THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Shedding its familiar red-and-black look, the government of Keralam calendar has acquired a more elegant appearance, with royal blue taking centre stage.
For the first time, it also features a cover showcasing a tranquil blue seascape, with a palm-fringed shore and rolling waves. The new government’s motto, ‘Good Governance with Empathy’, is tastefully displayed on the cover.
The makeover seems to have struck a chord with buyers, with more than 1.82 lakh copies sold in the first 10 days this year, surpassing the total number sold last year.
Behind the redesign is 45-year-old Arun Gokul, a noted designer who has created more than 1,000 book covers for leading publishers. The Chief Minister’s Office views the calendar as a means of taking the government’s message into homes across the state.
“The chief minister wanted the calendar to reflect the goals of the government and its flagship project, Mission Samudra. Arun submitted five designs and the CM picked the final one,” said Roy Mathew, media secretary to V D Satheesan.
The design draws on the government’s ‘Puthuyuga Keralam’ vision and themes of the blue economy and the coast. “Blue was chosen to brand the government’s focus on the blue economy,” Arun said, adding that the cover was deliberately kept simple.
“I have designed covers for books by eminent writers such as Basheer, Mukundan, Madhavikutty and Anand. But I deliberately avoided a complex design for this calendar. I wanted something simple that would appeal to everyone,” he said.