Maritime Washington
Branding Coastwide Heritage
When Congress designated 3,000 miles of Washington coastline as a nationally recognized heritage area, leaders needed a brand as iconic as the saltwater coast itself, even as the full management plan was still in development. JayRay built a unifying identity rooted in place, people and working waterfront culture. The Maritime Washington National Heritage Area brand gave voice to partners, volunteers and communities to develop a shared story and a visual system that coastal communities could rally behind.
Guiding Thought
When a place spans thousands of miles and countless communities, branding isn’t about narrowing the story — it’s about finding what connects it. For Maritime Washington, shared stewardship became the throughline. By anchoring the brand in common contrasts and collective responsibility, a unifying identity could invite participation, build trust and inspire long-term care for a living, working coastline.
A Brand as Vast as the Coast
We developed a foundational brand identity to support the launch of the Maritime Washington National Heritage Area, including a logo, tagline, messaging framework and core materials. The system captured defining contrasts of the region — rugged yet reflective, historic yet working, local yet expansive.
Designed to support public education and partner collaboration from day one, the brand established a clear personality, position and promise while organizational logistics were still taking shape. Deliverables included identity assets, messaging tools and a dynamic website built for immediate use across outreach and launch communications.
Listening Across Shorelines
Our process centered on deep engagement across Tribes, ports, cities, counties, museums, heritage sites and shoreline communities. Through formal research and extensive one-on-one conversations, we gathered perceptions from residents, visitors and people whose livelihoods are tied to the water.
From those voices, shared themes of continuity, culture and care emerged. These insights shaped a brand system and tagline designed to resonate across geography, generations and partner organizations — creating a common language before a formal management plan was in place.
Results: Aligned
