To know Martha’s Vineyard, an island seven miles off the southeast coast of Massachusetts, is to know The Black Dog logo, which in recent years has come to represent this vacation paradise almost as much as the tavern, bakery café and general stores for which it was designed. Yes, this logo is that ubiquitous.
First emblazoned on a T-shirt in 1979, today The Black Dog is found on practically every article of clothing you can imagine, not to mention on bumper stickers, coffee mugs, tote bags and key chains. For tourists, it’s a status symbol and a fashion statement, a logo that tags them popular by association. For the business people who own the rights to this logo, The Black Dog must be, well, a cash cow.
Spending a little down time this week with my wife, Barbara, and my two sons, Scott and Ben, on Martha’s Vineyard, the marketer in me was as much surprised as impressed to see (in an ad on page Five-B of the July 1 edition of the Vineyard Gazette) The Black Dog offering a free beach towel “with purchase of $125 or more” at any one of its more than half a dozen general stores.
Either Black Dog paraphernalia isn’t quite so de rigueur these days and the company is testing a new retail sales incentive, or perhaps these guys have figured out a way to prompt tourists like me to buy even more of their merchandise. Given the large number of Black Dog T-shirts I’ve seen people wearing on the island the last few days, I’m guessing it’s the latter.
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Bob, let’s not forget the “Black Dog Tavern” is not a “real” tavern. Not in my mind at least because it’s in a dry town, i.e. no alcohol.
I’ve been there though, and like it. I didn’t buy any paraphernalia, but their breads are excellent. And their marketing sublime . . .