive director of the visitors bureau in 2019, he became the newest member of a group called the Grand River Valley Branding Initiative Committee.
The panel also includes Ashtabula County Visitors Bureau Executive Director Stephanie Siegel; winery and distillery owners in the Grand River Valley; and the administrators of Lake and Ashtabula County governments. Additionally on the panel are, representatives of Lake Metroparks, the Lake County Ohio Port and Economic Development Authority; and Ashtabula County Port Authority.
“With significant contributions from Cindy Lindberg from Grand River Cellars and Eddy Eckart with Red e Vodka, and the entire Grand River Branding Initiative Committee, we worked with North Star Place Branding to take the first step in branding the area,” Stein said.
Based in Nashville, Tennessee, North Star specializes in branding and marketing communities, regions and states to increase tourism, bolster economic development, and achieve other specific goals.
Committee members worked with North Star’s specialists to create “a visual icon that was representative of (the Grand River Valley) and could easily be adopted by businesses of every kind,” Siegel noted.
“(The logo) also needed to stand out in the national marketplace, since we have put our stake in the ground as Ohio’s Wine Country,” she said.
To achieve this, a design was created “using a distinctive shape with elements suggesting rolling vineyards and flowing water,” a news release from the Lake County Visitors Bureau stated. “A vibrant color palette is inspired by grapes, wine, leaves, water and sky.”
This logo is different from a design that was unveiled two years ago, but ended up never adorning the tower.
D & M Painting Corp. of Washington, Pennsylvania, was hired to paint the new logo onto the bowl of the 128-foot-tall tower. In addi
tion, the company painted the word “Madison” in blue capital letters on the center stem of the structure.
Madison Village government officials had insisted that “Madison” appear on the 92-year-old tower in conjunction with any proposal to add images or text to the structure.
Village Administrator Dwayne Bailey said there have been many people involved in efforts over the years to preserve the water tower as a landmark.
“I think I can speak for the mayor and council in saying that we are all pleased that the water tower was saved and is helping promote the Grand River Valley,” Bailey said
on Nov. 10. “The village is hopeful that we can continue to support and participate in the economic growth of the region.”
For this latest endeavor to enhance the tower, Village Council agreed to contribute $3,000 toward the overall $6,200 cost of painting the word “Madison” onto the structure’s center stem. Otherwise, the Visitors Bureau paid for the remainder of the work. The bureau would not disclose the overall cost of the project.
Plans call for the “Grand River Valley — Ohio’s Wine Country” logo to appear in more places in both Lake and Ashtabula counties, Stein said.
“Folks will see the GRV logo included in wine-region ad campaigns that both the Lake County and Ashtabula County Visitors bureaus conduct annually, and the goal is for the wineries and stakeholders in the Grand River Valley to use this logo on their literature and advertising as well,” he said.
Other creative ideas proposed for displaying the logo, as funding allows, include wayfinding signage along roadways; a large, photo-op sign where visitors can stop and take a photo with the sign to share on social media; and large welcome signage as vehicles enter the region, Stein said.