Haunts of North Carolina

This branding project reimagines North Carolina State Parks through the lens of regional folklore and local legends. The assignment challenged students to select a state, develop a cohesive identity system for three state parks, and create a 1920s-inspired travel poster for one destination. Rather than highlighting the parks' scenic beauty alone, I explored the myths and ghost stories associated with each location, creating a campaign that invites visitors to experience the parks after dark.

Concept

My goal was to create a tourism campaign that felt unexpected and memorable. Each park received its own custom logo inspired by a different local legend while sharing a cohesive visual style across the series. The featured parks include: Dismal Swamp State Park: Inspired by the mysterious Lady of the Swamp and regional cryptid lore, promoting a fictional nighttime kayaking adventure. Grandfather Mountain State Park: Based on the legend of the Ghost Hiker said to wander the mountain trails. Lake James State Park: Referencing the mysterious Brown Mountain Lights, one of North Carolina's best-known unexplained phenomena. Together, the three identities demonstrate how storytelling can transform familiar destinations into distinctive travel experiences.

Featured Poster

The centerpiece of the project is a vintage inspired travel poster promoting Dismal Swamp State Park. Influenced by the bold typography and stylized illustrations of 1920s travel advertisements, the poster encourages visitors to experience the swamp through a fictional nighttime kayak tour. The composition combines layered vector illustrations, dramatic moonlight, and subtle supernatural elements to create a sense of mystery while remaining inviting. The design aims to evoke curiosity rather than fear, encouraging viewers to imagine the folklore hidden within the landscape. My inspiration for the kayaking experience also came from my own background leading bioluminescent kayak tours, giving the concept a foundation in real outdoor adventure while adding a supernatural twist.

Process

Each logo and illustration were created as vector artwork, with careful attention given to maintaining a unified visual language across all three parks. Typography, color palettes, and illustration styles were intentionally coordinated so that each identity could stand on its own while feeling part of a larger tourism campaign. The final travel poster expanded the system into a complete promotional piece, incorporating layout, illustration and historical design influences into a cohesive narrative.

Tools

Adobe Illustrator · Adobe InDesign · Brand Identity Design · Logo Design · Poster Design · Vector Illustration · Environmental Graphics · Visual Storytelling · Typography ·