Work
Rebrand the region with a new name that accurately reflects its location within the Adirondacks in New York State. Additionally, expand the visual identity to create a more flexible and adaptable brand system.
reduced market place confusion, awareness, versatility
Hamilton County, nestled in the heart of the Adirondacks, offers a classic Adirondack experience. With over a million acres of pristine wilderness, countless lakes, and historic towns, this region caters to outdoor enthusiasts and history buffs alike. Whether you're seeking adventure on the water, in the mountains, or on the trails, Hamilton County provides a diverse range of experiences for every season.
In 2019, Hamilton County had been rebranded from "Adirondacks, Experience It" to "Adirondack Experience - Small Towns, Big Outdoors". Shortly thereafter, a widely popular tourist attraction within the region had rebranded itself, in particular its name, of which was very similar with the new region name. In the years following, we noticed a trend: visitors to the region and users of our website were frequently confused, searching for information on the new business while inadvertently accessing our site or other regional marketing materials and information. Further investigation revealed that, in addition to market confusion, the region's name lacked geographical context within the Adirondacks. In 2024, we created a plan to reevaluate and evolve the original brand identity.
In collaboration with several stakeholders from Hamilton County, we discussed the challenges they face with the current brand and how they would like to see it evolve to meet their current and future marketing needs. Ultimately, the brand name would need to change. We conducted thorough research, analyzing similar regional names in the Adirondacks and New York State. Additionally, we gathered valuable insights from visitors and locals through surveys. These insights allowed us to gain a deeper understanding of their perceptions of the region. Beyond brand messaging, we evaluated existing assets and identified gaps to determine necessary new deliverables for the rebrand.
Take the existing brand identity for Adirondack Experience and rename the region to 'Experience Our Adirondacks - Hamilton County'. 'Experience Our Adirondacks' encompasses the passion and gratitude of those who recreate in the Adirondack Mountains, and those that have yet to visit. The region's location, Hamilton County, became a key qualifier within the brand logo. We also extracted the "Small Towns, Big Outdoors" tagline from the original mark for flexible use in marketing campaigns. To ensure visual consistency, we created special graphics featuring the tagline.
We refined the original brand mark, extracted the tagline "Small Towns, Big Outdoors," and created special graphics to enhance brand consistency. Additionally, we revitalized the color palette, introduced patterns, and adjusted the typography to create a more balanced and vibrant visual identity.
I collaborated with various stakeholders and colleagues to obtain feedback and apply to the visual identity I was solely responsible for creating. Responsibilities included:
Visual Identity
Brand Roll out
Campaign roll out across various brand touch points including digital platforms as well as print materials including:
This rebrand was less a challenge, and more of a wonderful opportunity! It's not often that one gets to revisit a brand they created years ago, and get to evolve it with the additional knowledge and experience gained over the years. That's not to say there wasn't any challenges. The most difficult part of this was determining how much the stakeholders, and marketing teams responsible for the Hamilton County brand, were willing to pivot. At the outset, we considered drastic rebranding options, including entirely new names and logo concepts. However, we ultimately decided to build upon the existing brand's strengths. While we made significant refinements, the core identity remained recognizable.
Hamilton County now boasts a distinctive visual identity that sets it apart from regional competitors. While we anticipate measuring the full impact of the rebrand in late 2025, local communities and stakeholders have already expressed enthusiasm and support for the new brand.
