NOT STUCK.
Montezuma was at an inflection point: grow or fade—without losing what made the town itself. The challenge was alignment. Create a shared identity that united the city and school district, sparked pride, and attracted families and investment—without glossy, corporate nonsense.
The work started with the community. Through cultural town halls, residents, students, educators, and leaders helped shape the brand. That input informed both the message and the mark. The logo unites multiple monuments from the town center into a single form—symbolizing shared history and collective momentum.
We rejected the narrative of rural decline and reframed Montezuma as a community in motion. “Zoom In” invites people to look closer, revealing a town that’s rooted, welcoming, and future-focused.
No rebrand for the sake of change—just a clearer signal of who Montezuma is, and who it’s becoming.
THIS WAS A BAD IDEA. (UNTIL IT WASN’T).
Downtown Cedar Rapids Sucks began as a deliberate provocation—and a real risk. The phrase was already embedded in local culture as a shrug, a joke, a dismissal. Instead of defending against it, we chose to weaponize it—flipping the insult into an invitation that exposed everything people were overlooking: new living districts, restaurants, nightlife, culture, and momentum hiding in plain sight.
It wasn’t a safe internal pitch. The first reaction was wide eyes and nervous laughter—like we had cupcakes coming out of our ears. But the strategy was clear and the conviction strong: controversy would spark conversation, and conversation would spark curiosity. Indifference—not disagreement—was the real enemy.
The campaign launched organically on social, unapologetic and unpolished by design. What followed was a true viral moment. The message leapt from feeds into mass media—television, newspapers, and statewide publications—with an earned reach of 19 million. People debated it. Some loved it. Some hated it. And that friction became the fuel.
The impact extended beyond awareness. The work earned a Gold Davey Award and a Midwest Emmy, cementing the campaign as a cultural and creative breakthrough. What started as a risky idea became proof that bold honesty, backed by strategy, can change narratives.
The rest, as they say, is history.
