Celebrating business anniversaries is one of our favorite things with our clients, especially when it involves an iconic brand like the YMCA. The YMCA is known worldwide for putting Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind, and body for all. The Y is also a very established brand. With an almost 50-page design guide, we ensure brand guidelines and compliance are met with every social media post, graphic creation, TV spot placement, etc. Making a logo that did not break any rules of how the iconic brand is allowed to be modified created some challenges. Then, a new branding guideline was created to ensure that the internal usage of the mark did not unintentionally break any of the usage guidelines by staff and board usage.
In 2024, the Frank P. Phillips YMCA in Columbus, MS, marked a momentous occasion- its 100th anniversary. This milestone is not just a number but a testament to the impact of the YMCA in our community. Nestled in the downtown area, it stands as a symbol of community involvement and architecture. When the Y approached us, we brainstormed various ideas for the anniversary logo. Eventually, we decided to create a logo that mirrored the iconic downtown building, challenging our team to capture the essence of the landmark in a design.
While the building is distinctive, it is also a ‘big box with windows.’ We saw potential and challenges in recreating it simply and not making it unidentifiable when used in settings outside the YMCA. We removed small details from the design, making it versatile throughout the year on various branding materials, promo items, and digital platforms. Creating a 3-D building design that was both visually appealing and could be reproduced in one color was a challenge. Still, our team’s creativity and problem-solving led us to a design that met these criteria and was embraced by the board and management team.
Next came the planning and budgeting for the big 100 Year Celebration. Working directly with the YMCA’s executive and marketing boards, we planned to begin in January and celebrate the 100-year anniversary all year. The budget determined that one large community event was the best way to approach the celebration, and neonFROG began promoting the event that occurred on Saturday, April 27th.
We spearheaded a digital campaign to ensure the entire community felt included in the celebration. This goal involved delving into the local library archives, photos, and items saved within the YMCA building. For 2024, we share at least one “new” old picture or newspaper article each week on the two primary social media platforms used by the Y, Facebook and Instagram. We reached out to the community to ask them to share their photos and help us identify the Columbus residents featured in old photos found scattered through the YMCA and Library. This campaign has been a resounding success, significantly increasing social involvement on the pages for all ages in the community. Nostalgia has been a key element of the celebration, connecting the past with the present and the heart of the community, the YMCA.
Along with the social media campaign, we worked with a local videographer to create a 100-year-anniversary video. This has been utilized on traditional TV spots and social media channels and boosted content before the event.
The board worked to gather sponsors and fun activities for the whole community to be involved with. A beautiful blue-sky day greeted us on the morning of the event, and the community came out in droves. Working with local photographers, the event was captured to share with the community and capture the hard work of everyone involved in the planning and promotion. Attendance exceeded expectations, and the Y boards and management team agreed that successful exposure to the Downtown location was made with new members and existing community supporters alike.
As we write this, the celebration year has just ended. Photos, commercials, and campaigns continued throughout 2024 that kept the 100-year celebration top of mind, not only for the residents but also for the local businesses that support the Y financially and offer group plans to their staff. Fundraising must be at the heart of every nonprofit events, including this celebration of the YMCA’s 100-year anniversary. An increase in new community donations has already been achieved during the community awareness campaign being approached through advertising and groundwork from the board and team at the YMCA.
neonFROG has been honored to be a part of this successful event that has driven earned media from local news outlets, articles in state-wide magazines and publications, and overall community embracement of an organization that serves love every day with a health side of physical activity to residents both now and in the past.