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GATE CITY ADVISORS
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From brand identity and print to digital, experiential and campaign design, I developed a cohesive visual system where every detail was designed to tell the story of two advisors charting a new course—turning Greensboro’s railway history into a brand journey clients could feel.
0.1 OVERVIEW
REBRANDING A FINANCIAL FIRM THROUGH GREENSBORO’S RAILWAY HERITAGE
Gate City Advisors, based in Greensboro, North Carolina, was founded by Joe and Sherwood after breaking away from their old bank to start an independent financial planning firm. They wanted a brand identity that reflected their independence, their role as the hub of their clients’ financial journeys and their deep connection to Greensboro’s history. Inspired by the city’s nickname, the “Gate City” (earned when it became a major Southern railway hub in the 1800s), we built a brand system rooted in travel, tradition and trust.
02. THE CHALLENGE
Joe and Sherwood needed to differentiate their new firm from their old banking ties and establish credibility quickly. They envisioned themselves as the “conductors” of their clients’ financial journeys but lacked an identity that captured this story. Their materials felt generic, inconsistent and in some cases unprofessional (like spiral-bound pitch books). They wanted a brand system that was professional yet approachable, tied to place and history and memorable in both digital and tactile experiences.
03. THE CONCEPT
DESIGNING A JOURNEY-DRIVEN IDENTITY
The creative direction leaned into Greensboro’s railway heritage. Just as trains once converged in the Gate City, the firm would be the hub guiding clients forward.
04. EXECUTION
BRAND IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT
Inspired by the front of a train engine, symbolizing momentum, strength and direction. The lowercase “g” was chosen as the central design element to make the brand feel approachable, warm and human.
Color palette, typography and brand system rooted in Greensboro’s railway heritage.
PRINT AND COLLATERAL DESIGN
Letterpress business cards designed to resemble train tickets and produced with letterpress printing to emphasize tradition and craft.
Letterpress letterhead and blind embossed thank you cards for tactile, historic impact.
Christmas card designed as a boarding pass that doubled as a holiday greeting and party invitation.
Pitch book redesigned from the ground up with a modern blind embossed cover and thermal binding. Delivered as an editable PDF with cohesive layouts, enabling the team to tailor each book in-house.
Thank you card features a simple, elegant blind emboss on the cover of a folded card for understated impact.
PHOTOGRAPHY AND VISUAL STORYTELLING
Hired and art directed a local photographer to capture images of the historic Greensboro train station for marketing materials.
Styled advisor headshots in the station’s main terminal to connect the team directly to the brand.
ADVERTISING AND CAMPAIGN DESIGN
Newspaper ads using custom train station imagery and train-inspired copy to recruit new advisors.
Monochromatic campaign design showing how a single color palette could be bold and dynamic.
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05. OUTCOME
The new identity gave Gate City Advisors a brand story deeply tied to Greensboro’s heritage and their mission as trusted financial guides. The train engine-inspired logo with its approachable lowercase “g” balanced professionalism with warmth. Letterpress stationery and ticket-style business cards reinforced tradition, while the boarding pass Christmas card created a memorable brand experience. The redesigned pitch book improved client perception, streamlined workflows and saved money.
Custom photography of the historic train station gave the firm a library of authentic images for marketing and advertising, while the modern scrolling website differentiated them from typical financial sites by emphasizing the journey. Newspaper ads combined this imagery with train-inspired copy to recruit new advisors, proving that a monochromatic palette could still feel bold and fresh.
By partnering with local vendors and incorporating architectural details from their building, the brand felt authentic, tactile and rooted in place. Gate City Advisors launched with a cohesive system that elevated credibility, created memorable client touchpoints and gave Joe and Sherwood the confidence to establish themselves as independent, trusted leaders in financial planning.
06. TESTIMONIAL
“Shannon listened to our many brainstorming sessions and put life into our ideas. In our case having a vision for our materials was not enough…. we needed someone with the skills to create. That is how Shannon sets herself apart from the rest. She will listen and develop a brand that you can be proud of. Gate City Advisors is fortunate to work with Shannon and would highly recommend her to anyone.”
— Joseph Vartanian, Managing Partner
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