The Chicago Initiative
Brand Identity
Brief
Holy Trinity Church is looking to create a brand identity for The Chicago Initiative, a vision campaign that is part of a church-based capital campaign called Chicago 2030.
The Chicago Initiative should be influenced by The Chicago Plan of 1909 drawn by architect Daniel Burnham and should have an overall feeling of history, vision, intergenerational legacy, academia, and diagrammatic planning. This identity should connect with high profile donors who want to contribute to the long-term flourishing of the city.
The goal is to design an identity that is both connected to and distinct from Chicago 2030. Chicago 2030 Rooted and Renewed will be the internal church-facing identity, while The Chicago Initiative will primarily be external-facing.
Challenges
Holy Trinity Church is the engine driving both The Chicago Initiative and Chicago 2030 Rooted and Renewed. While these identities should be visually related, they also need to function distinctly and serve different audiences.
Impact
An elevated visual identity that blends historical map-making with modern-day academia to create an established and trustworthy presence when communicating with donors.
The primary wordmark is set in Newsreader, a modern serif typeface, that communicates both history and tradition while simultaneously indicating something new is coming.
A monogram, crest, and seal as alternate brand marks create flexibility in the brand system while preserving brand recognition.
Textured backgrounds and a detailed map of Chicago comprise TCI’s visual language creating a historical foundation on which the brand lives.
