Rock City, the historic tourist destination atop Lookout Mountain, Georgia, debuted a visual rebranding, its first in nearly a quarter century.
For almost 25 years, Rock City shared a logo with its parent company, which also owns Chanticleer Inn, Grandview, Battles for Chattanooga, the Starbucks on Lookout Mountain and Clumpies Ice Cream Co., according to a press release.
Its new logo, unveiled Thursday, features a jolly gnome, one of the staple characters that sets the fairy tale and German folklore-inspired attraction apart.
“This visual rebrand represents our next chapter,” Doug Chapin, owner and CEO of Rock City Enterprises, said in the press release. “It brings new life to the wonder that’s always been here, updating our look while inviting old friends, like our gnomes, to finally step into view.”
(READ MORE: Rock City barns, signs in Tennessee eyed for historic designation)
The rebrand will be visible on signs in Rock City, employee uniforms, marketing materials and the company website, which was updated Thursday.
The company is best known for its iconic barn and birdhouse designs featuring the slogan “See Rock City.” Its gardens feature the Enchanted Trail, the Lover’s Leap overlook and the Fairytale Caverns.
See Rock City Inc. rebranded in June to Rock City Enterprises to create a “clearer corporate identity,” the 93-year-old hospitality and retail company said. It moved its corporate offices to the St. Elmo neighborhood at the base of Lookout Mountain.
The fourth-generation family-owned company, founded in 1932, said it had no intention of selling. It manages ticketing and concessions at the Incline Railway for the Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority and retail and food service for the Creative Discovery Museum in downtown Chattanooga.
Its mountaintop gardens feature 14 acres of natural forest and more than 500 species of plants.
Gnomes were already central to the brand’s identity. The mythical creatures have called Rock City home since the formation of Lookout Mountain, the company said in a blog post on its website Thursday.
Rock City introduced readers to four gnome characters named Leif, Nimble, Edvard and Bergmann.
“They’re not meant to last 100 years,” Will Jackson, senior manager of innovations at Rock City, said in the post. “That’s why we’re so excited to introduce our longtime residents and finally show them in the gardens.”
— Compiled by Daniel Dassow
