Earlier this week, the Urbana Enterprise Zone launched a new incentive program for people looking to build their new home in Urbana. This new program needed everything: name, slogan, branding, everything. We were very pleased to help them launch the result, which is Think Urbana.
We started off with a great brainstorming session with the Urbana Enterprise Zone team, where we learned a lot about the new program. There are some misconceptions about building in Urbana—particularly that it’s expensive to do—and the Enterprise Zone team wanted to use Think Urbana to help correct those perceptions. In doing so, we also got a great picture of the story they wanted to tell about life in Urbana. Friendly neighborhoods, new growth, and a sense of history all played a part in building a complete concept designed to encourage people to think of Urbana when looking for a place to build a new home.
Being long-time residents of the Champaign-Urbana area, we’ve enjoyed many years of watching the seasons change. The progression of trees in the Think Urbana logo from smaller to larger, and from greens to oranges and reds, emphasizes the longevity of Urbana’s neighborhoods. Re-emphasizing the color green in the text also highlights the community’s commitment to green living. And the negative space under the trees was perfect for imitating some of the beautiful homes nestled among Urbana’s tree-lined streets.
The plan is for the Think Urbana concept to be used and shared by a number of local organizations, including the the Urbana School District, Urbana Park District, Cunningham Township and the CU Mass Transit District. Knowing this, we put together a comprehensive branding guide to ensure that anyone wanting to use the Think Urbana concept and brand can easily implement it with consistency and style. We even separated the branding into smaller pieces that can be used in a wide variety of print and digital marketing pieces. You can find it all online on their site-in-progress: http://www.thinkurbana.com/promotion/.
