Durham County's brand was lost in the brand sauce made up of the City of Durham, the Durham Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Durham Chamber of Commerce. Somehow it needed to stand apart and stand for something.
The Creative
In calling Durham County “DCo”, not only did we establish a strong, memorable, enduring brand, but we are also reflecting a vibe and attitude that is absolutely genuine and authentic to Durham County. In use since 2012, it proves the staying power of strong design.
The Strategy Behind The Work
As this was a project involving County government and public funds, that means meetings and careful consensus-building. We did interviews, focus groups, and casual conversations with Durham County staff, managers, department heads, County Commissioners and citizens. The idea we came out of this with was that Durham County innovates government for citizens and businesses alike.
Let’s try and do something different here.
Once we had ideas for logo options we went back to those same groups seeking input and opinion. As Durham is at its heart an adventurous and innovative place, we were able to take some options that were outside the “norm” for county branding, and the audience was receptive. Once the ball was rolling we we able to redesign everything from stationery to ambulances to the County flag.
