Consultants for the city of Bainbridge Island made waves last week with their unveiling of a new logo for the island.

They more than made waves. They made the biggest belly flop of the summer, and a laugher that will last well into the rest of the year or beyond.

Bainbridge city officials joined with their consultants from the other side of the country late last week for a “brand reveal” of a new logo and related marketing fonts that their pros from South Carolina believed best reflected the thoughts, dreams and desires of a community looking to define itself.

What we got, logo-wise, were three medieval battle axes raised above wavy lines of blue.

While some on Bainbridge have wondered why we need to create a “brand” for ourselves in the first place, city officials have been busy spinning that the effort isn’t just an attempt to unify attempts to bring more tourists to the island, but was also an endeavor that would bring the community together.

Boy, did it ever.

The honest and immediate reaction to the battle axe design has brought to mind the much-slammed tagline that Washington state officials tried to adopt a few years back: “Say WA.”

Islanders have been saying “Whaaaaa???” since the battle axe logo was presented last week, followed by a few other critiques not suitable for a family newspaper.

We’re inclined to think the first design, battle axes and all, may not be so bad after all, if a few changes are made.

Many islanders, for instance, could end up liking the design if something was added to the axes, perhaps the cartoon heads of three consultants stuck to the top of the poles.

Maybe the design would be better if a phrase was added underneath, to help explain its connection to the island.

Possibilities include:

“Bainbridge: If you have to axe, you’ll never know.”

“Bainbridge Island: We have more than one axe to bury.”

Slight variation: “Bainbridge: We have multiple axes to grind.”

“Axe not, what Bainbridge Island can do for you, axe what you can do for Bainbridge Island.”