Chester Zoo Chester Zoo rebranding
- Thread starter ChiChi
- Start date
ZooNews2024
Well-Known Member
Just saw this - a bit uninspired, I thought...?
Is the 'C' meant to be a rhino?
Maybe a bit bland, but I would say far preferable over the childish fonts and lay outs it had before. Those didn't really fit with one of Europe's largest zoos and biggest players when it comes to conservation.
Would be interested to see how the new map looks, but that link is broken.
It also appears the stocklists were removed from the website, which hopefully for us nerds is something that will reappear when the new website is running smoothly.
Agreed - this a much more professional look. If nothing else a font where presumably a 7 and a 1 don't look identical is no bad thing...
Also looks like they’ve followed ZSL and rebranded themselves as a “Conservation Zoo.” Is that the more PC route to take now?
ZooNews2024
Well-Known Member
Yes I do agree with you entirely, on the last version - which did indeed look as though it had been done by a child with a crayon.
Wonder how much the new one cost? - it doesn't look as though it should have taken too long.
cerperal
Well-Known Member
Disagree with people on the old style, the handwritten style of it had character and no doubt thanks to SLotZ was undeniably Chester. The new one is just a bit dull.
Not sure about PC but from speaking to staff at ZSL it's to distance themselves from the anti-zoo crowd as much as they can. If it helps get across the purpose of zoos, I'm all for it
It's very telling that they stopped using their 'handwritten' font to label the paper maps in recent years. It wasn't fit for purpose - you just couldn't read the numbers when it was small.
When that style first came in I barely heard a good word about it - surprised to find anyone mourning its passing to be honest, but I guess it's been around long enough to become almost nostalgic for some people at this point.
(I wonder if the thread from the time is still on here?)
Ah yes, here it is: Chester's marketing 2011 [Chester Zoo] - ZooChat
(the map got redesigned slightly at least twice since then to add clearer path lines and background colour but it remained not easy to read..!)
(the map got redesigned slightly at least twice since then to add clearer path lines and background colour but it remained not easy to read..!)
cerperal
Well-Known Member
Nostalgia is certainly the main reason, especially for those of us of a slightly younger age. But Chester's map has always had issues beyond just the font, they try to fit far too much onto something far too small. When larger, such as ads, I've always found the handwritten font to be quite easy to understand, and I suppose it links to the family-owned nature of the zoo quite nicely.
I guess my main issue is less the summarily execution of the old font and more the choice of an exceedingly boring one as a replacement
ChiChi
Active Member
I've got a picture of it but not a clue how to upload it!
It’s been updated with the new branding and HOA still covered up.
2011 was exactly that for the rest of us except instead of suddenly becoming 'boring' it became genuinely difficult to actually read overnight, and the concurrent map redesign was almost completely unusable. I know which I prefer
cornu aspersum
Well-Known Member
You can use the 'Upload a File' option to upload it in a post. You can't upload media until you have posted more.
olhl.animal.photography
Well-Known Member
I think the new font and design is rather boring and lacks character, but I can understand why the zoo would want to update their image given their recent successes in conservation, and hopefully more to come.
As much as a revamp of the giraffe house, tropical realm, and chimp house is needed, I would hate to see the tropical realm go. As a big bird nerd (with reptiles a close second) I always spend a good deal of time there. I would hope they’d rebuild it better or build a new but similar-themed building in its please though, and try and get the tiered aviary species back on show. I just cannot imagine the zoo without it however, it has been the staple of my memories of the place since my first visit in 2009.
As much as a revamp of the giraffe house, tropical realm, and chimp house is needed, I would hate to see the tropical realm go. As a big bird nerd (with reptiles a close second) I always spend a good deal of time there. I would hope they’d rebuild it better or build a new but similar-themed building in its please though, and try and get the tiered aviary species back on show. I just cannot imagine the zoo without it however, it has been the staple of my memories of the place since my first visit in 2009.
ZooNews2024
Well-Known Member
Or - could it be to distance themselves from what is implied by default, to be a 'non' conservation zoo -
whatever they may define that as.
cerperal
Well-Known Member
I was told by a keeper at Whipsnade that they wanted to give a more obvious focus on the conservation work ZSL does and that the zoos play a vital role in, and the secondary impact of the name change was that people would ask what a conservation zoo was and were more open to the idea of having animals in captivity due to it - functionally they're no different to say Marwell or Bristol but it's more of a psychological impact I suppose. The volunteers I've spoken to at London echoed this
I think that combined with recent news regarding a certain Northern zoo once again having significant husbandry problems and giving ammunition to the anti-zoo crowd Chester probably thought it logical to change name too
A little bit of digging, it was done by how and how designChester Zoo Rebrand, Web Design & Web Build if you click on the read more close to the top it gives there mission brief ect and yes it’s supposed to be a rhino and they have worked on this for two years so yes it expensive