Graphic artist Don Pendleton, who has done work for Mtn. Dew, Logitech and even Pearl Jam, designed the new brand for Huntington to honor its 150th birthday.  

To develop something memorable for the city, Margaret Mary Lane, head of the Mayor’s council for the arts, collaborated with Pendleton and citizens of Huntington.

Lane and Pendleton incorporated artwork into the city of Huntington after asking local citizens to share words that they associated with Huntington. 

“It’s one thing for me to have lived in Huntington, but I wanted direct input from current residents and I wanted to hear what came to mind when they think of the city,” Pendleton said.  

Pendleton chose to use the most frequently used words in his brand design which were, “nature, family, strength, roots, growth…” After many sketches of images that relate to the words, Pendleton began to design the brand.  

Addressing the symbolism in the brand, Pendleton says, “There are a lot of subtle parts to the logo I think some people will catch and some will miss. I hope that makes it interesting.” 

Pendleton said he hopes that in this way, citizens will be able to find something new every time they look at the new logo, “much like a Rorschach Test in what people see and tend to focus on.” 

The bright color of the brand was no accident.

Pendleton said he didn’t want it to clash with the shade of green that Marshall uses, because of their “huge presence in the city, and they’ve got green down to a science.”

He said he wanted to reach a color that would represent the reoccurring theme of nature.

This led him to going through 40-50 different shades of green before reaching his final decision.  

Pendleton hopes the logo will become a symbol similar to that of a football team.

“It gives everyone something to rally behind and becomes a symbol of every aspect of what’s going on from tailgating to playoff games, to championships. All I can hope for is that as it is incorporated into the city, government, businesses, etc, that it is a gentle reminder that Huntingtonians are all working toward the same goal and are on the same team.”