Frederick County Chamber of Commerce
The Frederick County Chamber of Commerce, established in 1912, is the United States’ first chartered Chamber of Commerce. In the summer of 2018, the organization announced its intent on adopting a new brand identity and design firms from across North America bid on the opportunity. Octavo Designs was tasked with transforming the brand and positioning it to lead the region’s business community into the future.
The Project
One of the most crucial stages of the project involved research and discovery. Many of the organization’s stakeholders were included in the process including past and present board members, trustees, community partners and Chamber members. What emerged from the data was a clear call for a not only a new visual representation of the Chamber, but also a new organizational mission, vision and core values.
The Frederick County Chamber of Commerce has a bold vision for the future of business in Frederick County and the new branding needed to reflect that. The brandmark features this vision through a stylized F with a forward/upward moving arrow. The F represents both the County itself but also the forward motion propelled by the organization’s vision and focus. The logotype is built from the modern sans serif typeface, DIN Pro. A clean, timeless typeface that compliments and enforces the forward-thinking brandmark. The new color palette is bold, vibrant and modern.
When we decided to pursue a rebrand, we recognized the only viable path was a bottoms-up assessment of who we are, what we do, and why that still matters in our community. Octavo Designs was the perfect partner for this project, with the artistic creativity necessary to help us realize our true voice and identity as well as the skill and credibility to assist us in shifting from a 20-year, venerated brand identity. The Octavo team’s holistic approach and constant client communication assured a smooth and exciting unveiling, and an incredibly bright future for the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce.”
Department Identities
When the rebrand was launched, the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce Department logos were tied directly to the the new logo mark. While this was prefect for establishing recognition for the new brand, it soon made each department indistinguishable from the next. Our task was to give each department its own distinct identity, while still integrating with the newly established Chamber identity.
Each department now has its own distinct brandmark that allows for brand recognition, while also pairing nicely with the overall Frederick County Chamber of Commerce Brand Identity.
Bold! Vibrant! Exciting! The new branding and imagery developed by Octavo Designs has taken our programs and initiatives to a new level! The new brand marks and color schemes will help us give each program its own unique identity enabling us to ultimately serve our members and the community better.”
