2017 edition positions North America’s favorite Almanac for continued success.
When readers pick up The 2017 Old Farmer’s Almanac—the beloved publication’s 225th edition—they will be treated to subtle design polishes befitting the book that holds the crown as North America’s oldest continuously published periodical. These updates to the Almanac’s time-honored visual identity represent the secret to the Almanac’s success: adapting to changing times, while remaining true to its roots.
The 225th anniversary edition sharpens the visual traits that make the Almanac such a recognizable brand: an enhanced cover that brings the familiar “four seasons” illustration into clearer focus, a specially designed font, and a logo that has been freshened for the digital age.
These polished elements will evoke the tradition and heritage of the Almanac while setting it squarely in the 21st century. It is and will remain a publication devoted to being “useful, with a pleasant degree of humor.”
“The process for making such subtle changes took quite a long time and was very collaborative. When you’re dealing with a publication like the Almanac, which is so instantly recognizable, it’s important that everything be done in service to the brand that the readers have helped us to build,” says Publisher Sherin Pierce, who helped to lead the team in charge of this effort.
Along with Pierce, Almanac Editor Janice Stillman, Art Director Colleen Quinnell, and staff worked with outside experts who shared the Almanac’s vision for the project, including illustrator Steven Noble, who updated the cover’s look by studying its earliest designs. Sam Berlow and David Berlow of The Font Bureau (Boston) designed the Almanac’s new custom font, working closely with Ben Scott and Lainey Fink at Bluerock Design (Martha’s Vineyard, Mass.), who created the new logo and developed new brand guidelines across all channels.
“The challenge we faced was staying loyal to the brand’s look and feel while setting up the visual presence for the next 225 years—and for whatever shifts in technology or audience that the future might bring,” Pierce adds.
And the Almanac knows a thing or two about changing with the times: From its origins in an annual publication—which still sells millions—the Almanac’s brand presence has expanded to include The Old Farmer’s Almanac for Kids, Garden Guide, and a series of cookbooks whose most recent additions are Readers’ Best Recipes and the Stories Behind Them, Eats, and Comfort Food. In addition to its print titles, the Almanac produces the monthly digital magazine EXTRA!, hosts a redesigned Web site at Almanac.com with millions of monthly visitors, and stewards a growing presence on social media that reaches over a million people daily.
“Our goal is to reach our readers wherever they are, and this means being more available than ever online and via mobile devices, while making sure that the Almanac’s identity is both appealing to new audiences and recognizable to returning readers,” says Pierce.
She adds: “We don’t take our success for granted. Despite the challenges we face as a print publication in a digital-dominated world, we have still managed to remain relevant by adapting to the times. It’s how we have not only survived, but also thrived over the past 225 years!”
The 2017 Old Farmer’s Almanac will be available for just $6.99 everywhere books and magazines are sold, beginning in late August 2016.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac originates from the headquarters of Yankee Publishing Inc. in Dublin, New Hampshire.
The Almanac brings its wit and wisdom daily to millions via Almanac.com and at …
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Print versions of The 2017 Old Farmer’s Almanac can be found anywhere books and magazines are sold as well as at Almanac.com/Shop or by calling 800-Almanac. Save a tree by picking up the digital version via Almanac.com, the iTunes store, and Amazon.
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