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Firebelly
Berwyn logo overlaid on image of two people playing guitars on stage

Berwyn

Nothing Like a Suburb

After 9 years of running the Why Berwyn? campaign, the Berwyn Development Corporation came to us for help revitalizing the city's brand.

Located west of Chicago, the city measures just 3.9 square miles, but what it lacks in size, it more than makes up for in character, diversity and delightfully eclectic community culture. Home to long-time families, young couples, artists and entrepreneurs, and seasoned business owners alike, Berwyn strikes that rare balance of progressive spirit and old school charm. 

In short, it's nothing like a suburb. 

Sunset at Berwyn's Depot District train station

CAMPAIGN DESIGN

The project kicked off with intensive research. With hundreds of Chicagoland residents responding to our surveys and public intercepts, it became clear that few outside of Berwyn understood the city at all. Most people assumed Berwyn was just another suburb. Our campaign set the record straight.

Horizontal Berwyn logo
Vertical Berwyn logo
Hands holding a meal at a Berwyn restaurant
Animated image of horizontal Berwyn logos
Structure of Berwyn logo
Highlighted satellite view of the Berwyn area
Vertical Berwyn logo in red
Berwyn corridor logos
Berywn Street Bench and branded fixtures
Berwyn custom font

Starting with a high impact, custom lettering system, called — what else? — Berwyn Sans, we created custom logotypes for the city and each of its four business corridors. A subtle, lived-in palette, combined with slice-of-life imagery, reflects the city’s unpretentious, storied and urban-ish” sensibility.

Berwyn navy colored t-shirt with checkered flag
Berwyn white t-shirt with vertical logo
Small Berwyn logo symbol overlaid on image of Berwyn street scene
Depot district logo overlaid on scene in a restaurant
Vertical Berwyn logo overlaid on image of a band playing in a nightclub
Ogden Avenue corridor logo
Small Berwyn logo symbol

OUTDOOR CAMPAIGN

The campaign centered on a series of direct, succinct taglines, delivered with tongue planted firmly in cheek. Together with type, color and imagery, the no-nonsense yet light-hearted messages paint a clear picture of who and what Berwyn is.

The billboards and posters went up over high traffic intersections and CTA platforms, places where Chicagoans would have a second to consider and then reconsider their ideas about Berwyn.

Dimensional Berwyn logo made with custom Berwyn font
Berwyn campaign signage on a CTA platform
Berwyn campaign signage on a CTA platform
Berwyn billboard in downtown Chicago
Berwyn billboard in downtown Chicago
Berwyn billboard in downtown Chicago
Berwyn billboard in downtown Chicago
Berwyn billboard in downtown Chicago

IMPACT

“The campaign has raised awareness of our great location, remarkable bungalows, nightlife, thriving business base and warm, welcoming attitude. Our new look refines our branding in a clever way.”

— Robert Lovero, Mayor of Berwyn

The response to the campaign was overwhelming. Instagram users tagged photos of billboards, residents requested custom-designed flags and comments came pouring into social media and local news sites to thank Berwyn’s leaders for taking a chance on a cheeky campaign and stoking some civic pride for this tiny, colorful town that is, and always will be, nothing like a suburb.