Universal symbol for "Support Tobacco Harm Reduction?"

[kristin]

Last month, seeing all of the pink ribbons that symbolize "Support Breast Cancer Awareness," I started thinking THR needs a symbol like that. Something that can be made into pins, t-shirts, avatars, etc., that let's us send a message. Yesterday, I started putting "pen to paper" and ran a few ideas past other CASAA directors and finally came up with this. It is based on a can of ST and an e-cigarette, roughly a "Q" (for "Switch & Quit") in green (symbolizes "clean" and "go" to most people.) It also is a bit reminiscent of the "standby" symbol which people often associate with technology and power. The actual "meaning" isn't really as important as HAVING a unique and original symbol to disseminate to become as instantly recognizable for its meaning as a "no smoking" symbol. The color of it can be changed to suit the user - I even made one in black & white and one in two colors using the CASAA circles in our logo.

What do you guys think? Anyone have better designs or ideas? (Remember - it's supposed to be a "Support THR" symbol, not just e-cigarettes. And it needs to be a SYMBOL, not a "logo" with words and such.)

Universal Symbol for "Support tobacco Harm Reduction"

In black & white:

And the CASAA customized version:

 

[Luisa]

Last month, seeing all of the pink ribbons that symbolize "Support Breast Cancer Awareness," I started thinking THR needs a symbol like that. Something that can be made into pins, t-shirts, avatars, etc., that let's us send a message. Yesterday, I started putting "pen to paper" and ran a few ideas past other CASAA directors and finally came up with this. It is based on a can of ST and an e-cigarette, roughly a "Q" (for "Switch & Quit") in green (symbolizes "clean" and "go" to most people.) It also is a bit reminiscent of the "standby" symbol which people often associate with technology and power. The actual "meaning" isn't really as important as HAVING a unique and original symbol to disseminate to become as instantly recognizable for its meaning as a "no smoking" symbol. The color of it can be changed to suit the user - I even made one in black & white and one in two colors using the CASAA circles in our logo.

What do you guys think? Anyone have better designs or ideas? (Remember - it's supposed to be a "Support THR" symbol, not just e-cigarettes. And it needs to be a SYMBOL, not a "logo" with words and such.)

Universal Symbol for "Support Tobacco Harm Reduction"

In black & white:

And the CASAA customized version:

Using green in the symbol also catches the environmentalists--hopefully in a supportive manner. The blue and yellow is by far the most attractive,but I do think something with green is a smart choice.

 

[kristin]

I figured for a "universal" icon people can use the green one. If CASAA members want something more "stylized" (like to use for an avatar) they can use the CASAA version. It's kind of like how the breast cancer awareness advocates started with a simple pink ribbon symbol and once it caught on, people started making their own fancy versions of it to use. Either way, it still symbolized supporting breast cancer awareness. The main goal is for people to see an icon and think automatically "oh, that is the symbol for tobacco harm reduction awareness/support." Hopefully, it'll catch on and no matter what color it is or how stylized, people will be able to recognize it's the THR symbol!

 

[Talyon]

Looks good, gets a Great big GO here.

 

[Jimi D.]

I like it ! Very nice idea

 

[Penner]

Good idea, I think the green is best as that color always seems to imply environmentally friendly.

 

[Luisa]

Using green in the symbol also catches the environmentalists--hopefully in a supportive manner. The blue and yellow is by far the most attractive,but I do think something with green is a smart choice.

Another thought--use the CASAA version but use green with another color that is compatible with the shade of green used in the icon. Is that a possibility?

 

[Luisa]

Another thought--use the CASAA version but use green with another color that is compatible with the shade of green used in the icon. Is that a possibility?

I just keep having thoughts --a lovely emerald green with a compatible color would really be eye-catching. Sorry,but when my thoughts turn to color and design-- ideas simply race in my mind.

 

[RosaJ]

I personally don't like the green color, and not sure if identifying with "environmentalists" is appropriate in this case. The blue and yellow looks very professional.

 

[kristin]

It doesn't necessarily need to be green. In my mind, red in no smoking signs meant stop/bad, so I thought green for go/good. I don't really want to stylize the circle too much or it diminishes the circle as a symbol for smoke-free tobacco. I want to keep it really simple - like the pink ribbon for breast cancer awareness.

Check this pendant I mocked up on Photoshop. I would totally wear this to "Support tobacco harm reduction awareness!" (I picked blue for the e-cig tip because I like sapphires, It could be green to stay in the same color as the regular icon - or whatever color.)

 

[vintagerider]

i like the one with casaa coulors imo it looks a little more proffesonal but the base design is great way to go, all i need is a way to use it as my avatar, good job

 

[qorax]

Can't we do with this as a standard e-Cigarette symbol?

 

[Dougiestyle]

I think the CASAA model is fine, but add a green tip to the e-cig. Now, it's professional and environmental.

 

[kristin]

Can't we do with this as a standard e-Cigarette symbol?

Sure, if people want to. But this thread is about a "Support Tobacco Harm Reduction" symbol.

Although, I personally think of the stick with lines for a tip as a universal cigarette icon (with or without smoke) and a stick with the rounded tip (never with smoke or vapor) as an e-cigarette icon.

