Here is Oregon

Brand Strategy / Brand Identity System / Brand Guidelines / Campaigns
Large advertisement on the side of a building promoting Oregon, featuring a woman in a green plaid shirt and hat against a mountainous landscape. The text includes 'Here is Oregon' and 'HereOregon.com'.

With more than a million readers, The Oregonian is the region's top newspaper and OregonLive.com is the region's top local news and information website. In the summer of 2021, they approached us to help them build their sister brand Here is Oregon.

  • SITUATION

    In 2020, Oregon, particularly Portland, found itself in the national spotlight due to civil unrest and protests. This brought the state's reputation to a low point, particularly in the public eye. The Oregonian, committed to transparent and honest storytelling, was one of the main channels broadcasting this news.

    PROBLEM

    As 2020 drew to a close, the question of how to move forward became paramount. How could The Oregonian continue to serve their mission to "strengthen and empower the communities they serve" while also promoting a more positive view of the state?

    SOLUTION

    In response, The Oregonian saw an opportunity to create a sub-brand dedicated to telling a different narrative about Oregon. This narrative, while acknowledging the events of 2020, also highlighted the positive aspects of the state. Thus, the "Here is Oregon" brand was born. The initiative focuses on the stories, experiences, and places that make Oregon a great place to live. Along with creating the "Here is Oregon" identity system, we also created marketing collateral to introduce the newly formed brand to the region. This included everything from out-of-home campaigns to pitch decks.

    COLLABORATORS

    Motion Design by Kenji Ito

A presentation slide deck with a black background, featuring slides with titles in bold black text on yellow backgrounds, content with white backgrounds, images, charts, and color palette swatches in yellow, green, blue, pink, black, and white.
Two Oregon tourism posters, one showing a sunset at the beach with a person walking, and the other with a tent camped in the woods at night, promote Oregon's outdoor lifestyle.
Bus shelter with two posters that say "Here is Oregon"; one shows a sunset at the beach, and the other shows a lake with a kayaker, against a mountainous backdrop.
  • I enjoyed working with Odd Notion for the past year, and from start to finish, their team was incredibly professional, creative, and attentive to our needs. They took the time to truly understand our brand and vision and delivered exceptional work along the way. Working with Odd Notion has not only helped us to elevate our brand but also improved our overall marketing efforts. I highly recommend them to anyone looking for a reliable, creative, and results-driven branding partner.

    – Chris Hammond, Marketing Director at The Oregonian Media Group

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