The beauty of understatement

By John Jessup

I have to admit to being attracted by certain signs. I am particularly partial to the ones with pictures of dogs and ducks, monarchs and such like. They welcome me to gentle imbibing, and mirth filled conversations. With these things in mind I found myself strolling down a soft white beach in Jamaica, with the warm Caribbean Sea playing around my feet (sorry got a bit carried away there). I passed several establishments, sporting signs emblazoned with pictures of West Indian beauties, or the local flora and fauna. Others had pictures of Pirates and names like ‘The Jolly Roger’ and ‘Captains Cabin’, but none of them attracted me in the same way as the one pictured above. This sign, with its simple typography and weather beaten look, promised so much more than its flashier counterparts. It felt genuine and unpretentious, it promised the real thing; Jamaica for Jamaicans. So I sat down with the locals and enjoyed my ice-cold Red Stripe and jerk chicken as hot and spicy as Usain Bolt’s jock strap after a 100-metre dash.

The next time we sit down to dream up our latest piece of communication, it’s worth remembering, you don’t have to shout the loudest to be heard above the rest.