Branding: Summer on Strong

There’s nothing like the feeling of being right at the edge of summer, the whole glorious sunny season an expanse stretching out in front of us. This year I think it feels particularly exciting - pandemic restrictions are being lifted, we’re holding loved ones close again, going out for dinner and drinks, and it kinda just feels like everyone is ready for a big party.

Businesses on Strong Avenue in Northampton were picking up on that vibe, and wanted to give locals an opportunity to safely celebrate this summer. Together, they pitched a brilliant idea: close Strong Avenue to traffic and fill it with good food, live music, and happy people all summer long. It got the green light, and Familiars, The Eastside Grill, Local Burger, Progression Brewery, Homestead, and Mulino’s turned their block into a little slice of downtown summer paradise.

And I got to do the branding! We wanted to shout this celebration from the rooftops, and give it a real summer block party look and feel. I also really wanted to make this specific to Strong Avenue, and celebrate the local businesses that were coming together to make this all happen.

The primary logo is a little composite landscape of many of the iconic buildings on Strong Avenue that these awesome businesses call home: Familiars’ cute dining car, the deck at Mulino’s, those stairs going up to Local Burger, the little peak and awnings of The Eastside Grill, the bike trail…it’s so Northampton.

This secondary logo really celebrated the outdoor dining atmosphere that’s at the center of this event: a little bistro table and chairs in the middle of the street, under shady trees and string lights. Wouldn’t you want to make a reservation?

From there we made banners, posters, postcards, and social graphics to get the word out - and it’s working! The street is bustling with diners, dancers, and locals just happy to see one another again. It’s a beautiful thing.

THANK YOU to the wonderful businesses of Strong Avenue and their generous sponsors for bringing this vision to life for the whole community - my thanks especially to Danny and Isaac of Familiars and Deb of The Eastside Grill for entrusting me with this one.

Happy Summer!