Peterborough County

The Local Advantage

The Project

We worked with Peterborough County to develop a cohesive visual identity for The Local Advantage, a regional campaign designed to support economic development. The campaign encourages residents to shop local and aims to strengthen the local business community. As a regional government, Peterborough County was seeking a visual system that would clearly communicate the campaign’s purpose and resonate with residents and businesses alike.

This multi-phase design project included the creation of a logo, three sublogos, and a branded icon set. Each component needed to be distinct yet visually connected, forming a consistent and versatile identity.

The Results

A Logo that combines iconography of a handshake, people hugging and a landscape together. The words "The Local Advantage" are in a large all caps font and "With Peterborough County" below in smaller text size.
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A Logo that combines iconography of a handshake, people hugging and a landscape together. The words "The Local Advantage" are in a large all caps font and "With Peterborough County" below in smaller text size.
A Logo that combines iconography of a handshake, people hugging and a landscape together. The words "The Local Advantage" are in a large all caps font and "With Peterborough County" below in smaller text size. A black version of the logo is on the left while a white version on black background is on the right.
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Image of three icons with one on top that looks like a landscape with "Visit local" beside it. One on the bottom left that looks like a heart and shaking hands with "Shop Local" beside the icon. And one on the lower right that looks like people hugging and the words "Support Local" beside it.
Three black icons on the top row with "Visit Local" "Shop Local" and "Support Local" beside each icon. The same but in white on a black background are below.
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Seven icons including a gear with "Manufacturing" written above it, lightbulb with a plant inside with "Innovation" above, a couple of trees and a canoe with "Tourism" above, a real estate for sale sign "With Real Estate" written below, a shopping bag with a heart inside with "Shopping/Downtown" written below, two lines with a row of wheat above with "Agriculture" written below and a calendar icon with "EcDev Events" written below.
Collection of black icons including a gear, lightbulb with a plant inside, a couple of trees and a canoe, a real estate for sale sign, a shopping bag with a heart inside, two lines with a row of wheat above and a calendar icon.
Collection of white icons on a black background including a gear, lightbulb with a plant inside, a couple of trees and a canoe, a real estate for sale sign, a shopping bag with a heart inside, two lines with a row of wheat above and a calendar icon.

The Process

Phase 1: The Logo

The project began with a collaborative consultation. Peterborough County had created a working concept in Canva, which provided the foundation for the final design. We refined the idea by integrating the shape of a heart, a handshake, and the landscape of Peterborough County into a single cohesive logo. These elements symbolize collaboration, support, and regional pride.

The heart-like shape conveys care and connection, the handshake stands for partnership, and the landscape layers represent the land, water, and sky that define the County. A circle element evokes the image of a location pin, marking Peterborough County as a place of opportunity and importance. The colour palette was selected to convey strength, trust, and optimism, while the typeface offers a balance of modernity and establishment.

A Logo that combines iconography of a handshake, people hugging and a landscape together. The words "The Local Advantage" are in a large all caps font and "With Peterborough County" below in smaller text size.
The Final Logo
White box with a maroon box inside. inside the maroon box there's a white icon of shaking hands. Below the maroon box the word read "The Local Advantage Series with Peterborough County" in the same maroon colour.
The Client's Initial Concept
Image of three icons with one on top that looks like a landscape with "Visit local" beside it. One on the bottom left that looks like a heart and shaking hands with "Shop Local" beside the icon. And one on the lower right that looks like people hugging and the words "Support Local" beside it.

Phase 2: The Sublogos

Following the completion of the primary logo, we developed three sublogos for the campaign’s pillars: Visit Local, Shop Local, and Support Local. Each sublogo draws from the main logo’s visual language, reinforcing the brand while introducing subtle distinctions that suit each message.

Phase 3: The Icons

The final phase involved designing a custom icon set to support campaign communications. The icons represent key sectors such as Manufacturing, Innovation, Tourism, Real Estate, Shopping, Agriculture, and Economic Development Events. Each icon maintains the established visual style, allowing the set to communicate clearly while remaining aligned with the broader identity system.

Seven icons including a gear with "Manufacturing" written above it, lightbulb with a plant inside with "Innovation" above, a couple of trees and a canoe with "Tourism" above, a real estate for sale sign "With Real Estate" written below, a shopping bag with a heart inside with "Shopping/Downtown" written below, two lines with a row of wheat above with "Agriculture" written below and a calendar icon with "EcDev Events" written below.