Work: Case Study
Made By
Mountains
Launched by Mountain BizWorks with support from the Appalachian Regional Commission, this initiative was aimed to boost the economies and communities of WNC by leveraging outdoor recreation and natural assets. We were tasked with rallying stakeholders across 27 unique counties to reveal the very essence of the region–the qualities that stirred the hearts of locals, and had the power to draw in outdoor entrepreneurs and business leaders.
After engaging with a wide spectrum of regional stakeholders and sorting through other primary and secondary research, we closed in on two defining concepts.
Our first order of business–a campaign message that resonated with locals. If it didn’t feel genuine to those living and working in WNC, it would fail to connect and be nothing more than noise. Second, we had to honor the defining relationship between the land and people in WNC. That vibrant, nurturing spirit of Western North Carolina’s mountains that’s inseparable from that of the community.
Naming was the first key step to bring this initiative to life. The Made by Mountains name and its defining premise energized local and business audiences, highlighting a lifestyle and a culture that is, quite literally, made by mountains.
We collaborated with Brevard-based filmmaker Tommy Penick to shoot, edit, and produce a short film that introduced the Made by Mountains story.
The story inspired all design and materials that followed and we landed on a simple, bold, logotype for Made x Mountains, with a color palette sampled from our mountain landscape.
Developed for the initiative’s launch, the Made by Mountains site featured long form editorial stories of individuals who work in WNC’s outdoor recreation industry and represent the community’s character and culture.
The brand transitioned and grew into ongoing programming, led by the MxM team and celebrated by communities throughout the region. To set Made by Mountains up for success, we shaped and designed an email newsletter program, got social accounts and publishing up and running, created brand guidelines and a digital asset library for WNC-based outdoor recreation organizations to access branding materials, top quality photos, and video cuts.
Since its May 2021 launch, the Made by Mountains program has taken on a life of its own in the region. This new brand united stakeholders across 27 counties and sparked a movement to grow outdoor economies in each and every county. It continues to grow through community programming, training, entrepreneurial support, events, content, and more.
