‘Everybody wants to be in Norwalk’
Norwalk gets new logo as Lamont proclaims it’s ‘probably the most popular city’ in state
NORWALK — The Rev. Richard Wesley Clarke says he loves Norwalk.
So does Blanca Restaino, managing partner at the pizza restaurant Coals. Gov. Ned Lamont says it’s “probably the most popular city in our state.”
Suzanne Cahill, executive director at the Wall Street Theater, proclaims she loves Norwalk, too.
It’s a phrase so prevalent that city officials decided to change the city’s logo to reflect that, quite literally. With a red heart symbol and multi-colored letters, the logo declares “I love Norwalk.”
“I love Norwalk because of what we value, we value each other; that’s why I think it’s most appropriate and I am extremely happy to share that city’s new branding logo, ‘I love Norwalk,’" said Mayor Harry Rilling in the eight-minute promotional video the city released to announce the new brand.
The logo replaces the “Sound of Connecticut” logo released in 2016. The ‘Norwalk’ logo lettering was part of a $100,000 city project to promote tourism that started in 2021. The video cost an additional $16,000.
Norwalk has gained attention recently within the state and nationally as a city on the rise, said Michelle Woods Matthews, the city’s director of communications. For example, Norwalk was named the 29th best city in the country for families to live by Fortune Magazine, and Hearst Connecticut Media ranked Norwalk No. 1 out of 25 Connecticut cities for quality of life.
In the video, local business owners, politicians, and community members like Clarke, Restaino and Cahill praise Norwalk and share what they love about the city.
“Norwalk is probably
the most popular city in our state,” Gov. Ned Lamont says in the video. “Everybody wants to be in Norwalk. You’ve made it a very welcoming place.”
Showcasing attractions like the Maritime Aquarium, Calf Pasture Beach, SoNo Collection, local restaurants and theaters, the video aims to highlight what Norwalk has to offer.
“We wanted to make more people aware that the city of Norwalk has an amazing, thriving urban downtown,” said Woods Matthews.
“This is a great place to retire, it’s a great place to work,” resident Mike Mushak says in the video.
“I really love some of the outdoor facilities that the city has to offer like Calf Pasture Beach, where we are right now, and the Norwalk River Valley Trail,” resident Nancy Rosett says.
“This area offers a lot for individuals and families,” said the Rev. Lindsay E. Curtis. “We are not a perfect community, but we certainly are striving, and have been, to be as close to perfect as we can.”
The logo aims to captures the sense of community pride and spirit shared among residents, according to the city’s statement.
“Norwalk is a community with a heart,” said Rilling in the statement. “Our residents take great pride in our city, whether it’s our fantastic restaurants and downtown areas, parks and beaches, world-class schools and transportation options, or our thriving arts and cultural community. Norwalk has something for everyone and has been on the rise for quite some time.”
Why Norwalk is rebranding
The city’s old logo is seen as outdated because one of the landmarks used on image was the Maritime Aquarium’s IMAX theater which is being torn down as a part of the Walk Bridge project.
The city said they also didn’t feel that the “Sound of Connecticut” logo resonated with the community.
“We are just a city on the rise, and I think it’s really important that...the city’s logo resonated with how people feel about the city in a positive and inclusive way but also show what Norwalk has to offer,” said Woods Matthews.
Plans to rebrand have been in the works for a few years starting with the creation of the ‘Visit Norwalk’ logo in 2021. The city contracted Dornenburg Kallenbach Advertising in 2020 to help promote tourism in the city, and $100,000 was allocated in the capital budget to the tourism branding project.
To include the community in the rebranding, residents were asked to vote on their favorite ‘Visit Norwalk’ logo designed by Dornenburg Kallenbach Advertising. The winning logo is the same ‘Norwalk’ lettering used in the ‘I love Norwalk’ logo and in the ‘Norwalk for Business’ logo.
“The multi-colored artwork represents the City of Norwalk’s strong sense of inclusivity, creativity and the unique vibrancy of the Norwalk community,” the city’s statement said. “The heart symbol reflects the vitality of people’s love and passion for their city.”
The city spent about $16,000 on the video, produced by Dornenburg Kallenbach Advertising,
Woods Matthews said.
“When promoting the ‘I love Norwalk’ video we wanted to make sure we included what stands out about Norwalk in terms of all the different people here,” Woods Matthews said.
Woods Matthews presented the new logo to the Common Council meeting on Tuesday.
“All digital areas will be updated by Sept. 15, so that includes email signatures, websites and press releases while structures item such as buildings and vehicles will take longer,” Woods Matthews said during the meeting.
Some council members asked whether the logo was too similar to the ‘I love New York’ logo.
Woods Matthews said ‘love’ is a human emotion and cannot be trademarked.
“You can’t put a trademark on love, its an emotion, it’s universal,” she explained.