Ontario Parks

A Visual System for Big Nature Brand Strategy and Expression in the wilds of Ontario

Project Snapshot

Client
: Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks
Industry
: Museums, Heritage & Storytelling
Services
: Brand Strategy · Visual Identity · Brand Expression · Collateral Design
Challenge
: Refresh Ontario Parks’ visual identity and communications system for a province-wide audience, using brand strategy to reconnect the brand with its strongest draw: big nature, open landscapes and the way people experience the outdoors.
Outcome
: A more cohesive visual system that placed big nature at the centre of Ontario Parks’ communications, using expansive photography, clearer standards and a stronger sense of place across collateral and brand materials.

Ontario Parks had an ambitious mandate: to reinvigorate their visual identity while streamlining the design and standards for all of their communications materials. For a government agency managing a province of this size, this would be no small task. In order to determine the path forward, we conducted a brand strategy exercise to get to the heart of the brand, and what park goers, and campers are really looking for. One most critical outcome was that we should fully embrace big nature as one of Ontario Parks’ key selling points.

As such we evolved Ontario Park’s visual identity with a focus on big pictures, sweeping landscapes, and the ways people engage with their natural environment.