Project
Shop Seattle Gems Campaign
Client
Seattle Office of Economic Development, Seattle Mayor’s Office, American Express
Collaborators
Story 2 Designs
Wynn Adele
Indie Genius Media
Outside Thinc
Beacon Business Alliance
Services
Branding
Social Media Campaign Strategy
Video Editing
Layouts & Templates
Print
Background
American Express launches an annual campaign to promote shopping at small businesses. In 2018 AMEX partnered with the Seattle Office of Economic Development and three local, POC-led creative studios to develop Shop Seattle Gems, a month-long campaign comprised of narrative videos featuring local influencers, a social media photo contest, and the Small Business Saturday event in Beacon Hill.
Goal
Encourage locals to shop at small businesses in Seattle throughout the holidays.
Musician SassyBlack promoting Shop Seattle Gems at Easy Street Records in West Seattle
Chef Tarik Abdullah promoting Shop Seattle Gems at The Station in Beacon Hill
Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan promoting Shop Seattle Gems at the Elliott Bay Book Store in Capitol Hill
Drag Queen and Hostess Sylvia O’Stayformore promoting Shop Seattle Gems at the Georgetown Trailer Park Mall
Approach
We designed a visual identity that would stand out from the holiday colors and capture the vibrant community of small businesses in our city. We worked with Indie Genius Media to craft video narratives with the help of local influencers like SassyBlack, Chef Tarik Abdullah, Mayor Jenny Durkan, and Sylvia O’Stayformore, to celebrate their favorite hidden gems in the city. The social media component included quirky trivia about Seattle, facts about the impact of small businesses, and the photo contest to encourage community participation.
