Midtown Social Graphics Grid. A colorful grid of Midtown ATL social posts highlights local events, community updates, public art, and neighborhood initiatives.

Midtown

When has a district brand earned the right to be an icon?

Son&Sons built the Midtown Atlanta brand in 2013, meant to simultaneously drive growth and build love for the neighborhood. The neighborhood exploded and the identity went on to become a national standard in district branding. Eleven years later, it was time to level up.


When we first developed the Midtown rand, the goal was to give a rapidly growing urban district an identity that could draw new residents, businesses, and investment though a friendly and community-forward tone. It worked, and then some. The brand helped accelerate Midtown’s cultural and economic growth and built genuine love for the Atlanta neighborhood.


Over a decade later, Midtown Alliance was working for a very different neighborhood in a very different communications landscape. A brand designed to be experienced on the street and in print needed a digital refresh. An organization that earned its reputation for business and growth needed to turn more attention to residents and community building. We started our exploration with a question: After a decade+ of building recognition, did Midtown still need to spell itself out?

Only in Midtown Editorial.
Midtown Im Biking Here Sign
Midtown Flower Census Sign. A lavender Midtown sign featuring flower photography invites residents to participate in the Midtown Flower Census.
Midtown Brand Guidelines Spread. An overview of Midtown’s brand guidelines showcases logos, color palettes, typography, illustrations, and design standards.
Midtown Gif

Elevating the Icon

Midtown built recognition and equity into their wordmark through great work and consistent use. Now, it was time to reap the reward. We elevated the Midtown M to full icon status as a monogram, capable of carrying the brand on its own. As a graphic, it can tell the story of all the incredible sights and experiences you can find in the district. As an identifier, it can sign Midtown Alliance’s work in a powerful shorthand.

Midtown Neighborhood Guide Map. A folded Midtown guide displays color-coded sections highlighting key neighborhoods and destinations across the district.

Fully fresh

But it’s not all big moments and bold graphics. This was a full system refresh, including type and color. To help them tell the full story of Midtown, we added a condensed sans for bold headlines and an editorial serif for publication-worthy content. By shifting our leading colors to black and white, we were able to amp up their expanded color palette for contrast in digital application, retaining the rainbow while upping the vibrancy. We also added a sweet system of heart characters to communicate, with love, the way to behave in the district.

Midtown Flyer and walking guide

Like what you see? Look at some more

The Avondale wordmark in Apricot against a bright blue background.
A bold blue Atlanta History Center logo
Whoosh Logo graphic
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