Danville, Virginia

For those with an appetite for opportunity and momentum, Danville’s River District, with its stunning historic architecture along the Dan River, is a celebration of adaptation and repurposing that sparks progress with character and distinction.
Category
Downtown, Economic Development
About This Project

Key Challenge

The Danville River District was a mill town without a mill. Like so many communities in this great nation, the industry that founded the town disappeared along with the jobs and economy associated with that industry. What didn’t go away was the spirit of innovation and the attitude of determination that made Danville great initially and was the driving force behind making this defining Virginia Downtown great again.

A phrase that embodies the Danville spirit is “The status quo is a no go.” The people, leadership and business community are always stepping back from a situation or a building or an established way of doing things and asking, “Is there a better way. Let’s reimagine this.” And that spirit of reinvention is yielding big results from refurbished factories and mills to new business opportunities to new ways of thinking about education and business and leadership. In the words of one regional influencer:

“Danville is leading the region. They are being creative and innovative in how they use the tools and resources they have and for seeking opportunities others miss or dismiss, regrettably.”

Brand Identity

The line “Reimagine That” is the credo for the way things work in Danville… so it was the natural choice for a strapline. The logo is an innovative mix of old and new with stylized illustrations of the city’s most iconic historic buildings on top. The bottom half of the logo is open to customizations with the River District version featuring an abstract illustration representative of both the Dan River and circuity representing both the city’s position on the river and high-tech capabilities. Creative deliverables focused on helping people see the possibilities of everything from a fresh perspective.