Rebranding a City Division to Increase Awareness

In creating the Renton Parks and Rec wordmark, we had two primary goals:

1. Make it Distinct and Immediately Identifiable
2.  Make it Legible

Their previous workmark emphasized activities making the division name unreadable at small sizes. We also aimed to create a wordmark lockup that functions similar to an app icon, where people will recognize it without the need to read it.

Because Renton Parks and Rec is the steward of their local urban forest and other green spaces, we emphasized nature while avoiding the standard kelly green that’s overused in the parks and rec space. The colors are bright. vibrant, lively, and feel active. The teal we chose is slightly more muted to make the color system feel established and notable. This brings a little seriousness to it, but still indicates that this is a special place — a place that should be revered. It’s intended to be relatable and fun, but not too whimsical, expressing their internal Protect and Connect philosophy.

For the primary typeface we used a font called Fig Tree. It’s the same typeface for RENTON used on the City website creating cohesion between Parks and Rec and other City divisions. They chose the full word And rather than an ampersand. It has a more handwritten aspect to it, making it feel human and playful. The words Parks and Rec are intentionally bolder to call attention and be scannable. Plus this approach makes the letters more distinct to help the division stand out.

The messaging strategy was built around the idea of being professional yet approachable and human. There is a lot of relationship building involved in the division, both with the public and with businesses, nonprofits, and other City departments.

We developed messaging around the internal philosophies that we also helped them articulate. This provided us with a solid foundation upon which to base all other messaging.

• Our True Business is Serving People
• We are Guided by Our Core Principles
 Health & Wellness
 Human Services
 Environmental Stewardship & Care
 Equitable Access
• Each of Our Divisions and Programs Receive Equal Treatment and Visibility
• We have a Distinct & Memorable Identity within City Government
• We Demonstrate Our Return on Taxpayer Investment Through Transparency

One of the most powerful examples of the branded copywriting that we developed for Renton Parks and Rec can be seen in the social media posts we created for them. It also fused the visual identity with the messaging to communicate the bold new direction of this hard-working division.

As a brand expression, much of the messaging is inspirational and emotional, aimed and connecting people to community.

We find that conducting a visual and messaging landscape analysis is a powerful way to kick off the process of creating a distinctive brand identity. The insights and recommendations that came from that study got everyone aligned and guided our collaboration.

We created a combination of a Content Distribution Strategy document and social media assets to guide an awareness campaign for the updated identity. Together these components set up their team for success in introducing their stakeholders to the daring changes the division had made.

As we wrapped up our work with the Renton Parks and Rec team, we delivered a Brand Guide equipping them with information on photo treatments, guidance on creating marketing materials, and how to assemble photo collages and work with symbolic shapes that are part of the design system. We also developed an illustration style that they can extend as they build out their outreach program.

In addition, we developed a system of subrands to help them communicate the existence of the departments within their division, allowing for brand cohesion across widely different services and offerings.