When Ascension Parish, a Louisiana parish made up of the towns of Gonzales, Donaldsonville, and Sorrento, approached us to help with their rebranding efforts, we were excited to work with such a culturally and historically rich brand. The parish is a literal gumbo of all the cultures unique to South Louisiana, and they boast some of the most interesting and authentic events around, from the annual Jambalaya Festival to the infamous Cajun tunes featured at the Swamp Pop Music festival. They even host the annual Louisiana Hot Air Balloon Festival!
This idyllic small town setting is jam-packed with convenient opportunities to take in some of the South’s greatest history, culture, fabulous cuisine, festivals, and fun. There is SO much to do in Ascension Parish that it is challenging to communicate all of the attractions they offer in a way that’s easy for the visitor to digest, so Design the Planet’s job was to create an updated brand look-and-feel that showcases and conveys who Ascension Parish really is, and to communicate that to their brand audience in a way that is accurate, aesthetically pleasing, and packaged in a way that is easy to navigate and understand.
For starters, we worked on clearly defining the Ascension Parish Tourism Commission brand by first creating a catchy, attention-grabbing new identifier (Tour Ascension), then creating an updated brand statement positioning statement that detailed all of the differentiating attributes of the Parish and refined how to best present those features to their brand audience. We developed a new tagline and surrounding theme for their brand identity that set the stage for the rest of the re-brand: Get Connected to Ascension Parish. Then, we created a new logo with a vintage, artistic feel that pays homage to Ascension Parish’s rich cultural history and dedication to the arts, but is also fresh and exciting in order to attract new visitors and make people want to join in on the fun. Following that, we took that feeling and incorporated it throughout a mobile-friendly new website that is designed to update, organize and present all of the features and attractions in a way that builds awareness for the Ascension Parish Tourism Commission and sets them apart as a leader in economic development within the Parish. The highly detailed yet accessible website allows potential visitors of all backgrounds and ages to truly CONNECT to Ascension Parish, and discover for themselves why it is the perfect destination for whatever their heart desires.
As we round out the remainder of their brand marketing materials with the new brand look-and-feel firmly instated, we are thrilled with the positive feedback and media attention that Ascension’s revamped image is receiving. Get connected to Ascension, and see the transformation with your own eyes: http://tourascension.com/.
