License plate elevated

I haven't posted anything in far too long, although I've been writing behind the scenes quite a bit. This is my attempt to break out of this writing slump. I'll write about something that I've been watching quite a bit lately. I think I've withheld judgment for long enough now.

So by now everyone's seen the new "Life Elevated" license plates. When I first started noticing these plates, the Salt Lake Valley was in between winter storms, and cars were covered in slush and salt. This made for an awful first impression. Rather than something fresh and interesting, the new plates looked old and dingy - and too busy.

The second plate is not a far cry from the old Delicate Arch plate. The most obvious difference is the new stylized "Utah" logo. Less noticeably, the colors have also been updated (compare to old here). I've always thought this was a nice design, and I actually think this is a slight upgrade from the old design.

The "Greatest Snow" plate, however, featuring Olympic skier Heidi Voelker, leaves something to be desired. I really like both elements of the design - the red rocks of Dixie, and the snowy mountains of the north - but I wish Utah would have committed more fully to one or the other because the two together just don't seem to complement each other very well.

I would have preferred two (or more) new plates: retain the red rock header for one, and switch out the skier for something more in line with the southern Utah theme. On the other, replace the petroglyph header with the mountains that are currently subdued and hidden behind the skier. Colorize those mountains, and make the sky blue.

Maybe we wish it weren't so, but as often as I find myself staring at the rear end of other vehicles, I can't help but think that license plates are one of the best places for a state to advertise itself. To that end, I really think Utah could have done better by showcasing its diversity on individual plates, rather than trying to cram everything onto one.