MAIDSTONE is going places with a new brand. Under the slogan Great to Visit, Great to Shop, the county town's new logo is part of a campaign to make Maidstone a top destination.

The logo, costing around £12,000 to develop, was unveiled at a VIP ceremony in the Odeon Cinema at Lockmeadow. Two blue arches symbolise water and bridges, and loosely form the letter M. Maidstone council and Business Link Kent, based in Kings Hill, West Malling, helped pay for the project.

Andrew Simms, manager of Boots and chairman of Maidstone Town Centre Management Initiative (MTCMI) marketing group, said the county town offered a "wonderful blend of commercial, retail, leisure and cultural attractions".

But it had to compete harder than ever for business and branding was an effective way of "standing out from the crowd".

He said it was in everyone's interests to have a successful town. "A thriving Maidstone is a thriving Boots the Chemist," he said.

Cllr Pat Marshall, the Mayor of Maidstone, claimed the new logo was clean and simple and "said it all". "We've not promoted ourselves enough in the past; we've got it but we haven't flaunted it," she said, adding that Maidstone still needed to do more to cater for visitors in the early evening.

Bill Moss, town centre manager, urged local businesses to incorporate the logo in their own advertising "wherever and whenever they can". "I truly believe that this new brand image is the way forward for the marketing of Maidstone," he said.

Paul Alcock, Chequers Centre manager and MTCMI chairman, formally unveiled the logo. He said: "Branding Maidstone is an integral part of our strategy for the town's future."

The logo will be seen a lot in Maidstone and beyond, with an advertising campaign on the sides of 74 buses taking the message around the county.

It will also feature extensively in media advertising and the town's Christmas events that begin with the arrival of Santa on November 16 and the switching-on of the lights on the 17th.

The Graham Consultancy, based in Ashford, won a three-way pitch for the contract to design the logo. Company founder Paul Graham, who lives in Cranbrook, came to Maidstone in 1960 and went to local schools. His parents live in Allington.

He carried out extensive research in the town before coming up with a number of ideas. He called the chosen design "contemporary, modern and fresh." He said: "It aims to sum up a very lively, vibrant place with an awful lot of good things happening."