downtown cadillac brand identity
Client: Downtown Cadillac / Cadillac Downtown Development Authority (DDA) www.downtowncadillac.com
My role: Logo and brand designer, volunteer member of the DDA Marketing Committee
Deliverables: Logo package, brand guidelines, brand applications, Canva brand kit, Mailchimp email template
Overview
Downtown Cadillac was putting more effort into revitalizing the downtown zone, and they were doing it with no brand at all. They hired a dedicated staff person, Travis, who attends the DDA meetings plus the marketing and events meetings, and coordinates Downtown Cadillac's visibility locally and beyond. They also joined the Main Street program, and that's when the logo got rolling.
The Challenge
We were starting from zero. No logo, no colors, no fonts, no website, nothing to build on. Downtown Cadillac needed a complete identity that felt fresh and fun, worked across print, signage, web, and merch, and was something the committee and the DDA could get behind.
Process
They asked me to design the logo and to volunteer on the Cadillac DDA Marketing Committee. Over a couple of months, I worked with the committee on concepts and feedback. I also attended the main DDA meeting to present the logo options to everyone, then came back again to hear feedback on the final choice. Having that many voices involved early meant the final logo had real buy-in before it went anywhere.
The Solution
The logo is a row of colorful downtown buildings with a street curving through and a tree off to the side, wrapped in a banner with the Downtown Cadillac name. The package includes:
Five logo versions plus a stand-alone building icon, so there's a fit for just about any space
Brand guidelines with a seven color palette (light blue, navy, teal, green, yellow, tan, and orange) with CMYK, RGB, and HEX values
A font pairing of Distinct Style Sans Bold and Poppins
Brand application mockups for stationery, light pole banners, a t-shirt, a hat, and water bottles
A Canva brand kit and a Mailchimp email template, allowing them to control their marketing frequency
Results
Bit Social Media worked with the branding to build a really nice WordPress site, and the new look carried over to their email marketing, social media, and newsletter. Mugs and stickers are now available too. Downtown Cadillac went from having nothing to having a consistent look everywhere people run into it.