 

[kristin]

The universal icon doesn't need to be "professional" really? It's not a logo for an organization like CASAA, it's meant to be a symbol that will eventually be as recognizable for "Support Tobacco Harm Reduction" or "Tobacco Harm Reduction Awareness" as the pink ribbon is for "Breast Cancer Awareness." The key will be that we just have to show the icon with the message of "Support THR" and eventually the icon will take on the meaning without needing the words. So, people will see it and automatically know what it means. To be honest, it really doesn't matter WHAT the icon looks like. It could be a purple spiral or a black star, as long as it gets associated with the message.

Consider the pink ribbon. What is it about a simple pink ribbon that makes people think "fight breast cancer?" Was a pink ribbon ever associated with breast cancer before the breast cancer advocates started their pink ribbon campaign? No, the advocates adopted that very simple icon and bombarded the public with it with the "Breast Cancer Awareness" campaign ads. Now, today, most people see a simple pink ribbon and think about that campaign.

So, it really doesn't matter what our THR icon looks like, as long as it's something simple enough to be copied by anyone to put on clothing, hats, jewlery, etc like they did with the pink ribbon. I just thought the snus tin with an e-cigarette was a nice touch that WE would understand, even if the general public just sees a circle with a line. It's just the disctinctive shape that we need that we could do things like that pendant I posted earlier. Look at all of the different ways they customize the pink ribbon: Pink Ribbon designs If we keep our design very simple and generic, it could catch on and be customized by people in the same way.

Does that make sense?

 

[qorax]

Sure, if people want to. But this thread is about a "Support Tobacco Harm Reduction" symbol.

Although, I personally think of the stick with lines for a tip as a universal cigarette icon (with or without smoke) and a stick with the rounded tip (never with smoke or vapor) as an e-cigarette icon.

I personally think that stick with a 'rounded-tip' doesn't signify anything. It looks like a chalk-pencil or a pen-cap. And a chalk inside a circle, green or otherwise, means nothing in a standalone state, unless u write something around.

While, that "stick with lines" depict a cigarette anytime/anywhere. And when it's inside the circular "e" it signifies an "e-Cigarette". And whether we like it or not, e-Cigs will be forever known as such, an "electronic cigarette". 'PV' or whatever else we intend to call it will remain a term within our vaping circles. The masses at large will still think we are 'smoking' - but an e-cigarette that is.

Which is why, if we keep the icon of a cigarette (the stick with lines), we at least will be 'talking' something to the populace... they would be conscious about our cause... that we are meaning change. But the stick with a rounded tip??? That'd need some serious efforts to make believe or draw their attention.

My two cents.

 

[kristin]

I didn't even catch that it was the shape of an "E", lol! That's pretty clever.

I honestly have no strong opinions about an e-cigarette icon, so people can use whatever they want as far as I'm concerned. I was just stating my personal opinion on what the cigarette icon says to me - others may disagree. If I was a smoker and saw that icon you posted in a bar or restaurant on a sign, I would read it as "smoking allowed," knowing nothing about e-cigarettes (and obviously being a dork and missing the "E" symbolism, lol!)

But like I said, this thread was for a THR icon, not an e-cigarette icon, so quit trying to highjack my thread! (I'm teasing. )

 

[qorax]

...so quit trying to highjack my thread! (I'm teasing. )

Uhh, did I? Regrets, my bad!

 

[kristin]

Seriously though, THR doesn't just involve e-cigarettes, so the icon for THR can't really just be an e-cigarette icon. We don't want to alienate the smoke-free tobacco users!

Honestly, the icon doesn't even have to have an e-cigarette OR a smoke-free tobacco can. It could be anything that we want to use with the campaign. I mean, a pink ribbon doesn't LITERALLY represent the image of breast cancer (like a missing breast or a tumor with an X through it would.) We only think "pink ribbon = breast cancer awareness" because that is what the advocates chose as their icon and then used it in their extensive campaigning. I just chose the snus can and e-cigarette combo because it could be recognizable to vapers and ST users (more of an insider thing). Most of the public won't get the symbolism at all and they don't need to, so long as they associate whatever icon we choose as the icon for "Support Tobacco Harm Reduction."

I mean, we could choose a purple pig as our icon and if we campaigned for tobacco harm reduction awareness using the purple pig, people would start associating purple pigs as a symbol for THR. See what I mean?

But I thought something attractive that would translate well into lapel pins, jewelry, clothing, etc like the pink ribbons do would be beneficial. My goal is to get something attractive that people would wear - like that pendant example I posted earlier in this thread. I think the SHAPE is more important than the detail. If someone likes a different graphic representation of an e-cigarette, then they could use that one in place of the kind I showed - so long as the overall shape isn't changed. Just like people design all kinds of different pink ribbons but they all send the same message while still being recognizable as a pink ribbon.

 

[Penner]

IMHO, dont use ANYTHING with the lines as the tip, it implies CIGARETTES, (ugh, gross!), that other common symbols use. Use the rounded end. In fact, add a little nub that represents the push button.

We want to distance ourselves as far from cigarettes as possible (I know I want nothing to do with anything thats like a cigarette).