On May 10, 1869 in Promontory, Utah one of the most monumental and historically relevant events in American history occurred; the joining of the Transcontinental Railroad. 150 years later the State of Utah and other key partners wanted to throw the biggest party since 1869 to celebrate this momentous day and pay tribute to the workers and people who were responsible for connecting America.
We centered our brand story on those forgotten by history’s teachings and worked together with all parties to create, plan, advertise, and coordinate the state’s celebration of this momentous day, ultimately helping lead to Golden Spike Park gaining National Monument status.
PLAN // Brand Audit + Research / Brand Strategy + Positioning / Brand Voice + Messaging / Campaign Concept / Campaign Strategy / Go-to-Market Strategy / Stakeholder Management / Website Strategy CREATE // Art Direction + Graphic Design / Brand Identity / Content Creation / Copywriting / Creative Direction / Environmental Design / Illustration / Motion + Animation / Naming / Photography / UI Design / Video DEPLOY // Advertising / Brand Guidelines / Broadcast / Digital Advertising / Direct Mail / Email / Event / Out of Home / Paid Media / Print / Public Engagement / Social / Website Development
The beauty of the Transcontinental Railroad was the totality of the American landscapes and cities that the completed rail connected. To pay homage to these landscapes and other important pieces of the railroad we created a visual language we called the Quilt of America that allowed for variance and connection. These pieces could be connected together in any order, alternate color, and turned to create a visual centerpiece that spoke to the State of Utah’s connection and benefits to the completion of the project.
Starting with the 149th anniversary celebration, we used the new brand to engage the state community with an eye toward the 150th anniversary celebration. Through a series of save the dates, toolkits, invitations, and more (including most of the actual event planning) we were able engage the community, counties, and cities all around Utah from business to school children as we created a once-in-a-lifetime celebration for our community.
