defining the brand
Mission
Brand Pillars
Personality
ELEVATOR PITCH
Elements of the brand
Distinctive Assets
CREATIVE EXAMPLES
Logo
Color
Typography
Supporting Elements
Photography
Defining the Brand
Print Test

01. Mission

To connect travelers, locals and meeting planners to the best of Lexington, Kentucky.

How?
Travelers
  • Promising a refreshing change of pace from the big city
  • Igniting curiosity and inspiring people to experience something new
  • Surprising visitors with unexpected adventures
Meeting Planners
  • Delivering best-in-class hospitality and planning support
  • Elevating the perception of Lexington as a premier meeting destination
  • Recruiting events, conventions and group trips
Locals
  • Providing a resource for new attractions, restaurants and events
  • Elevating the perception of Lexington as a premier meeting destination
  • Promoting local businesses

02. Brand Pillars

With thousands of attractions, restaurants, and community stakeholders, VisitLEX is responsible for supporting all sides of Lexington. Brand Pillars categorize all the places and events Lexington has to offer, while helping us understand how to leverage them in communications. Our brand pillars fall into two categories:

Icons
Our most notable and recognizable features. These pillars are most responsible for driving people to visit Lexington.
  • Horses
  • Bourbon
  • Landscape
Surprise & Delights
These are what make Lexington an unexpectedly cool destination. While they may not be well-known, they help make each visit extraordinary.
  • Arts & Entertainment
  • Culinary
  • History
  • Sports
  • Shopping

03. Personality

Character: How We Look & Act
WHAT WE ARE

A Vibrant, Colorful Destination

Take a look around. Lexington is a city filled with color–from the rolling hills of horse country, to the dozens of murals around town, to the people who call this place home. We look to bring that color, vibrancy and energy into everything we do.

Open to Everyone

We take inclusion seriously here. It’s not just a buzzword or a box to check. We work to make Lexington a more welcoming, safe and accessible place for all kinds of people to enjoy.

Unexpectedly Cool

We hear it all the time. Lexington defies expectation. An eclectic mix of old and new, tradition and progress, art and industry, Lexington is surprisingly cool. We like to turn perceptions of Lexington on their head.

WHAT WE ARE NOT

Bland or Distasteful

We keep things interesting without being obnoxious.

Exclusive or pretentious

Keep it light, keep it fun, keep it inclusive at all times.

Big City or Backwoods

We’re somewhere in between. The best of both worlds.

Voice: How We Speak

Playful Meets Respectful

WHAT WE ARE NOT

Crass

Even though we like to push the limits, we make sure to mind our manners. We’re never too loud, rude or arrogant, and our language is always grounded in respect for the brand (and the city of Lexington).

Boring

We like to keep things interesting. Every headline, every sentence of body copy, every piece of microcopy must show our personality, passion and playfulness.

Too Southern

We’re not Deep South, or antebellum. We don’t talk with a twang or a drawl. It’s a fine line but when it’s wrong, we’ll know it.

04. Elevator Pitch

Lexington is a Front Porch Kind of City.
Our friends know us as the Horse Capital of the World and the heart of bourbon country.

But you can think of us as…

A place to unwind in comfort and style.

A place where everyone is welcome.

A place that’s easy to get to…just a day’s drive for ⅔ of Americans.

A place to gather with friends and family.

A place where natural beauty, like bluegrass hills and stunning Thoroughbreds, can be admired at your own pace.

A place to savor an unforgettable meal.

A place to put your feet up and sip a glass of bourbon.

A place that gets just the right amount of rowdy when the sun goes down.

A place to return to.