The importance of knowing our neighbors
Duke and Durham have a somewhat complicated relationship. For over 120 years, Duke and Durham have grown together—sometimes in harmony, sometimes in tension, always as neighbors. In recent years, misinformation has clouded the story of our partnership. That’s why we launched this campaign: to shine a light on the truth and celebrate the spirit that makes Durham unique.
We knew we wouldn’t solve this overnight, but we wanted to put something out that felt distinct to city culture. Our campaign pulses through the city with vibrant posters, lawn signs, and digital displays. Each piece is designed to spark curiosity and pride, to make people pause and say, “Yes, this is my home.” We knew 120 years of a mixed bag of issues wouldn’t disappear with a magical graphic, but we wanted something that would make people lean in. We wanted to create a campaign that showed the spirit of the place and the home they love.
We started at the street level, posters, lawn signs, digital screens everywhere. We wanted it to feel somewhat organic. With a limited budget, time, and bandwidth, we had to work with what we had. Which was a fact sheet with corrected information, the illustrations I came up with, and a Duke for Durham lockup. With a grassroots approach and creative visuals, we’re not just telling Durham’s story—we’re inviting everyone to be a part of it. As the campaign grows, so will the ways we connect, inform, and inspire. This is just the beginning.
This is an ongoing campaign, and more assets will be added as they become available.
Process:
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The audience was Duke students and folks who live and work here. We knew our best advocates were right under our noses—so we needed to make sure they felt represented.
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Brief was to pull together a look and feel for an ongoing local campaign. Something that felt deep local vibes.
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The NC Mutual building is a Durham institution and home to our Community Affairs office. With roots that span to Black Wall Street, we knew we wanted to celebrate it in the branding.
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Turnaround time was about a week.
Duke for Durham.
This is an ongoing team effort. Collaborating on how visuals should be displayed, worked closely with multimedia team to create something cohesive that represents the campaign.
