Yesterday Edmonton Northlands revealed the new look for Edmonton’s summer festival K-days. The name was selected by public vote this summer after years of dissatisfaction with the “Capital Ex” moniker that Northlands had arbitrarily laid on the City years ago. Given the public’s name choice, Northlands has developed the “brand” Seeing the new brand I am left wondering “Has Northlands dropped the ball again”?

My first impression on seeing the new promotion was that it had something to do with Special K cereal – perhaps a new logo for the front of their box. It really seemed to be lacking something – nothing that I saw suggested Edmonton, nor our history. It seemed to try to appeal to everyone – I wonder if it will strike a chord with anyone.

The name K-days is a derivative on Edmonton’s long time festival Klondike days which celebrated the historical era when Edmonton was born. That historical theme was something special and although it did get watered down and almost forgotten at the end of the 20th century, it still was an interesting and concrete theme.

I liked the idea that the “new” name “K-days” wasn’t tying us down to the historical “Klondike” theme but rather left the door open to other, supplementary interpretations of “K”. Still, I have to believe that it was the old theme, that was in the back of people’s minds when they voted for the K-days” name. I find it hard to believe that Edmontonians just have some weird fixation on the letter”K”.

Whatever else the “K” might stand for, the “Klondike” theme should not be forgotten and should  be the root, the uniquely Edmonton, theme.  Unfortunately it seems like the folks at Northlands, seem set on having nothing to do with the historical theme. After appearing to hear Edmontonians last summer, it seems that they are now just pushing through with their old idea for a generic, “nothing-special” fair (kind of like what they tried to do in the Capital Ex era)

If the theme is everything – then the theme is nothing!