Redhead Design Studio

City of Lansing

Brand Development, Campaign Development
Uniting a community by building a campaign, lifestyle brand, and vision from the ground up.

My kind of people

When strategizing a city-wide campaign for the City of Lansing, in-depth market research led us to one common idea: Lansing's residents are what set the city apart. The "My Kind of People" campaign spotlights residents from across the city through photography and video content, giving the audience an engaging mirror in which they can see themselves represented–literally. Hip, quirky, serious, or bold, Lansing folk are what makes this city great. (That, and dinosaurs.)

A unifying brand

Lansing's three smokestacks–fondly known as Wynken, Blynken, and Nod–have a cult following among residents. We used this as inspiration for a lifestyle mark that was fresh and instantly recognizable. Branded materials such as apparel, hats, and flags sold out quickly in pop-up shops at City Hall. (And social engagement about the new mark? Priceless.) A holistic brand platform articulates what the city stands for–the values, mission and position–as well as brand standards for everyday use across city departments and other materials. This way, the brand is primed for community-wide sharing and collaboration.

Articulating a vision

Working alongside the city's leadership team, we drafted a 10-year vision for the City of Lansing, from overarching goals down to measurable data points. Through a detailed SWOT analysis, informal interviews, and a whole lot of research, we gathered insight into what residents loved about their city and where they saw room for improvement. Aspirational and actionable language articulated not only what the city can become, but how it can achieve these goals. By publishing this digitally, we were able to make the message easily accessible and inspire local government participation through a feedback form.