How did a hot air balloon come about to sum up the My Chapter One experience?
When we started out with My Chapter One, we had an ambitious vision for our company. Our team was small – only about four of us.
We were excited about synthesizing our brand identity and figuring out who we are and how best to communicate that to our audience.
As our passionate team grew beyond the founders, we decided we had to begin with identifying the ‘emotion’ of our brand. We began by giving ourselves assignments to define this emotion; we started thinking about our mission, our values, and our end goal, to identify the exact meaning of our brand.
We answered questions like ‘If My Chapter One was a person, who would it be?” And more than one of us thought of Mary Poppins.
Another question was – ‘What other brands do we like? What other companies tell a story similar to ours?’ After much debating and deliberation, we thought of Lego – it was fresh, cool and smart…just like My Chapter One!
For our logo, we first studied what would fit best into our vision; we experimented with colours and elements, and reflected on their meaning. We considered a paper plane (our children’s imagination taking off), a mushroom (a small interest – hardy and scrappy, that often blooms as a community), a dog ear (like a dog-eared page one would find in a favoured and well-worn book), a bookmark (a symbol of constancy and comfort – something the children could come back to any time), a windmill (indicating how reading can fuel one’s spirit), and a small house (a dependable and comfortable readers’ nook for young ones).
But the moment we saw the hot air balloon, we felt it just fit. It reminded us of a happy, warm, and whimsical journey. And that’s what we want our students to feel when they enter our reading gym – deep contentment, an untouched innocence and wonder, and an exhilarating excitement.
I still remember that when we designed the first draft of our logo, it was a static balloon – straight and stiff, and looking planted in the sky. That evolved into a floating, moving one to communicate the journey that our readers embark on.
Our children’s minds, like the balloon, are filled with hopes and dreams, symbolized by that particular type of air that gets them off the ground. My Chapter One breathes life into their thoughts through books and stories. We provide them the right conditions for positive thoughts, and a loving and supportive environment where hopes and dreams are nurtured.
Our Reading Hosts are the pilots of the hot air balloons. They make the ride safe, warm and fun. They help the students see the diverse and beautiful world as it is, from a higher perspective… with no artificial man-made boundaries, but as true global citizens. We don’t influence thoughts; we just provide them the view and they decide for themselves what they choose to believe in.
At My Chapter One, we wish to give children the vantage point, and leave the rest to them. Reading is a true and time-tested guide for achieving that. And we want to make sure that this relationship with books is a lifelong one for our students and not just a short stint.
Our brand, name, logo, and colours are a deeply-pondered, firmly-held expression of our collective vision and values. Every time we see them, they evoke feelings and thoughts that remind us of our beliefs and hopefully, make our children feel like they are home again.
My Chapter One helps children dive into the world of books and fall in love with reading. It maneuvers kids away from digital entertainment and towards wholesome real-time fun, through reading sessions and activities devoted to iconic books. My Chapter One handpicks reading instructors who guide children towards becoming independent readers, and subsequently, more imaginative, empathetic, and academically-inclined individuals. All in all, our company’s goal is to create a world of little readers, bright-eyed at the prospect of a new book.
To register your child in a My Chapter One program, please get in touch at +91 78714 75555 or email us at info@mychapterone.com
