How do you brand a city? By listening to its residents, artists, business owners, and leaders, and bringing their stories to life. We invited 150+ locals, business owners, and city leaders into the creative process, resulting in a brand that was beloved from the start.
The brand can be summarized in two words: unapologetic pride. The brand projects confidence and creativity through bold graphics and custom photography, telling the story of a city on the rise. The campaign features 35 local artists, business owners, and leaders. Each model's social handle is included, leading to further discovery and amplification. Our creative collaborators are also Baltimore natives: writer Kondwani Fidel is lead copywriter and local artist Devin Allen (known for his Time magazine covers) is lead photographer.
Inspired by Kondwani Fidel's Beneath the Shell poem about the City, we created a new locals campaign by turning the piece into an ad run during the 2020 Super Bowl, billboards seen throughout the city, and a limited-edition letterpress posters made by the historic Globe print shop in Baltimore.
The response was overwhelmingly positive, including coverage in the Baltimore Sun and AdWeek. Launched during a global pandemic concurrently when acts of police brutality ignited global protests against racism and social injustice, the goal was to tell a holistic story that highlights the City's unique offerings and heritage, while celebrating the people committed to creating a better Baltimore.
Strategy Deliverables
Audience Strategy
Campaign Strategy
Competitor Analysis
Content Strategy
Information Architecture
Interviews
SEO Audit
Surveys
Workshops
Creative + Development Strategy
Brand Identity
Campaign Design
Content Development
Copywriting
Experiential
Usability Testing
“We set out to rebrand in order to showcase our city in a new light… We’re on a mission to help first-time visitors fall in love with our city and for local residents to feel a sense of pride in the place they call home.”
Al Hutchinson
President & CEO of Visit Baltimore
“With Baltimore’s Black population of more than 60%, it’s about time that members of this key demographic get to promote their hometown. The effort is rare in the nation and bucks a tainted perception of the city, say backers and experts. And if it works — there are early signs of promise — the campaign could be a first step in recovering from the pandemic’s hit to local tourism.”
Baltimore Sun
