For years, Johnston County has been the fastest-growing county in North Carolina. People and businesses have been flocking here, creating a clamor for county services and amenities. And the government has kept up with this explosion, creating a comprehensive land use plan, building new facilities, hiring more staff, and the like. Problem was, every county department had its own brand—logo, voice, graphic feel, webpage, even vehicle graphics. What's a county to do? Start Engine.
The Strategy
Before Engine did a lick of any creative work, we roamed all over Johnston County—and it’s a big one—visiting cities and towns and crossroads villages. We drove miles of bucolic county roads, some winding and wooded and hilly and some straight as an arrow, with miles of open fields in every direction. (Very different from Durham County, which we also branded.) We talked to citizens and businesspeople. We talked to County leadership and staff. It became clear that not only was the County’s brand disjointed, but the various municipalities and their citizens were in need of something to unify them. Something around which people could rally, proudly.
And proud they are. Johnston County is not only large but it’s old. Founded in 1746, it has a rich history of its folk living off the land that continues to this day, despite the rapid and, alarming to some, growth of development. The people who flourish in Johnston County are grounded folk who value “placeness”— the physical attributes and history of where they live matter deeply.
At their best, Johnstonians aren’t satisfied with the status quo. They not only embrace change, but they help shape it. Companies like Grifols, Novo Nordisk, Amazon, and Vulcan Elements have sunk roots here. And County leadership is at the forefront of this. They supply the infrastructure and, as one person put it, they “gave me the vision and the inspiration.” The positioning for the County almost wrote itself:
For down-to-earth dreamers, Johnston County is fertile soil.
The Creative
Thriving together.
“Johnston County is fertile soil” isn’t only a metaphor—the heritage and enduring legacy of Johnston County stem, literally, from its very dirt. It became the inspiration for Johnston County’s brand, as embodied by the bold logo Engine created.
The Big J represents the stem, the trunk, the backbone of Johnston County: its people. The tri-color leaves, or blossoms, represent the three things that are integral parts of who Johnston County is:
Johnston Clay symbolizes its rich soil, from which its crops and hopes come to life.
Johnston Field Green stands for all that grows here, including its thriving communities and its robust future.
Johnston Neuse Blue embodies the water that nourishes all that take root here—plants and people alike.
Johnston County doesn’t simply provide services that help people thrive—Johnston County is the place where people thrive. Together. And at the end of the day, we helped Johnston County distill its many, many brands into a powerful, cohesive one.