Resurgam

You know it’s bad when Portland’s local newspaper, the Portland Press Herald, is running blank pages because no one’s buying advertising anymore. The pandemic was decimating the small business community. So we wanted to help.

Together with the Portland Press Herald, we reached out to small businesses owned primarily by women and minorities, offering free creative and donated ad space.

The result was 10 ads for 10 different businesses that also serve as a poster series.

Ads for Rwanda Bean Coffee Company, Asmara Restaurant, and Better Letter hand-painted signs were more than a philanthropic gesture. They were driving traffic and helping lift those small businesses in need.

We called the project “Resurgam,” a Latin word meaning “I shall rise again,” naming it after the City of Portland’s motto dating back to a devasting fire in 1866.