Responses by Jeremie Barry, executive creative director, Landor.
Background: The West Loop (WLCO) is becoming Chicago’s cultural hub, food paradise and innovation hotspot. Our neighborhood needed a brand that could increase a sense of belonging and pride be locals and attract new visitors.
Design thinking: We thought that there would be no better way to create that sense of belonging than by including the community in the brand journey. We built a truly interactive brand that uses motion to turn every resident into an ambassador. Custom-made WLCO-branded motion assets are used by restaurants, shops, cinemas and homes across the community. The WLCO brand transformation serves as a catalyst in reshaping the West Loop narrative and marks the beginning of a promising new chapter. The brand is a tool for everyone to be a part of.
Challenges: Creating not only a brand, but a tool that everyone could use and design great things.
Favorite details: The pride on this project comes from how we addressed this challenge of providing a very simple tool for non-designers to use and still provide great aesthetic outcomes.
New lessons: Even if I’m living and working every day in the West Loop, I have learned a lot about it. This is the magic of our business—always learning about new places, cultures and businesses, among other things.
Visual influences: We wanted everyone to feel that the brand was totally integrated in the neighborhood’s spirit from day one. We also wanted to reveal the modernity of what is already there. So, that’s why the brand is 100-percent made of West Loop. The colors come from the architecture and the metro lines that lead into the neighborhood. The custom typeface draws a strong influence from the area’s industrial heritage. By incorporating individual animated loops, we reflected a color scheme that pays homage to the rich heritage of Chicago’s Meatpacking District. These interactive loops are designed to shift and evolve to each individual, offering a personalized experience that is in-sync with their personal narrative.
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