A NEW logo celebrating Hemsby's Viking heritage is set to be unveiled as a campaign to market the village on a national level continues to gather pace.

A NEW logo celebrating Hemsby's Viking heritage is set to be unveiled as a campaign to market the village on a national level continues to gather pace.

The circular symbol shows a happy red and gold Viking waving a bucket and spade on a blue background above the words “Hemsby and Newport 1,200 years of seaside fun.” Beneath these words is a beach ball with two ice creams on either side.

And next year, Hemsby will have the first of what is hoped will become an annual four-day Viking festival every June to raise the village's profile, featuring a Scandinavian market, folk music and a re-enactment of the Viking's invasion on Hemsby beach.

The design is the brainchild of PR guru Simon Middleton, who is re-branding the village for the TV series The Brand Effect and will be officially launched along with plans for a new Hemsby website at a photo exhibition at The Forum in Norwich on June 25.

Mr Middleton said the logo had not been copyrighted so it could be used on postcards, shop windows and beer mats as well as on the village sign.

“We hope traders will pick it up and use it themselves. We have created it so it is copyright free and can be used on postcards, shop windows, beer mats and all sorts of things. It tries to say all the things we want to say about Hemsby in that it has got a very strong heritage and then that it is a classical seaside resort,” he said.

The 50-year-old, who runs London-based PR agency Brand Strategy Guru, said the aim was to give the village a distinct identity to attract widespread attention in a similar way to which the Welsh village of Hay-on-Wye has become synonymous with its arts festival.

“My point is that festivals are very good at attracting attention because it gives a focus. There are lots of examples where people will use an event, such as a festival, to draw people in,” Mr Middleton added.

The new website is in the process of being created but will be another tool in the Hemsby marketing campaign which is set to hit TV screens in July when Mr Middleton presents the programme The Brand Effect on Sky station My Channel.

The show will reveal more about how Hemsby is being re-branded and will help to promote the village.

Mr Middleton became involved in the village's re-branding after being called by Hemsby traders concerned their village was not attracting visitors, especially following the closure of its Pontins holiday camp in January.