Spike 150

How do you spike community interest and build an event worthy of one of America’s most important accomplishments?

The Solution

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 we prepared 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.

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.

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.