Banjo company unveils visual identity of new banjo, The Shackleton
(PRWEB UK) 31 July 2013 -- British banjo manufacturer The Great British Banjo Company Ltd., has released the first images of the brand identity for their new banjo The Shackleton.
The new banjo logo features the slogan "vital mental medicine", a phrase used by the British explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton to describe the importance of the banjo in keeping up morale amongst his men on the dramatic 1914-15 Endurance expedition to the Antarctic.
Founder and managing director of The Great British Banjo Company, Simon Middleton, explained: "When Shackleton's ship Endurance was crushed by ice and had to be abandoned, each man was told they could take only 2lbs weight of personal possessions. An exception was made for the expedition banjo. Apparently Shackleton declared, 'We must have that banjo, it's vital mental medicine.'"
22 members of Shackleton's crew had to wait for months on Elephant Island, while Shackleton himself and a small party set off to secure rescue. The banjo became a centre of morale-building entertainment for the waiting men.
"That banjo is now in the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, and we are very proud to name our new banjo The Shackleton in honour of the great explorer and a great adventure," said Middleton.
The Shackleton is a 5-string, openback banjo ideally suited as a beginner instrument, as well as for outdoor use at festivals and on camping trips.
"The really defining characteristic of The Shackleton banjo is that it is manufactured in Britain. In fact it is the only large volume production banjo to be made in Britain," said Middleton.
"There are a small number of craft makers who produce individual banjos to order, but these are of course prohibitively expensive for the general player."
The Shackleton, which will be released towards the end of the year, will retail in the region of £300, and can be ordered at that price in advance from The Great British Banjo Company.
The company is also launching a series of gift items associated with The Shackleton banjo, including T-shirts and enamel mugs, with further items in the pipeline.
All the products carry the distinctive Edwardian-styled brand identity of The Shackleton.
Company Information:
The Great British Banjo Company Limited, which also owns online specialist store Banjos Direct, is based in Norwich, Norfolk, UK.
The company works with local craftsmen as well as instrument manufacturers in other parts of Britain.
The business was founded by brand adviser, business author and musician Simon Middleton and has grown rapidly to become the UK's best known banjo specialist retailer and manufacturer.
In 2012, the company launched the Islander Ash Leaf banjo, hand-made in England, which has received glowing reviews from professional players in the UK and the USA.
The Great British Banjo Company is a private limited company, owned and managed by a small group of family and friends in Norwich, Norfolk, UK.
For further information, visit: http://www.thegreatbritishbanjocompany.com.
Simon Middleton, The Great British Banjo Company, http://www.thegreatbritishbanjocompany.com, 01603 305800, [email protected]
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