Village of Oak Park Rebrand

As one of the most architecturally significant and recognized areas of Chicago, and a town often modeled for how it manages social issues, the Village of Oak Park is reimagined through an integrated brand evolution.

THE PROBLEM
The village has experienced many years of positive growth, but more recently, Village Hall had developed a perception that it was slow, bureaucratic, unfriendly, and unhelpful. Not only was this a source of frustration among residents and constituents, but it was also a clear misalignment with the Village’s principles. At the request of the new Village Manager, the Village’s communications team reached out to Famous Victory looking to refresh the brand to reestablish trust within the community, retain its important standing within the Chicago area and make residents proud to call it home.

OUR APPROACH
Conduct research and interviews with village residents, business owners and board members. Build from a position of visual strength, adding impact to existing brand elements to give the design system new life and more variety. Create a clear verbal perspective that reflects responsibility to embrace the past, support the present and highlight and optimistic view of the Village’s future.

THE WIN
After reviewing the original logo and brand guide from 1973 (see above), we were inspired to build on the equity that had been established and used decade after decade. From this, we introduced an updated visual system that creates a strong visual presence associated with familiar brand cues. We also introduced a new tag line – Generations in the Making – playing off the revered history of the Village and its forward-looking, optimistic perspective. Thanks to the collaborative and well-managed effort of everyone involved, the Village now has an updated brand identity and flexible design system that can easily be implemented throughout the village.