O U R L A D Y ’ S R A N C H
brand strategy / brand design / brand growth
Our Lady’s Ranch Ministry hired Straight Creative to manage their Brand Strategy, Brand Design, and Brand Growth. Deliverables included a Brand Identity and Website, content organization and copyrighting, social graphics, and SEO. This project took 6 months.
THE PROBLEM
Phil Zeiter had over twenty years of experience and written materials on Family Reconciliation, Catholic Spirituality, and American Homesteading. The modern revolution of the 2020s to return to the countryside for a simpler way of life meant constant replies to phone calls and emails from people with a multitude of questions. With very few online outlets to find answers on Catholic Homesteading for the new generations, Phil knew he needed to get his information out there to the public as soon as possible.
THE SOLUTION
The first step when Straight Creative was hired was to conduct market research and organize all of the material that Phil had. The research proved that there was very little information out there and what little was available was badly designed or presented. After organizing and rewording the content to be as simple as possible, we designed a brand identity that was focused on the Ranch’s namesake: The Virgin Mary. Building off of this powerful icon with clean, yet feminine typography and a monochromatic color palette, the website came together as a beautiful testimony to the Ministry’s mission of “living in peace and sharing it with others.”
COLOR PALETTE
The color palette to a brand identity is one of the building blocks to the brand as it will be utilized everywhere. Color has important psychological implications and so choosing the right colors for a brand is incredibly important; selecting colors both relevant to the brand and that incite the right psychological response becomes a balancing act.
GENTLE MOTHER #9DB9D6
Meaning: Understanding
APPARITION #576A8E
Meaning: Faith
MIDNIGHT #18345E
Meaning: Authority
CALM SKIES #CBD8E8
Meaning: Focus
PURE WHITE #FFFFFF
Meaning: Purity
TYPOGRAPHY
The typography used in a Brand Identity is just as important as the color palette. It’s what is used 100% of the time in the logo design and should subtly reflect the personality of the brand. The accent font supports the primary font.
LOGO VARIATIONS
Logo variations are used depending on space restrictions. Good practice is to use the primary logo whenever possible. However, logo variations such as the Submark are created with Social Media profile dimensions in mind while the Mark or Icon are great for small restricted sizes such as the website favicon.
Primary Logo
Secondary Logo
Logo Submark
Logo Icon
ICONS
These icons are actually logos currently in-use by small businesses and ministries affiliated with Our Lady’s Ranch. We simply took them and adjusted them slightly to fit within the branding of OLR. Each logo-icon on the OLR website leads to the affiliate website.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Whether your photos are custom-taken or carefully selected stock photos, it’s crucial that they’re professional, applicable, and cohesive.
WEBSITE
A study done by Stanford found that 75% of people base the credibility of your business on how your website looks. What this means is that — even if you offer a better service! — if your competition has the better website than they are more likely to get the business. CLICK TO VIEW WEB PAGE.
LAUNCH DAY GRAPHICS
Having special graphics for your brand launch day is a great advertising strategy.
MOCKUPS
Mockups show clients the potential that their brand has. It is incredibly exciting moment when one gets to the end of their Brand Presentation and sees all the hard work, creative energy, and time culminated in merch design.
