CLARKSVILLE BRAND GUIDELINES
History Clarksville is a neighborhood just West of downtown Austin, Texas. It’s known as the Historic District of Austin because of its rich history. You wouldn’t know it if you walked around Clarksville today, but Clarksville was one of the oldest surviving freedomtowns, post-Civil War settlements founded by former slaves. The Sweet Home Baptist Church became the focal point of the community for many years. Clarksville grew to be very close and tight-knit. To this day the neighborhood has maintained its old town vibe. Clarksville is filled with very traditional American architecture as well as old mom & pop businesses.
Brand Clarksville can best be described as New Americana. On the edge of downtown Austin, going to Clarksville almost feels like taking a step back in time. Although the neighborhood is filled with vintage shops and old architecture, everything is freshly painted and well manicured. Clarksville is a trendy area but on any given weekday one will encounter neighbors chatting and kids playing in the street. The three pillars of the Clarksville brand are clean, homegrown and simple. Clean because of the immaculate homes of the neighborhood. Home-grown because of the close community that resides there. Simple because Clarksville is an echo of simpler times.
Clean Home-grown Simple
The Mark The logo represents the “New Americana” aesthetic of Clarksville. The logo is a reference to the freshly painted old-American architecture that fills the neighborhood. It’s natural and organic but clean at the same time. There are additional stroke marks that can be used for other visual elements.
Application The logo is the symbol of Clarksville and therefore is to be used on most branding materials. It can be used at a small scale as if it’s a signature saying “this is Clarksville”. It can also be used at a large scale to create abstract but distinct visuals. The main color pairing for the logo is denim + rose from the color palette. Any color combination from the color palette is acceptable as long as secondary colors are only ever used for the small stripes.
The Name The goal of the branding is to make the logo a symbol of the neighborhood without requiring writing the name “Clarksville�. When Clarksville must be spelled out, the wordmark for Clarksville is simply the name set in all capital letters in Archer Medium. All other typography used for the brand is also Archer Medium but at a smaller scale (even if in the same title).
Application
The name can be used on items that are highly likely to be seen outside of the Austin area, like bumper stickers. Someone from out of town might not be able to identify the Clarksville mark, but may have heard of the neighborhood. By using the name on these types of materials we can advertise the brand to a wider range of viewers.
The Colors The color palette was chosen based on the old-time architectural structures that can be found around the neighborhood. They’re light, they look aged, and they’re the colors of Clarksville. There are primary and secondary colors. The Primary colors are to be used on the most prominent components.
Application The logo is the symbol of Clarksville and therefore is to be used on most branding materials. It can be used at a small scale as if it’s a signature saying “this is Clarksville”. It can also be used at a large scale to create abstract but distinct visuals. The main color pairing for the logo is denim + rose from the color palette. Any color combination from the color palette is acceptable.
Primary colors dust rose night day
Secondary colors khaki denim cacti
The Imagery Sometimes the best way to represent the feeling of Clarksville is with images. Since the mark is a reflection of the architecture, it only makes sense to use images of the architecture the neighborhood is known for. Images can also include yard features or decorations.
Application Images can be used on materials in which an image is the best fit. This leaves a lot of room for creativity. The color scheme of the images should be as similar as possible to the color scheme of the branding. The colors of the images must be cohesive with the other branding materials.
Thank you.
Designed and photographed by Savannah Lee Fortune Printed on 13x 19 Graphic Design II VISU Department St. Edward’s University, 2016