Oh my goodness. It's deja vu, all over again. Or something.
14th November 13, 09:41 AM
RockyR
Does anyone remember the Simpsons episode with Homer's likeness on the Japanese Soap company's box (Mr. Sparkle)? I am instantly reminded of that. This is too funny!
Perhaps you should dress up exactly like their logo and hold a big frosty beer and send them the pic? Would be curious to see if you could get hired out as their living mascot (like the Captain Morgans guy)! hahaha
16th November 13, 06:10 AM
M. A. C. Newsome
I actually know the guy in the HBC logo, or used to know him. I haven't seen him in years. He used to come into the Scottish Tartans Museum fairly often. His last name was Taylor and he was of Scottish heritage. He was a native of Maine but lived around Asheville, and had a business servicing HVAC (heating and cooling) systems. Short little guy, bright red hair, really full beard and mustache, and always smiling. He had a strong Maine accent, which we don't get a lot of down here. Most people didn't know how to place his accent and assumed he was from the UK somewhere.
Anyway, he eventually bought a Taylor tartan kilt from us, but before he did that, he had us make for him a Taylor tartan tam that he wore all the time. One day he came into the museum with a story to tell. He had been working on an HVAC unit for the Highland Brewing Company building in Asheville. Some execs of the company saw him, and noticed a striking resemblance to the cartoon Highlander that they had been using on their logo. They were in the middle of giving their branding an upgrade, including their Highlander mascot. They told him he had just the look they were going for and asked if he would be their model.
He, of course, agreed. So, as I am told, they arranged for a photo shoot with him in costume, holding the props, etc, in the pose you now see on all their labels. The great thing is that they paid him in free beer and merchandise. I remember him coming in one day afterwards with a box full of HBP tshirts and pub glasses to give away to folks in the museum, bearing his likeness. In fact, I still have a pub glass he gave me. Might have to fill it up later today! :-)
I actually know the guy in the HBC logo, or used to know him....
Wonderful story!
12th January 14, 09:27 PM
Tartan Hiker
And good news, BeeDee. I was at Highland a few weeks back (not long after the tartan was announced by the STA) and was chatting with one of the managers. He didn't give me any solid details but he did give me the clear impression that they intended to have a quantity of tartan woven and that Oscar Wong (the owner of Highland) wanted to have a kilt made.