ARTS AVL
Arts & Culture
the BRAND
ArtsAVL is the arts council for Buncombe County and the second oldest arts council in the state, with a mission to strengthen its creative sector through advocacy, grants, and connection.
When Hurricane Helene struck Asheville in September 2024, it decimated the River Arts District and impacted thousands of artists across the county. As a result, recovery in this $1.2 billion dollar economic sector - and its support of more than 17,500 jobs - was slow to rebound due to sluggish foot traffic and a drop in visitors. ArtsAVL hired OFTB to help.
The goal was simple but big: create a memorable marketing campaign, connecting arts businesses with locals and visitors to revive engagement and foot traffic.
In April 2025, we launched our fully integrated campaign: Redefine The Weekend.
THE work:
The Redefine The Weekend campaign is anchored in an iconic and recognizable sub-brand for ArtsAVL. The icons were designed to align with ArtsAVL's aesthetic — bright, energetic, thoughtful, polished — while aligning with traditional and recognizable icons representing each region. This became the brand system for all elements.
THE RESULTS:
A full campaign visual system
Two custom designed website pages: one for the general public and one for arts partners who want to be involved
A new spin-off newsletter for ArtsAVL email subscribers
Social media campaigns to advertise upcoming weekend events
A 4-week spring/summer campaign billboard installation along major highway corridors leading into each region
A 30-second TV campaign
Pole banners and sidewalk decals created for downtown Asheville and RAD, displayed along major traffic corridors
A custom design “quick start” package for arts partners to quickly get involved with the marketing campaign and empower their business
Plus: a campaign launch event, photography, ad & SEO strategy
keeping art at the heart of the community.
THE TEAM:
Role: Campaign Director
Campaign Team: OFTB, Jasmin Plouffe, West Ashe Creative, Rob Decker
The arts guide
One of the key highlights of this campaign is The Arts Guide. We designed and launched a first-of-its-kind Arts Guide to Buncombe County, starting with four key regions and bonus sections.
Guides include maps, overviews, insights, directories, QR codes to full info, and ads.
For this 72-page guide, our team oversaw design, printing, logistics, white glove delivery to arts partners, and placement in key public points such as visitor centers and hotels.
