The INBirmingham campaign

Simplicity is often best in graphic design. That certainly proved true with an ad campaign for the Birmingham Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. In 2007, Big Communications decided to capitalize on the name of the city itself, the “IN” in the word Birmingham. Those two letters boxed in red became the campaign’s logo. A public relations campaign was then launched to discover all the “IN” places in Birmingham. This got the community involved and generated a lot of pride. Big Communication’s ad campaign was a win-win for Birmingham and an example of how the simplest ideas are often the most effective.

Photo Credit: Big Communications & Birmingham Convention and Visitor’s Bureau

http://content.lib.auburn.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/design/id/6/rec/33

ConnectLivity Maps and Books

Discovering the best Alabama has to offer takes time, effort and a bit of luck. Word-of-mouth or coming across a magazine article will provide information, but chances are you’ll never be aware of everything to see and do that’s great in the state. With DesignAlabama’s ConnectLivity, all the work is done. A 12-pack of destination itineraries with maps is available or one can select a coffee table book with all 12 itineraries plus information about each destination. Each itinerary has a different theme such as arts, architecture, crafts, Civil Rights and family fun, and each contains helpful tips. All you need to hit the road and experience Alabama to the fullest.

Photo Credit: Copperwing Design

http://www.designalabama.org/connectlivity

Alabama Department of Commerce: Made in Alabama campaign

Made in Alabama is a message that could not be simpler or more to the point. Launched by the Alabama Department of Commerce in 2013, Made in Alabama became a successful branding campaign designed to strengthen the state’s economic development and attract investment. The marketing initiative centers on its website, which provides sharable information that focuses on Alabama’s economic development achievements and what makes the state attractive for investment. The Made in Alabama brand and website was designed and developed by Alabama-based public relations and advertising agency BIG Communications.

Photo Credit: Big Communication & Alabama Department of Commerce

http://www.madeinalabama.com/

Craft Breweries in Alabama Create Unique Logos

Alabama’s thriving brewery scene gets creative with logos found on everything from beer bottle labels and taps to menus and signs. Back Forty in Gadsden has a different logo for each beer. Its Naked Pig Pale Ale logo depicts a smiling pig and its Truck Stop Honey Brown Ale’s logo is an open-24-hours truck stop sign. Back Forty’s Paw Paw’s Wheat Ale logo is a peach. Goat Island Brewing in Cullman uses a goat for its logo set against a black background with gold lettering. The logo for Straight to Ale in Huntsville is a stylized suggestion of a devil outlined in red. Beer logos offer the opportunity to be creative and a little outrageous.

Photo Credit: Good People Brewing Company/ Back Forty Beer Company

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_breweries_in_Alabama

Five A’s logo and supporting graphics – used in Atlanta’s successful bid for the 1996 Olympic games

Five A’s logo and supporting graphics

Alabama graphic designers make a lasting imprint (no pun intended), both nationally and internationally. Case in point is Auburn University graduate and graphic designer Brad Copeland, who created Atlanta’s well known “5-A’s” logo for its bid for the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games. Copeland went on to create many more Olympic images as the International Olympic Committee’s official advisor on the “Look of the Games.” Graphic designs make enduring impressions and the Olympic logos throughout the years appeal to both the young and old. Reaching a wide audience – and leaving a lasting mark as the Olympic logos do – is a hallmark of graphic design at its best.

Photo Credit: Brad Copeland/ Copeland Hirther

http://content.lib.auburn.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/design/id/30/rec/7

The Posters of Auburn’s Urban Studio Small Town Design Initiative

Revitalizing towns should involve the entire community, and what better way to do so than provide a “snapshot” of the master plan in poster form that can be distributed to every household and displayed throughout town? Posters were part of Auburn University’s Urban Studio Small Town Design Initiative which provided master planning and design expertise to small towns and communities throughout Alabama. The posters were designed to be folded for mailing and used as a tool for recruiting, promotion and partnership building. Another plus is that the folded posters can easily be tucked into grant proposals that seek additional funding sources for projects included in the plan.

Photo credit: Cheryl Morgan

http://content.lib.auburn.edu/cdm/search/collection/urban

DesignAlabama journal

When it comes to the DesignAlabama Journal, you certainly can “judge a book by its cover.” Just as important as its content was its design, from the logo still used today to the layout and pleasing balance between positive and negative space. The first article was written by the late Philip Morris, the organization’s first chair of the board of directors. DesignAlabama was founded in 1987 and the journal was available a year later and printed through 2015. Today, it is available as a monthly digital newsletter, DesignAlabama Online. Past print journals are online through the Auburn University Digital Library. Written by then DesignAlabama director Becky Mullen in the second issue: “If response to the first issue of this journal is any indication, DesignAlabama’s future looks promising.” Indeed, it was.

Photo credit: DesignAlabama

http://content.lib.auburn.edu/cdm/search/collection/design

Community Identity through Graphic Design

Known as a historic railroad town, the City of Opelika was recently treated to a new logo and brand identity that continues to honor this tradition. With its bold yet simple graphics, the new logo is now seen on social media, signage, graphics, buildings and the city website. A community’s qualities and distinctiveness told through graphic design is an effective way to boost economic development, tourism, local pride and connectivity. Communities throughout Alabama and across America are discovering that graphic design can communicate memorable visual narratives that make people take notice.

Photo credit: City of Opelika & Copperwing

http://www.designalabama.org/city-of-opelika-adopts-new-logo-following-designplace/

Year of “Posters” – Luckie and Company

Promoting all that Alabama has to offer was the aim of a poster marketing campaign by Alabama Tourism. Each year showcased something different through the use of posters designed by Luckie and Company in Birmingham. The first year in 2004 was the “Year of Alabama Gardens” and subsequent years included music, art, outdoors, small town and downtowns. Food was so popular it was promoted twice and a documentary was created on the Year of Barbecue. The Year in Food also became an exhibit in New York City and several Alabama chefs were brought along. Brad White of Luckie and Company, the lead designer on the project, says the campaign brought attention to what is less known about Alabama and “put Alabama’s food on the map.” About 12 posters were made.

Photo credit: Alabama Tourism Department

https://www.luckie.com