"This Is Dayton": Creative Region Community Pride Initiative

More information on the Creative Region Initiatives from last month. From the Dayton Most Metro website, some more information on the “Community Pride” initiative...an excerpt from a post at Dayton Most Metro:

Dayton has a huge inferiority complex …We realize that if we don't address this issue, we're behind the proverbial 8 ball.

So our vision is to reflect positive images and facts about our region back to the community so that we have tangible reasons to be very proud of Dayton (and that means the Dayton REGION, not just downtown). We are creating posters with facts & tidbits under the heading of "This is Dayton". We plan to develop a style sheet that can ultimately be used by other communities or even organizations so there is a consistent, unified look.

These posters can then be put up in vacant store fronts throughout the region, on billboards, inside and on the back of busses, at the airport, etc. These points of pride can help Daytonians see tangible reasons to feel good about our home, and show visitors our sense of community pride.

The post goes on with a call for volunteers to participate in the program, particularly people with a graphic design and marketing background to help with the layout, style sheet, production things, etc.

I am reminded a bit of that supergraphics campaign they have in Louisville with pictures of famous (ex)Louisvillians around downtown. This is both less and more than that, though.

“This Is Dayton” could be something equally simple, and a way to engage people. One does this by showing pix of people at work or doing things, with some factoid in smaller type, and a large-type “This Is Dayton” slogan

Here are a few quick takes on the concept, taking in the idea of the Dayton “region” as subject These are more like a “travel poster”, minimalist, as my taste in graphics runs more to HfG Ulm and the Swiss Style.













(I wasn’t feeling too inspired with these, so be kind)

I can see this as a positive step to fight against the endemic negativity and, at best, apathy in this area (which, to be brutally frank, gets old really fast). Though the above excerpt mentions pitching this to visitors the hard sell is going to be the locals, who are usually more negative and unappreciative than outsiders.

In any case, They are looking for volunteers, so if anyone reading this with a graphic design and/or advertising background wants to contribute, follow this link, which will take you to a discussion thread and an e-mail contact for volunteering in real-time.