Northbrook is getting new gateway signage. Installed in phases, the new signs will replace gilded signs with the retired Village Hall clock tower logo.
Trustees at the July 9 Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting selected from several sign options, not allowing the public to see proposed renderings in the Terrace Room at Village Hall.
Last May 28, the Board of Trustees chose preferred vendor Right Way Signs, LLC of Chicago, whose company owner lives in Lake Forest. Right Way Signs designed Mellody Farm of Vernon Hills, Forza Meats of Glenview and The Salt Shed of Chicago signage.
Right Way Signs estimates pricing will range between $20,000 to $40,000 per sign within the Village’s 2024/2025 gateway signage budget of $120,000. The newer logo may or may not be used on new signs, according to the Village.
“This is like moving into … current times,” Northbrook Village President Kathryn L. Ciesla said on July 9.
The Village has 11 gateway signs. Four are set for replacement this autumn in the first phase at Waukegan Road and Dundee Road, Pfingsten Road and Prince Street, Sanders Road and Lake Cook Road, plus Lake Cook Road and Skokie Boulevard.
Phase two next summer will replace signs at Dundee Road and Sanders Road, Pfingsten Road and Maria Drive and Waukegan Road and Willow Road. Up to four signs will be permanently scrapped.
New gateway signage aligns with the Village’s rebranding launched last year. According to a March 3, 2023 news release, “The new graphic identity uses balanced shapes to create an abstract ‘N,’” with an intention, “to feel bright, fresh, approachable and contemporary,” with, “a nod to nature and sustainability.”
Rebranding includes two taglines, “Thrive Here” and “True North.”
On July 12, 2022, village trustees unanimously voted to hire Chicago digital agency A5 Group Inc. for a $58,625 consultation fee to develop branding using feedback from more than 1,000 Northbrook stakeholders via surveys, focus groups, and meetings. The Village hired A5 Group Inc. for communications auditing in 2019 and 2020.
During that July 12, 2022 Webex meeting, Northbrook Village Trustee Heather E. Ross said, “I just want to be careful as we move forward.
“I’m worried that sometimes branding can backfire a little bit, and I think it’s important that as we go through this exercise, we are really taking in input from who Northbrook really is,” Ross said.
Two years later, the newer Village logo adorns swag, downtown banners and clothing. The old logo is being replaced on public works vehicles with possibly magnets.
The Village’s True North tagline comes after TrueNorth Educational Cooperative 804 in Highland Park rebranded on July 1, 2021 when The Northern Suburban Special Education District (NSSED) renamed itself.
“Our new name more accurately reflects our updated mission and vision statements,” promotes https://www.truenorth804.org/about-us1/our-history.
TrueNorth lists having 18 member districts, including Northbrook and Glenview elementary and high schools, per the 2024-2025 fact sheet published at https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1719340414/truenorth804org/ucqlknalv0kkl6vki8yi/TrueNorthFactSheet2024.pdf.
When Northbrook unveiled its new Village logo and branding on Facebook on March 2, 2023, social media posts included, “What was wrong with the old one? I’m sure it cost! In addition, did they not check when using True North?”
“True North is a school out of NSSED,” another person wrote. “It might cause confusion.” To this, a person replied, “100% thought it was a collaboration with TrueNorth!”
Another person wrote, “It is really unfortunate that whoever chose this had no idea what TrueNorth is … this essentially just feels like advertising for the educational cooperative.”
One post said, “How embarrassing for Northbrook!” with another indicating, “$60,000 is just the beginning. Just wait for when all the signage change costs start to add up.”
A former Northbrook village trustee wrote, “I pay $299 per logo that I have created. Hoping this wasn’t more than that,” while a village trustee (in office in 2023) posted, “I love the logo and message.”
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Posts included, “love this idea,” and, “I wasn’t one of the 1,000 who weighed in before, but if asked I would’ve said that I liked the new logo! For me it feels genuinely friendly…Northbrook is special and I think this logo captures that special vibe. Well done to all involved.”
Northbrook Chamber of Commerce & Industry posted support including, “LOVE this new branding.”
According to https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/true%20north, the Merriam-Webster definition of the noun true north includes, “north that is calculated by using an imaginary line through the Earth…the direction that leads to the North Pole.”
In its 2023 Northbrook news release, True North is, “used to build a stronger community identity,” with Ciesla quoted in the copy of wanting, “the village to be known as a community where you can find your ‘true north’ and feel a sense of belonging and purpose.”
Nicholas Glenn, Northbrook’s communications manager, confirmed to Pioneer Press on July 14, 2024 that, “Both taglines ‘True North’ and ‘Thrive Here’ were a part of the rebranding,” and, “had no connection to the co-op (TrueNorth).”
On Jan. 25, 2023, Ciesla unveiled visuals of the logo and True North tagline during the annual State of the Village Address in the Northbrook Public Library auditorium.
TrueNorth Educational Cooperative 804 indicates online that, “‘True’ reflects that we are committed to our values,” and, “‘North’ reflects the organization’s legacy.”
Kurt A. Schneider, superintendent of TrueNorth Educational Cooperative 804, did not respond to requests for comments by Pioneer Press.
Karie Angell Luc is a freelancer for Pioneer Press.