A number of years ago, at the Annual Installation & Awards Dinner, the Palm Desert Chamber of Commerce announced its official name change to the Palm Desert Area Chamber of Commerce, a name that better reflects the members they serve.
With this change came the perfect opportunity to re-brand all communications materials for the Chamber. After two rounds of presentations by three local design firms, the new logo was selected. It was a unanimous decision by the Chamber staff.
It was designed specifically to be a non-traditional chamber of commerce logo (the rationale being that the Palm Desert Area Chamber of Commerce is not your traditional Chamber).
Designed by the Hunter|Johnsen team, then part of agency Kiner Communications, the logo was designed “to be modern and fresh, and to relay a definite progressiveness and spirit”.
The icon is a purely abstract symbol, and can be seen as made up of three parts. This may represent an open door, or it may represent a collective of three (perhaps government, non-profit and private all coming together). Its lines and angles also bear similarity to the lines of the Chamber’s current home – The Henderson Community Building.
The font is progressive and has an electronic or technical feel to it, adding to the vibe of leading edge and modern. The colors chosen, blue and gray, relay business and professionalism — yet they are warm.
The tagline – Opening Doors – relays that the Chamber does just that. This may be by opening doors (a) literally for businesses into the community in the form of ribbon-cutting ceremonies and grand openings, (b) via networking, for businesspersons who are wanting to meet others for purposes of business sales and growth, or (c) for the membership and the community as a whole, by presenting and creating opportunities that assist in advancing the local economy.
In the months that followed, Hunter|Johnsen replaced the old logo with the new logo in all marketing and communications materials. The rebrand also paved the way for the Palm Desert Area Chamber of Commerce’s 5-Star Accreditation, one of three in the entire state of California.
