Showing the world that Bentonville is more
than just the birthplace of Wal-Mart.
Bentonville, AR is where Wal-Mart was born. But, its unique blend of art, cuisine, culture, entertainment, and business has made it a unique blend of small-town charm with big-city perks. Bentonville boasts a world-class art museum, exhilarating mountain biking paths, unconventional convention centers, and James Beard award-winning food. We worked to create a brand an ad campaign to show the world what Bentonville is made of and why they should be there, too.
You Aren't Here?
The idea for Visit Bentonville's campaign was simple: why be there when you could be here? Based on the idea of FOMO ("fear of missing out") and the look of location markers, we created a set of illustrated pins that represent Bentonville's unique offerings and attractions. Each category (arts, aviation, biking, events, food + drink, and sports) has a distinct pin and color. And a pin to represent Bentonville as a whole. The illustration includes landmarks, symbols, and elements unique to Bentonville and the tourism category. We placed the pins in ads to invite viewers interested in one of the categories (or all 6) to try out Bentonville's take on that area instead.
You ARen't Here?
Within the logo, Bentonville's unique city is further represented. The pin is a visual link from the logo to the ad campaign. And it shows the viewer where Bentonville is within the state of Arkansas. We capitalized AR in "aren't" to emphasize Arkansas (AR is the postal abbreviation). The handwritten text highlights the personal nature of the community as well as the city's many murals. The style connects Visit Bentonville's brand with the You Aren't Here campaign illustrations.
Creative Direction: Seth Griffin
Art Direction: David Hildebrand
Design: Kaitlin Sparkman
Copywriting: Mark Jamroz
Illustration: Ashley Edwards
