A new sign is installed on Cleaves Street in Yarmouth, featuring the town’s new logo and colors. Contributed / Town of Yarmouth

Residents and visitors are getting a new “Welcome to Yarmouth” as of this month.

In the days leading up to Thanksgiving, the town of Yarmouth completed the installation of its first phase of new municipal signs. Part of the rebranding effort that began in 2022, the signs reflect the new cohesive design with the updated blue colors, font and waving pennant logo – while also maintaining the classic signage look that residents value.

“The wayfinding signs are such an iconic piece of local flair here in Yarmouth … it’s the unique Yarmouth feel. So, we didn’t want to change that a whole lot, but we wanted to make sure that it reflected the new brand standards, which I think we did a great job,” said Yarmouth Town Manager Scott LaFlamme.

Over the course of three weeks, the town replaced 11 directional signs that indicate areas of community interest – such as the waterfront, the municipal center or schools – as well as local businesses and roadways. Two more signs along Route 1 welcome drivers from either direction entering Yarmouth.

Yarmouth embarked on its rebranding campaign in early 2022, contracting with Yarmouth advertising and digital marketing business Blaze Partners. Incorporating the feedback of focus groups, development teams and over 350 survey responses from residents, the town eventually selected new colors, fonts, and a new logo for all town materials and displays.

The town of Yarmouth unveiled its new logo in August 2023. Contributed / Town of Yarmouth

In August 2023, Yarmouth unveiled the new logo, a blue design that includes a waving pennant intended to evoke the wind, water and Yarmouth’s rich history, according to the town. The new logo is now used in Yarmouth’s internal and external communications, signage, vehicles and new website, which launched March 2023. The old town seal is still applied to official paperwork and documents that require a seal.

The updated brand for Yarmouth will now be extended to all municipal postings and physical materials to create visual cohesion throughout the town. The new logo will also soon be displayed on new bike racks and branded apparel available for sale through a local screenprinting shop.

“From there, we’re essentially just threading the needle … so that there’s uniformity and cohesion with the town brand, and the colors are accurate, the whole look and feel, wherever there’s a presence of that,” said Yarmouth Communications Manager Leo Nieter, who helped lead the redesign.

The town funded the first 13 signs through a tax increment financing budget, which is typically used for community enhancement and economic development. The signs cost $125,000 and were manufactured by Neokraft Signs in Lewiston.

Many of the previous signs in Yarmouth were installed around the 1980s, a decade during which towns began featuring more businesses on municipal signage after Maine banned billboards in 1977. Since then, some of the signs in Yarmouth had become somewhat dilapidated, with the plywood and paint deteriorating or looking weathered, said Nieter.

“We have a lot more durable, long-lasting signage, but in the same breath, the design is not dissimilar to what folks have come to really love and appreciate. So, we wanted to make sure we could strike a balance there,” said LaFlamme.

A new sign along Route 1 in Yarmouth indicates both specific destinations and areas of interest. Contributed / Town of Yarmouth

A second phase of new signage will come to Yarmouth starting July 1, 2025, which will include postings for parks and gardens and directional signs along Maine State Route 115, North Road, and near the town’s islands.

For $100 a year, businesses in Yarmouth can have their name on a municipal direction sign. While this was also the case with the town’s old signs, the new signage enticed more business owners to opt for this promotion.

“We’ve had a number of businesses that had not previously had sort of a business sign … have now chosen to advertise their business or their location, which is exciting,” said LaFlamme.

“We like to any chance that we could help sort of highlight or bring some awareness to local businesses,” he said.

Located along Route 1, the Yarmouth specialty food shop Maggie Mae’s had its business name on two of the old municipal signs and decided to opt for the display on the new signs.

“We just always enjoyed being part of the community, and that kind of was a visual sign of it, that our name was on the Yarmouth sign,” said Kate Griffin-Peelen, who co-owns and operates Maggie Mae’s with her husband, John Peelen.

“A lot of people find us on Google, and they pull off the highway right there, and then for them to actually see the sign and say, ‘OK, I just continue straight and I’m going to run into them,’ has been really, really helpful,” said Griffen-Peelen. “The upgrade, I think, is just huge. It makes sense.”