Minneapolis Downtown Council

Summary

Rebranding the social energy source for downtown Mpls

The Challenge

A collection of the city’s brightest leaders and businesses small and large, mpls downtown council is a historic central business district association skilled in collaborating to solve issues and shepherd community initiatives that fuel the vibrant city of Minneapolis. Working alongside partners for over 70 years, MDC embarked on a new collaboration with Capsule to rebrand and redefine what MDC means to its community today.

The Minneapolis Downtown Council brand design on display signage.

THE SOLUTION

It was only natural that the vision was fueled by a diverse and skilled MDC member task force made up of prominent business leaders and strategists. Capsule conducted stakeholder focus groups with MDC board members, Minneapolis businesses and employees and partner organizations to understand current brand perceptions and dream up the next chapter of the brand. This research was core to the new brand strategy and visual identity development.

The Minneapolis Downtown Council brand logo design D illustration on white background.

A Bold Mark in Lowercase Form

A warm and radiating lowercase “d,” the mark Capsule developed matches MDC's inviting and spirited personality filled with movement and new life. The circular center is reflective of the intersection of people and place that make downtown a bustling, welcoming and forward-thinking metropolis. The new identity is able to stand boldly on its own and complement alongside its partners and subsidiary organizations.

The Minneapolis Downtown Council brand design brochure on white background.
The Minneapolis Downtown Council brand design with letterhead and business cards.

Alongside the logo, Capsule designed a visual system, website, and collateral along with brand guidelines that would help direct future brand applications.

The Minneapolis Downtown Council brand design on tablet, mobile and laptop website design.

The impact

The brand launch reverberated across downtown Minneapolis, with printed and digital signage, a promotional video and launch event to celebrate the evolution. The MDC logo was also recognized in the 2017 LogoLounge Trend Report.

Testimonial

“Our rebranding task force and Capsule helped to land us in a strong spot with a visual identity that is reflective of our organization's role in our 21st century downtown where people, ideas, and experiences converge to create a place people are drawn.”

Leah Wong, Vice President mpls downtown council

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