Jack Davis with the color version of his logo for the Red Bank Parks & Rec department. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)
Red Bank’s Parks and Recreation department is getting some new branding, courtesy of a sophomore at Red Bank Regional.
Designed by Little Silver resident Jack Davis, the color version of the department’s new logo features a sun-tinged sky over the Navesink River, as seen through the archway entrance to Riverside Gardens Park on West Front Street.
In an email to redbankgreen that he read from at last Wednesday’s borough council meeting, department director Charlie Hoffmann explained how the logo came about:
In October, I was walking in New York’s Central Park and I saw the famous Maple Tree logo synonymous with NYC Parks. A few days later, I received an email from a colleague at Monmouth County Parks, which had the trail and trees logo on her signature, and the idea was born to develop a logo for Red Bank Parks and Recreation. As we all know, a good logo can define and enhance a great brand.
So I approached Claudia O’Connor and Kristen Brinkman, art teachers at RBR, and explained what we were looking for. They were immediately excited to take on the project. We received more than 15 submissions from student artists, and they were all exceptional. The staff and the rec committee reviewed them and picked the top five. Some final tweaks were made and we took a big vote among colleagues, kids, residents, political leaders and more.
Jack’s logo was selected and will now be the brand of the department going forward. You will see this logo on signs, emails, social media, the website and more.Eventually, it will appear on staff shirts, sports uniforms, park signs and more. It will be our symbol or years to come.
Fifteen-year-old Davis, who also designed a black-and-white version of the logo for use on letterheads, said he feels a “connection” to Red Bank, where he was born, and to Riverside Gardens Park in particular.
“I also love Red Bank during different seasons,” he said, so “I chose the orange/pink sky that you often see looking out over the water in summer.”
Check out upcoming parks and rec events, including the second annual Father-Daughter Dance on February 10, at the department’s web page.