Summer Camp for Songwriters | Brand build
Design
Strategy
Creative
DELIVERABLES | Brand Strategy, Brand Identity Design, Programming, Event Planning, Apparel Design, Social Media Strategy, Digital Marketing, Brand Activation
This one was for me.
I fulfilled a long-time goal, to establish a writing camp for songwriters at the vacation lake I spent every summer on as a kid.
The brand was built by incorporating some of the important aspects of summer camps, like being comfortable outside of your comfort zone, posturing your heart toward serving others, and the strength found by weaving our stories and efforts together.
Harmony’s not just for songwriting.
The Synopsis
I fulfilled a long-time goal, to establish a writing camp for songwriters at the vacation lake I spent every summer on as a kid.
The brand was built by incorporating some of the important aspects of summer camps, like being comfortable outside of your comfort zone, posturing your heart toward serving others, and the strength found by weaving our stories and efforts together.
Harmony’s not just for songwriting.
What I did right
By intentionally focusing strictly on inputs rather than outputs, I gambled on the results of the songwriting retreat manifesting outside of a more rigid framework, which paid off both in terms of the song quality and the feedback from the writers’ experience.
Every branding element was considered, down to the scents and tastes associated with the retreat.
I successfully balanced the playful amenities and experiences that make camp so magical, with the professionalism associated with a significant investment by ambitious creatives.
What I did wrong
I grossly underestimated the costs: financial, emotional, and logistical.
More advanced planning, specifically in terms of sourcing and staffing, would have made the retreat less stressful for the staff and more fluid for the writers.
Although many assumptions were validated, I wish I had surveyed potential participants in advance to inform my decision-making.
Debuting a summer vibes songwriting retreat series
When the chance to host a writing camp presented itself, I decided to build a brand based on open hearts and being better together.
When you braid three strands of hair, it looks like tiny hearts interlocking
A perfect metaphor
It all started with a vision
— board
Which made me realize I already had a lot of what I wanted
AND I could do A LOT more with what I already had…
That’s how Summer Camp was born
An invite-only writing camp for Songwriters, hosted on Lake Burton, a beautiful vacation lake in the foothills of the Appalachians, where I spent my summers as a kid
I surprised the Summer Campers with some apparel—Crewnecks and hats
And I explained the ancient Hebrew quote that inspired the logo
