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Prince George 2015 Canada Winter Games

The 2015 Canada Winter Games was the largest multi-sport and cultural event to ever be held in Prince George and Northern British Columbia. More than 2,400 Athletes from ten provinces and three territories competed in twenty sports with the dream of becoming Canada’s next champions. Epic Design was the design firm selected to develop and execute the brand and marketing materials for the three years leading up to the event.

Challenge

We were tasked with developing a brand and story for a multi-sport games held in Prince George, British Columbia. The first challenge was the branding rules to adhere to: Canada Games mark (the left portion of the logo with the text) must represent 50% weight within the logo. The leaf and ‘Jeux Du Canada Games’ is a required piece in order to get approval from the Canada Games Council. The second challenge, was how to incorporate as much local influence as possible, and how to change people’s negative perception of the region. Three years prior to the event, several focus group sessions were held by Creative Director, Andi Mortenson, and Lead Designer, Jason Yoshioka and hosted by the host society. We understood the primary goal was for the athletes to be proud of the brand and for it to represent the region in a positive light.

Solution

One of the first things we noticed on travelling to Prince George was how closely connected the region is through the highways, railway and rivers, defining Prince George as a hub. The footprints seen everywhere in the snow, inspired the idea of paths and journeys lead to some deeper connections with the region being on a journey to self-improvement. We worked to incorporate this and the First Nations influence, along with all of the input we had gathered, to have this connect back to the region as much as possible.

Results

We created a flexible brand with regional influence that has the potential to be built upon, in creating sub-brands, merchandise and venue signage. The athletes have stamped our design and branding with their approval, and were delighted to embrace the brand – particularly the medal we incorporated into the logo as a nod to them. Local professionals were so impressed with the brand, it has stemmed into multiple other branding projects for organizations such as Downtown Prince George, Caledonia Ski Club, and the 2019 World Para-Nordic Championships. In addition, the Canada Games Council has engaged Epic Design directly for multiple projects since the 2015 Games.

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Brand Story

Prince George 2015 Canada Winter Games:
A journey — uncovering the beauty, opportunity and potential living within our region

Prince George is the undiscovered gem of the northern region of British Columbia, on a journey of enduring advancement. This journey has many paths, each chosen by its residents, athletes and visitors, which will lead us to a renewed spirit, passion, pride, and confidence within our region.

The Games are an opportunity to let our people shine, and to build local, provincial and national pride, exceed expectations, resulting in lasting legacies and a renewed image. Canada’s next champions will achieve personal bests, and we will strive to put on the best, most memorable games that this region possibly can.

In 2015, choose your path, leave your tracks, and journey with us as we rediscover our community and region.

 

Logo and Look Rationale

Our mark for the 2015 Canada Winter Games, much like the region itself, is a hub: the railway, rivers, and two major highways criss-cross in the city centre to reinforce this fact. It’s the central crossing point for the entire province, uniting all six regions. These six regions are represented by the cheering figures that make up the mark, demonstrating the excitement of the Games. In addition, the City of Prince George sits geographically within the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation traditional territory, whose name itself means “The people from the confluence of two rivers.”  

The ‘V’ at the top of the mark represents not only the two rivers converging into one, but also a lanyard that forms a medal. This connects it back to the most important element of the Games: the athletes. Athletes participating in the games also follow a personal journey and, more literally, follow tracks of their own to achieve excellence in their sport. Wildlife are also a large part of daily life in the region, with their own network of paths shared with athletes and residents for outdoor activities. 

 

Tagline

Choose Your Path  •  Leave Your Tracks  •  Journey With Us

Andi is an incredible talent, with leadership vision, strategy and creative execution. Her attention to detail helped create the most successful Canada Games brand in the event’s 48-year history. Furthermore, she integrated unique methods of storytelling into the brand and brand story that helped us tell our northern story. We received countless compliments, and the athletes and spectators wore the brand proudly!

Mike Davis
Director, Marketing and Communications, 2015 Canada Winter Games Host Society

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