The Village of Greendale, WI is a peaceful and quaint place located just southwest of downtown Milwaukee. As one of only three Greenbelt Communities envisioned during the Great Depression to be the perfect fusion of the best of urban and rural lifestyles, Greendale is just that. With historically protected homes, gardens full of flowers, paths connecting people to parks and a central shopping area and village hall designed in a Colonial Williamsburg style, Greendale is a time capsule of idyllic Americana. A wonderful community to call home and a delightful destination for visitors.
Due to historical preservation and lacking open land for new development, The Village of Greendale suffered from a perception of being insular and unwelcoming. This, paired with the fact that neighboring communities could build modern homes and places for business also led to a sense that Greendale lacked vibrancy. Having a very outdated logo and virtually no branding or marketing efforts contributed to Greendale’s problem of becoming a forgotten place.
Let’s turn perceived negatives into powerful positives. After researching the branding and marketing efforts of neighboring communities and conducting a survey with over 20 community stakeholders, the McDaniels team began to envision a new and refreshing path forward for The Village. In a world of 24-hour news cycles, addictive social media channels and artificial intelligence, we sought to position Greendale as the antithesis of a fast-paced, tech-focused world. A bubble of peace and harmony. A place to reimagine what life could be by recalling what was. Embracing the equity of their historic tagline, “The Garden Community,” the team leaned into the greenery and floral elements that are so prevalent in The Village when creating the new logo and branding. At the heart of The Village is a place called Daffodil Park. Knowing this, we put a stylized version of the flower at the center of the design.
Shortly after the logo was unanimously approved by Village leaders, we went to work creating variations of the logo, selecting a font family, picking complementary colors and providing suggestions for other patterns and shapes that could be used in communications materials. All of these elements were then compiled in a custom Brand Standards Guide. Our team also helped prepare press documents announcing the rebrand and will assist The Village with the creation of wayfinding signage, light pole banners and collateral pieces.
"McDaniels Marketing brought exceptional preparation and creativity to Greendale’s rebranding. As this was our first time developing a brand identity, we weren’t sure how it would be embraced by all the stakeholders involved, but their team made it smooth and collaborative. The finished product of the logos and brand guidelines exceeded our expectations. We’re proud of the result and grateful for their guidance and expertise."
- Mike Hawes, ICMA-CM Village Manager for the Village of Greendale, Wisconsin
