“For more than 20 years, the VisitPITTSBURGH logo depicted one of our 446 famous bridges, along with symbolic references to our rivers,” explained Jerad Bachar, President & CEO of VisitPITTSBURGH. “We are indeed proudly known as the City of Bridges, as well as the Steel City and the City of Champions. But given the innumerable cultural, sports, dining and recreational attractions our city offers, we have a broader story to tell.”
The post-pandemic resurgence in travel and tourism signalled an opportune time to undertake a makeover. VisitPITTSBURGH engaged global design firm Landor & Fitch, challenging them to create a modern representation to entice visitors to the region. In conducting traveller sentiment research and its own onsite recognizance, the firm reached the same conclusion as many first-time visitors: Pittsburgh offers an astonishing array of appealing attractions throughout its 90 neighbourhoods – hundreds of best-kept secrets perhaps impossible to capture in a single image.
“We’re a city of multitudes,” said Susan Klein, VisitPITTSBURGH’s Chief Marketing Officer, adding, “where you can have an authentic-Americana experience tailgating at a sports stadium, stroll mere blocks to The Andy Warhol Museum, and that evening, enjoy an award-winning dish alongside an exceptional craft beverage before taking in a world-class ballet, opera or symphony performance. The challenge is capturing that in a visually compelling way.”
In response, Landor & Fitch devised a versatile logo system that combines the VisitPITTSBURGH word mark with a vibrantly coloured palette of shape forms that can be customised with changing photography to showcase select aspects of the city. The ingenious solution enables the DMO to highlight varied attractions while selectively targeting audiences across demographics, from business and leisure travellers to sports enthusiasts, history buffs, foodies, remote workers, culture mavens and more.
“Visitors are always surprised by everything there is in Pittsburgh,” Bachar added. “We’ve been too modest. This new identity changes that. It’s a bold declaration that’s purpose-driven to draw travellers from across the globe. It says, ‘look at everything that’s here – don’t miss out!’”
Tags: Jerad Bachar, VisitPITTSBURGH
