Glendora: Creative
About this project
Client
City of Glendora
Services
Branding
The approach
The City of Glendora is a tight-knit community with strong generational legacies aspiring to cultivate unity between longstanding residents, staff, businesses and those who newly call the city home. To help them usher in this new era, the city decided a rebrand would help unite their many audiences while balancing its deeply rooted nostalgia amid the desire for growth. Glendora engaged JPW in July 2023 to support the design of a brand that would accurately represent the city’s history, legacy and future.
The opportunity
JPW began the branding process with a rich research exploration that included an in-depth discovery session with the city; environmental scan of the region; 13 conversations with key stakeholders involving City Council, city staff and city police chief; and a community survey.
Using the insights established during the research phase, the following branding goals were established:
Create a striking visual identity for Glendora that reflects its welcoming, warm and charming personality.
Celebrate its reputation as a tight-knit, community-centered city where generations can flourish.
Enrich the existing community brand to better reflect its purposeful future.
After analyzing the research findings and learning that the city’s name was a combination of the names of the first residents who got married in the city, Glen and Leadora, JPW was determined to craft a brand concept that would accurately reflect Glendora’s rich history and showcase its promising future – all while remaining true to its adoring residents who called it home, almost as if it were a “love letter” to Glendora.
The solution
Once research was complete, JPW identified close connections, residential pride and community safety as staple themes for Glendora. Those themes led JPW to begin exploring a brand concept that would evoke the following tones:
Proud: Residents and staff need to feel enthusiastic and appreciative of the new wordmark.
Realized: The new logo mark should balance Glendora’s future and legacy.
Represented: Residents and staff from all walks of life and those with differing visions for the future need to resonate with the wordmark.
The culmination of JPW’s research was in crafting a narrative that put into words the essence of Glendora and what would become their new brand.
“Glendora is loved by all who know her, and she is as unique as her name suggests. There is only one Glendora. While other towns have abandoned their historic charms, Glendora chooses to embrace them. She is classic, quaint and proudly so. Using hand lettering, this new brand will illustrate all the reasons why Glendora is so special. Like a signature at the end of a letter, Glendora is inviting new friends to enjoy the city and continuing to host all who’ve been family for years.”
With a unanimous vision for the Glendora brand, JPW recommended an unconventional approach for the city: a unique, hand lettered wordmark to emphasize the undeniable charm of Glendora and signify that it is a city that’s one of a kind. This wordmark would allow the city brand to stand the test of time and leave room for interpretation, allowing space for growth while still featuring important parts of the past. The idea emphasized the one thing all stakeholders could agree on: Glendora is one of a kind.
The resulting “Glendora” wordmark toes the line between feminine and masculine, with the feminine script punctuated with sharp turns and hard edges to balance with a more masculine feel. A mountainous swash on the letter “d” positioned the name “Glendora” at the base of the foothills, a subtle nod to the city’s geography. Positioning the wordmark in a slightly forward slant indicates the future aspirations of Glendora and explores its forward momentum. The wordmark portrays Glendora as confident, balanced and charismatic.
The color palette for the city’s brand reflects the warmth of the community while paying tribute to key pieces of the city’s unique history. The “Gumby” shade of green was inspired by the film location in Glendora, while the other colors such as sunshine, citrus, bougainvillea, sky and cloud were hues that gave a gentle nod to its historic charm while offering a non-traditional, colorful take on city branding to set them apart in their region.
The reward
The proposed wordmark and brand were unanimously adopted by the Glendora city staff in December 2023.
In February 2024, the City of Glendora shared the new brand with City Council. Almost every council member expressed their excitement for the collateral and brand materials that would be brought to life with the new brand. The mayor of Glendora proudly said, “It’s going to be nice to [represent] my own city, Glendora. I really like the unique ‘G’ and the research that was completed to convey our message.”
To further support the brand rollout, JPW created an interactive online comprehensive brand guide that included:
Stationary suite items including letterheads, business cards, an envelope and email signature.
Digital materials including a PowerPoint template, social media templates and virtual backgrounds.
Specialty items including apparel, wayfinding signage and vehicle applications.