Why choose a coat of arms over a logo?

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Chris Green
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Why choose a coat of arms over a logo?

Postby Chris Green » 26 Jun 2019, 06:21

Here is the story of why one British organisation made the right decision.

https://www.itai.org/coat-of-arms/

PS: For those who haven't time to read the article. Even in the 1990s it cost a firm of lawyers £90,000 to obtain a logo that involved having the capital letter of their title redesigned and coloured green.
Chris Green
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Bertilak de Hautdesert

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Arthur Radburn
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Re: Why choose a coat of arms over a logo?

Postby Arthur Radburn » 26 Jun 2019, 09:49

Thank you for posting this, Chris. The design of these particular arms (Institute of Traffic Accident Investigators) is very apt, with the gouttes representing oil spilled on the road surface, the two lions combatant, and the "legal eagle" crest. An interesting revelation, too, that arms are not usually granted to organisations that are less than twenty years old.
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Arthur Radburn

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Martin Goldstraw
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Re: Why choose a coat of arms over a logo?

Postby Martin Goldstraw » 26 Jun 2019, 11:01

Wasting money on logos is nothing new and even spreads to publicly funded quangos. I reported on one such waste of public money way back in 2009 when Historic Scotland spent £42’384.00 on a logo.
http://cheshire-heraldry.org.uk/weblog/ ... it-crunch/

The new unitary authority of Cheshire East, although later becoming armigerous continues to use a newly designed logo throughout its area.

http://cheshire-heraldry.org.uk/weblog/ ... beginning/

I am pleased to report that Cheshire East did actually obtain a grant of arms (they used my badge as inspiration for their own!)
http://cheshire-heraldry.org.uk/weblog/ ... ink-alike/

On the matter of grants of arms to corporate bodies not being made until they are at least twenty years old, this only of course applies to grants made by the College of Arms; they are not the only heraldic authority in the UK. The Lord Lyon, in Scotland, has a different policy which is "Arms are granted only to proven reputable corporate bodies, and generally they are required to have been successfully in existence for at least three years before they can be granted Arms. Arms are not granted to transient bodies or associations."

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Cheshire Heraldry
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Stephen J F Plowman
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Re: Why choose a coat of arms over a logo?

Postby Stephen J F Plowman » 12 Jul 2019, 12:08

Martin,

Within the Armorial Register, which "officer" can impale the Register's Arms with his own? 8-)

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Martin Goldstraw
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Re: Why choose a coat of arms over a logo?

Postby Martin Goldstraw » 17 Jul 2019, 10:45

Stephen J F Plowman wrote:Martin,

Within the Armorial Register, which "officer" can impale the Register's Arms with his own? 8-)


An interesting point. Since we choose not to have a President, or CEO, and we are both equal shareholders, then, technically, we are also, I suppose, joint managing directors. Perhaps therefore the answer is that both of us are able or, perhaps, neither of us are able. Personally, I feel that as they are "our" arms, we can do with them as we please. John has commissioned a version with his arms impaled with those of the Register and I have commissioned a version where my arms and those of the Register are accolé; I'm happy and John is happy. I might, one day commission an impaled version and we can pretend that the "office" rotates annually, or monthly, or weekly, or daily. What really matters is that we work very well as an equal partnership so deciding who does what heraldically seems a bit excessive.

PS I prefer accolé because it allows the whole of both achievements to be shown whereas impalement only allows for one of the crests.
Martin Goldstraw
Cheshire Heraldry
http://cheshire-heraldry.org.uk


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