HAWK Design & Creative

OPPORTUNITY

Background

Located in the southern end of the Canadian Rockies, the Crowsnest Pass is one of the richest historical regions in Alberta. The municipality of the Crowsnest Pass officially formed in 1979 as a result of the amalgamation of five communities; Hillcrest, Bellevue, Blairmore, Frank and Coleman. The region owes much of its recent history to coal mining, the region’s primary industry since the first mine opened in the early 1900’s. The mines attracted European settlers to the area, but as time went on they would struggle through fluctuating coal prices and underground accidents. The region is renowned for tragic stories of landslides and explosions associated with early underground mining operations, all of which closed during the 20th century as safer, open-pit mines opened on the British Columbia side of the Rocky Mountains. The Crowsnest Pass is also known as a hub for illegal rum-running operations during Canada’s prohibition era. Today, there are a number of heritage sites and tourist attractions celebrating the stories of the Crowsnest Pass; The Crowsnest Museum, Alberta Provincial Police Barracks, Frank Slide Interpretive Centre and the Bellevue Underground Mine.

Project overview

Heritage Crowsnest came together in 2020 as a new organization aimed at bolstering heritage tourism in the Crowsnest Pass. Shortly after, our team had the opportunity to help develop this new umbrella brand, as well as the sub-brands operating under the Heritage Crowsnest banner.

Heritage Crowsnest wordmark. Photo credit: Crowsnest Museum & Archives

APPROACH

Discovery and research

We kicked off the project through on-site exploration and stakeholder interviews, working to uncover the themes, patterns and opportunities for the Heritage Crowsnest brand. This discovery process helped us to define opportunities, pain points and the key audience personas at the heart of the Heritage Crowsnest brand.

At the end of the day, the goal of this new brand is to help maximize resources, increase funding and build tourism in the region. The Crowsnest Pass has long been a place people pass through, the new Heritage Crowsnest brand encourages travellers to stop at not just one, but multiple tourist sites along the way.

Brand model

Before jumping into creative, we led the team through some deeper brand exploration. This collaborative process helped nail down everything from brand values to the mission and vision. We dug into the brand purpose and experience, helping to define the style, tone of voice and key imagery at the centre of the Heritage Crowsnest brand.

SOLUTION

Heritage Crowsnest visual identity

The Heritage Crowsnest wordmark takes a modern spin on a traditionally western motif, with a form that is both strong and subtle enough to exist behind the scenes. It’s designed to compliment the Heritage Crowsnest sub-brands, and to work alongside the existing tourist infrastructure already at work in the pass.

Creating a brand family

Heritage Crowsnest is not the first organization working to bolster tourism in the Crowsnest Pass. The Heritage Crowsnest visual identity was designed to fit in with existing marketing material, while also creating room to grow and evolve over time. The Heritage Crowsnest brand family includes the Crowsnest Museum and Bellevue Underground Mine, two unique tourist attractions dedicated to celebrating the stories of the Crowsnest Pass. We developed two new sub-brand logos as part of this project, with the goal of matching the overall tone and feel of the existing Alberta Provincial Police Barracks logo.

Heritage Crowsnest brand family logos, designed to match the existing Alberta Provincial Police Barracks logo.

Brochure concept designed for Heritage Crowsnest

Typography

Similarly, the Heritage Crowsnest brand fonts were chosen to reflect and align with existing marketing infrastructure. Our fonts feel western but modern, a fresh take on a familiar theme in Alberta. Our brand style is grounded in the past, with an aesthetic that is both traditional and progressive.

Colour

Our colour palette is informed by the existing marketing materials already visible in the Pass, making it easy to tie attractions together. Our primary palette is rustic and grounded, with a hint of nostalgia. Secondary colours are bright and engaging, offering enough wiggle room to produce unique, site-specific artwork and sub-branding efforts.

Key imagery

One of the ways the Heritage Crowsnest brand fosters a sense of authenticity is through an emphasis on place. Our graphic style offers a mix of old and new, leveraging authentic, aged photography with compelling graphic artwork painted to reflect landscapes, landmarks and other cultural signifiers. Our use of photography works to bolster authenticity, honouring the extraordinary stories the Crowsnest Pass is known for.