I was emailed (yesterday) a picture of two wreaths side by side by one of my cousins, one with a proper ATC crest and the other with mind numbingly bland words Royal Air Force Air Cadets, like the corporate logo we’ve been dumped on with. It looks awful and points to a bland and characterless future.
Thankfully we have 15 wreaths, so won’t be using one of the new ones for a while and may give them chance to go back to proper ATC centres for wreaths. If not I might be getting some made.
I have to admit it’s never occurred to me to put any kind of logo, crest, or whatever in the middle of a wreath.
I mean, it’s not about us, is it?
Ours comes from the legion with an ATC badge in the middle. We don’t modify it.
Somebody must have ordered it like that, though, because ours come plain.
All wreaths come from the RBL. It might be this part of the future blandness of the Corps … just words and no crest.
If it comes to it I might just ask for B wreaths if this is the future.
Mind you it’s just like the RBL which ditched the crest years ago for the Live On nonsense for its dumbed down corporate image, which I didn’t and still don’t like. Thankfully member badges are still the crest, they haven’t gone that far yet.
wreath options here
http://branches.britishlegion.org.uk/branches/blandford/poppy-appeal/wreath-collection-price-list
the RBL haven’t ditched the creast - the Live on “nonsense” is a strapline to reengage with the public to indicate that the work of the Poppy Appeal is not just for Remembrance but also welfare “live on” being those who did not give their lives and “living on” for those who have suffered (be it veterans or dependants)
Our Branch supply us with the Type C with the ATC creast, they do the same for the Scouts, Guides and their own wreath (RBL Creast) the Councils go without (type B) but I have seen at other events some Council have the town crest/badge/coat of arms.
it is a personal preference. The RBL are very happy to make the arrangements for a Type C providing an image is offered of suitable quality for printing
Going OT, the Live On while explained by the RBL, only seemed to replace the crest on things more as a response to the Help For Heroes thing that was pushed by Red Tops and IMO dilutes what the RBL does and has only served to confuse things, but this isn’t helped by the RBL being difficult to get things out of. You can tell there’s a lot of ex-military running it.
We tend to get either a Type C or a Type K with the ATC Crest. The RBL will do anything you want as they are all hand made anyway.
Interesting you suggest “confuses things”
Versus the previous “shoulder to shoulder with all who serve” which doesn’t link well to Remembrance and has an implication to only those in the military, “Live On” seems to be a closer match for what it does, as it covers the wider military/serving community namely dependants of those who serve
I do however agree the use of “Live On” is an odd/the wrong choice for a wreath centre – it is like us using “Venture Adventure” or the ACF “to inspire to achieve”
In one of the recent Legion mags, there was the conference round up and IIRC the question was asked about returning to the Legion’s crest as the main image, which was blocked by ‘head office’. So I’m not the only one out there in RBL land that feels the same.
There is a difference between using a corporate logo for corporate communications and using a crest/badge for the same purpose.
Corporate logos are designed to be simple and easily understood, on a letter head is an example.
Most ATC units I know use the RAFAC logo as the corporate letter head, it’s clear it’s come from the Air Cadets and clear that we are part of the RAF family. Most of us then put the Sqn or Wing (as applicable) in the footer, to show who we actually are to those who care.
In an RBL context this would be using the new corporate logo at the top and the old badge I. The footer, common practice in many organisations these days.
We layed two this year - an ATC one as usual and then an RAF with and hand written card for the Royal Air Force Reserve (Training Branch) as it may be the last time serving RAFVR(T) Officers can.