Appalachiacana
A brand and a plan for a small region with a big personality in Southwest Virginia.
Winner in a pitch to VA tourism | 5 weeks (+another 4 weeks)
role: visual design, concepting, user experience
The Ask
Unite the towns of Bristol, Abingdon, and St. Paul Virginia in some way to give people a reason to extend their stay in SWVA.
The Problem
This region is not only fighting an economic downturn, the implications of an aging populations, and the opioid crisis, but also the stigma that the Appalachian people are backwoods, unfriendly, and bigoted.
During our visit we saw something else entirely. We saw that the Appalachian people have a spirit that is unshakeable and an intoxicating warmth.
Opportunity
We saw a chance to tell the story of Appalachia in the way the Appalachian people would tell it. By highlighting reality over the stereotype, we enable the residents to own the conversation about what it means to be from Southwest Virginia. We saw an opportunity to create something that could unite the residents in their pride for their home.
Solution
Appalachiacana: You’ll get it when you’re here
Appalachiacana is the brand used to unite the three towns ot Bristol, St. Paul, and Abingdon. The purpose of the brand is to create a unification of this region through the name and visual assets that residents can embrace and own.
Through a series of experiential tactics, we are inviting tourists to come visit and experience the warm and welcoming Appalachiacana spirit.
Appalachiacana is a made up word, combining the name of the Appalachian mountains with the word Americana, which represents the history, geography, folklore and cultural heritage of the United States.
Manifesto video
Brand Solution
Appalachiacana is an open-source brand , so the word and the logo can be openly used by anyone who wants to claim them in their own way and allow each town and and individuals to interpret what Appalachiacana means to them.
We created a logo to be used at launch and for official Viriginia Tourism use, however we fully intend for the logo to be manipulated into different expressions. This will allow the brand to organically develop with the region. These are some explorations of how the logo could be manipulated:
Branded assets help to create a sense of place. We know that this campaign could not be successful without the support of the residents, and the more proud they are of where they are from, the more they will welcome visitors with open hearts.
This take on the classic 3-letter bumper sticker is a nod to the idea that this region can’t be contained by labels.
Reinforcing the sense of pride are license plates so everyone knows where you’re from, as well as helps raise awareness.
Marketing solutions
The backbone of our solutions rely on experiential tactics that seek to attract and reward those who embody some part of the Appalachiacana spirit with a free trip to experience it for themselves. We knew from experience that the essence of this place is indescribable but, you’ll get it when you’re there.
Not only will these giveaways earn media attention, they’ll be used to generate much-needed tourism content to build the brand of Appalachiacana. Their adventures will be documented and used to promote the region on the Appalachicana channels. These stunts and giveaways will generate PR, publicity, and awareness about the area. Since our target relies on word of mouth and social media to plan their vacations, this buzz and social content will help bring Appalachiacana top of mind.
Mud Man
ATVs caked in mud from the trails of St. Paul will pop up in urban areas. We will ask people to help us clean them up, and the people willing to roll up their sleeves and get a little muddy with us will be rewarded for their Appalachiacana spirit.
BLuegrass Buskers
Buskers around our targets’ cities of Columbus, DC, Raleigh, and Richmond, play the country and bluegrass music that Appalachiacana holds close to its heart. When a person lingers a little too long, dances, or gives the buskers a $20 instead of a $1, we’ll know they have the Appalachiacana spirit, and we’ll reward it with a trip.
Radio
We created spots that tell a snippet of a story, enough to grab some attention and leave something on the table for them to pick up when they visit.
Direct Mail
Mail boxes will be placed at community spots around town for residents to write a postcard to a potential visitor, the tourism offices can then use these handwritten notes to send to interested visitors. A handwritten invitation from a real person is sure to stand out in the sea of bills and junk mail in people’s homes.
Social media and Communications
We created a communications plan to launch the brand and get residents excited about Appalachiacana. We know that the residents are the greatest asset of this region and it is important that they know the brand and feel as if it is theirs.
Impact
The economy of this region was built on coal, a resource that is being phased out to be replaced by cleaner energy. In order for this region to move forward and prevent the same economic collapse from happening in the future, they need to diversify the economy. Tourism can help play a part in a more sustainable economy for this region.
Implementation
The project won in a pitch to Virginia Tourism and was expected to be produced this summer. We are hopeful that these ideas will be able to bring tourists to Southwest Virginia post COVID in Summer 2021. We produced a playbook for all of the directors of tourism involved with the project. Check the playbook out here.
Reflection
I am so grateful to have been able to work with an amazing team. We hadn’t worked together as one unit before this project and everyone brought a unique perspective and set of skills. This was also a really amazing opportunity to pitch an idea that would actually get implemented. This reality created a set of constraints that helped push the work along in a way that hypothetical constraints can struggle to do. It is truly a privilege to work with a group in which everyone is 100% in and that is how the stars aligned for this project and this team.
The work was the most fulfilling project I worked on during my time at Brandcenter because it was one of the most intellectually challenging projects and it had added pressure of solving a real problem for people. I hope that I am lucky enough to make work that will leave the world a better place, and this was a great first taste.
teammates
Lee Kuykendall, Brand manager
Funmi Adejobi, Copywriter
Daniel Huffine, Experience designer
Michelle McGuire, Strategist
Tory Nagel, Strategist
Meosha Jupiter, Experience Designer
WHERE TO NOW?
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