However, I will give you my perspective on Tasmania, as I was able to visit there.

The reality is that Tasmania is quite a beautiful place, with weather close to New England because of its opposite location on the globe. And if anyone has seen Lord of the Rings, they know what New Zealand looks like, which is also pretty relative to Tasmania as well. (just not as intense)

I would try to capture that beauty somehow, whether it is in your type, or in the mark. If you do choose to focus on the font, which it seems, I wouldn’t encourage such an elegant font, like France, but I wouldnt choose something so simple, like London. Tasmania has more character than everyone gives it, and its people, deserve.

In answer to the questions posed:

Place branding should all be about creating value for the city/state/region. This can be done by ensuring that all of messages that ‘place’ has are aligned with the one thing it makes it unique from every other place.

Too many times a place will try to have many voices for many people, but finding the one true thing that makes that place unique over and above the surface offerings is at the heart of place-branding – or branding for that matter.

It is easy to create the truth, but difficult to search and extract it from any organisation of place for that matter – and the truth/authenticity behind any brand should be brought to the fore.

Many examples exist on this and ask you to imagine France without fashion, Japan without its service culture and aesthetic mix of clean-Swiss and Tokyo-chaotic. All perceptions built over time, organically and from within.

As we all know, places also have a very clear strategic vision – a purpose of where they are going, who they want to attract (tourism, investment, entrepreneurs, conferences, events, funding etc.) and how they want to define themselves against the competition. This strategic vision, should also be considered when crafting a place-brand.

To answer your questions:

_ Yes a place brandmark can be distilled down and represented with typography alone. (I think Liechtenstein’s brandmark is type rendered from diamonds.)

But I feel typography needs to be at the heart of the place if it were to be the centrepiece of it’s branding. Why else would you adopt this creative strategy?

Does the place have a history of typographic excellence?
Is it going to be meaningful to its audience?

_ As long as the graphic expressions drive home a place’s strategic vision and are true to the soul of the place, working across the many facets that are relevant to attracting investment, tourism, events and funding; then yes.

In this case, I think the purpose/objectives and soul of the place should come before the craft.

Keep up the great work. I’ll be following!

J.