Spike 150

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’s, known and never before really told story 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.

/ Visit spike150.org /

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.

One of the major components of the state’s Spike 150 initiative was an education and learning segment designed to get school aged kids involved with the story of the Transcontinental Railroad and those who built it. We helped develop an augmented reality program that allowed kids, with their phones, to place themselves in scenes and objects from the past including in the famous “driving the final spike” photo.

From May 10-12, visitors were encouraged to reflect on the impact of the Transcontinental Railroad and be inspired to become innovators of the next big unifying discovery by participating in a variety of activities.