Open Letter To Mr. Fritz Smith REF.: “FEELING IS BELIEVING” AND TRANQUILLITY IN ANGUILLA

Mr. Fritz Smith
Director of Construction
Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications, and Utilities
The Valley

REF.: “FEELING IS BELIEVING” AND TRANQUILLITY IN ANGUILLA

Dear Mr. Smith:

Further to your request for feedback on the proposed licence plates for Anguilla, we, the undersigned would like to note the following:

We support the need for restructuring of the licence plates and the segregation of the various types of vehicle numbers. We would, however, like to register our total objection to the proposal to use the expression “feeling is believing” on the new plates.

We are concerned that the Government of Anguilla has adopted this “feeling is believing” slogan to represent the essence of Anguilla. In the first place, if you were to poll Anguillians, even those in the tourism sector, you will by and large still find them using the “Tranquillity Wrapped in Blue” slogan; and you will also find that they are largely unaware that the island’s tourism officials have created a new image for us, without consulting us.

“Feeling is believing” is a slogan coined by the linen industry for high cotton count products. Pull up any internet search engine and you will be bombarded with thousands of products, that carry this slogan. On the other hand, the totally unique nature of “Tranquillity Wrapped in Blue” is ingenious, timeless, and inspiring and has been lauded nationally and internationally. Experts in the advertising business will tell you that it is priceless. Couple that with its indigenous and artistic origins and you will understand why we and most Anguillians, other residents on Anguilla and even strangers who hear it for the first time, feel so passionately about maintaining it.

While you are merely soliciting the public’s opinion on whether or not to use the linen slogan on our licence plates, we feel that this is a good time for the people of Anguilla to let the government and tourism officials know how angry we are at their unilateral “rebranding” of our island. We would encourage them to admit that they made a mistake, albeit a very costly one, and reinstate the official use of “Tranquillity Wrapped in Blue”, because we despise “Feeling is believing”. We would also encourage them to seek redress from those who duped them into accepting a very unoriginal and unimaginative “brand” for our island.

Yours faithfully
Objectors to “Feeling is Believing”