MATT BLAISDELL
Menu
DeMolay International
Scottish Rite, NMJ
Brand Development
Visual Design
Creative Direction
Art Direction
UX Design
2022
Wherever it takes you;
the Road Begins Here.
DeMolay International, a worldwide non-profit membership organization, faced the challenge of keeping up with the ever-evolving opportunities and activities available to youth today. In response, DeMolay, with the support of Scottish Rite, NMJ, launched their 2022 campaign, “The Road Begins Here,” which aimed to promote the organization’s historical symbolism with a modern approach to leadership development.
Wherever it takes you;
the Road Begins Here.
Working across several teams across Scottish Rite, NMJ, DeMolay International, and our creative and marketing partners, the strategy was realized through a member and adult advisor survey conducted by our marketing partner, CerconeBrownCompany. The results were clear–there was a direct need for an organization like DeMolay International in our society, and met several of the challenges any modern social and non-profit organization has, DeMolay International needed a campaign, brand, and strategy that fired their membership up – which is where the Road Began.
A Call-To-Celebrate
During the ideation phase, it became clear that “The Road Begins Here” campaign had anthemic potential, resonating deeply with DeMolay members and advisors. At its core, the tagline symbolized the transformative journey of a member’s life and issued a call-to-action to celebrate the invaluable benefits of DeMolay membership. We aimed to create a brand identity that encapsulated DeMolay’s spirit while preserving its formality and history. By combining the campaign’s mark with modern branding elements, we achieved an approachable and modern aesthetic that lets the tagline speak for itself.
Authenticity Through Brand
This campaign required us to connect with members at the local level and ensure that the activation resonated with their experiences. The Road Begins Here campaign presented an authentic and professional view of the organization from a member’s perspective. As the campaign evolved, we realized that providing videos and creative activations alone was insufficient, and that we needed to find a way to put the brand directly in the hands of members. To accomplish this, we redesigned our creative core files on Canva, enabling us to create templates that could be used by thousands of members worldwide for promotional and branding purposes. Our efforts extended to creative print campaign design, brand development, internal training, UX design, and more. While the journey may have begun with this campaign, DeMolay International has an open road ahead of them.
The full list of campaign materials can be found at BeADeMolay.org/brand/
The Road Continues On
After more than a year in circulation, The Road Begins Here campaign continues to serve as a celebration of DeMolay membership and an effective tool for promoting the organization to potential members and supporters. The campaign’s branding has successfully been integrated into the corporate identity of DeMolay International, as well as local state and chapter visual identities. Thousands of templates have been created and distributed, making it easier for local chapters to promote the organization using consistent messaging and visuals and tens of thousands have accessed the reimagined website. Overall, the campaign has been a success in strengthening the brand and increasing awareness of DeMolay International.
Work was completed on behalf of Scottish Rite, NMJ
in capacity as Design Director.
DeMolay International Leadership, Scottish Rite NMJ Leadership, Marketing, Video, Creative, Development teams, CerconeBrownCompany, Grain Digital, and High Output
