Carmel, Indiana

Challenge:

Carmel is not the kind of place that most people would associate with Indiana, at least not anymore. This once-quiet area north of Indianapolis traded working farms for mid-rise buildings, tripling in size since the year 2000. Remarkably, the community underwent this fundamental change with grace and aplomb thanks to visionary leadership and a desire to differentiate itself from neighboring suburbs. Today, Carmel is the premier city in Central Indiana, offering an enviable quality of life and the textbook case of urban planning.

After years of formal and informal recognition, Carmel shifted focus to solidifying its reputation and continuing to lead the way forward. The city’s existing branding therefore felt more apt for a time when it was first challenging for regional notoriety, not the current moment in which many look to it as a source of inspiration and a testament to proper follow-through. City leaders wished for an updated identity that still speaks to the fun and vibrant community that thrives thanks to their collective effort.

Insights:

Most communities find it prudent to place a roundabout (or traffic circle) at a particularly problematic intersection as a traffic-calming measure. Carmel did that one-hundred-and-fifty times over, replacing nearly every signalized intersection with a roundabout simply because it’s better for congestion and public safety. That goes to show why the best are precisely that—the best. Where others might quit while they’re ahead, the best tend to set their sights on an even loftier goal. That mentality is present everywhere in Carmel, which attracts more people who revel in the steadfast resolve to make the impossible happen. Whether cheering on the academic and athletic success of high achieving students in the public schools or securing another multi-million dollar corporate investment in the community, Carmel celebrates every win like it’s the first one, cognizant that each of them required years of hard work and perseverance.

Brand Strategy:

Carmel’s updated brand “Built for Big Dreams” summarizes its philosophy of creating an urban environment that has enough room for even the most fantastical thinkers. Modern and inclusive, the logo follows the rounded c-shape of the city’s preferred road infrastructure while imbuing it with the colorful diversity that makes everyone’s experience and contribution different. Of course, delivering on this brand promise requires the city’s commitment to convenience paired with ambition. The city provides unparalleled proximity and exposure to the best performances (at their state-of-the-art facility), works of public art (often housed on the roundabouts), and recreation opportunities (on their beautifully landscaped portion of the Monon Trail). Thus, Carmelites have every opportunity to fill the rest of the canvas with a life of their own design, a freedom which they translate into personal successes that uphold Carmel’s position on top ten lists.