Branding Butte as Wildly Historic
Largely known as a pitstop on the way from Yellowstone to Glacier National Park, Butte, MT is a historic town deeply in touch with nature. But Butte needed to find a way to make people stop and explore the landscape, history and meet the people. DCI created a brand that leaned into both its remarkable history and its untamed natural assets.
Butte is where Montana’s rich history and wild nature meet. There’s little that compares to the city’s National Historic Landmark District with its jaw-dropping architectural heritage and vestiges of copper mining reminiscent of days gone by. Embraced by the Rockies’ Continental Divide, the high alpine landscape is equally spectacular. The problem? Butte was largely only known as a “pitstop” on the way from Yellowstone to Glacier National Park.
Through a series of focus groups, interviews and in-destination immersion tour exploring all Butte had to offer visitors, DCI determined that Butte needed a brand that leaned into both its remarkable history and its untamed natural assets. The brand needed to be true to its mining roots as the “richest hill on earth” where copper kings made fortunes and hard-working immigrants converged from all over the world, while positioning the quirky mountain city as a standalone destination with unparalleled access to outdoor recreation.
For the traveler who associates Montana with open spaces, rugged wilderness and uncrowded trails, we knew we wanted to use the word “wild” because it also captured Butte’s mining past. The perfect combination emerged in the tagline “Wildly Historic.” Inspired by the rich colors reminiscent of copper mining and sage green of the mountain landscape, DCI then build a brand with the grit and determination of this city. The brand mark represents the iconic mining headframes that still punctuate the landscape as reminders of their heritage. DCI also developed a marketing strategy to activate the brand, along with a series of print, digital and out-of-home ads.
