Baton Rouge has always had the pulse — it just needed a movement to match. MESH partnered with the Greater Baton Rouge Economic Partnership to do something far bigger than a rebrand: to reclaim civic pride and reawaken a city’s belief in itself. Through an integrated brand campaign and visual identity rooted in culture, community, and authentic storytelling, we gave residents, businesses, and local leaders a shared identity worth rallying around. The result wasn’t just a new look. It was a declaration.
The Work
At the heart of the new identity and campaign is a thread motif — symbolizing the interconnectedness of the community while echoing the river that flows through the city. The brand was designed to be open-source, giving residents, businesses, and community leaders the tools to express their own Baton Rouge pride in their own voice. This wasn’t a brand handed down from a boardroom. It was built to be lived in.
A City Reclaimed
The impact of the campaign reached well beyond aesthetics. By targeting adults aged 25–44, the talent pool most likely to leave, the work directly addressed one of the region’s most pressing challenges: keeping its best and brightest rooted. The refreshed identity gave that audience something they hadn’t had before: a brand that reflected their experience of the city and made them proud to claim it.
- Reenergized the regional brand with a more emotionally resonant and culturally accurate expression of life in Baton Rouge
- Strengthened retention messaging to the 25–44 talent pool by showcasing lifestyle appeal, community, and identity alongside career opportunity
- Increased community participation through social-driven billboard content and personal storytelling
- Laid the groundwork for future talent recruitment by differentiating Baton Rouge from peer cities with an authentic, culture-first brand and voice
More than a campaign, this was a civic movement, one that gave Baton Rouge a shared language, a renewed sense of pride, and a brand bold enough to match the city it represents.
“For more than 20 years, I have been a fan of MESH. And now, the Greater Baton Rouge Economic Partnership is proud to partner with MESH on our Better in BTR campaign that celebrates the region we call home. Their strategic thinking, responsiveness, creativity, and execution are top-notch. Most of all, I love that they understand what we do and why we do it.”
LORI MELANCON, President & CEO
