New Cape Fear Coast branding campaign to be revealed Wednesday

The New Hanover County Tourism Development Authority will unveil its new direction for the region’s tourism and marketing re-branding effort Wednesday.

The re-branding project, undertaken by two agencies – The Brandon Agency and Clean Design – will position Wilmington and the nearby beach communities as separate, but equally visible, entities.

The Brandon Agency of Myrtle Beach, S.C., will present the new branding for Wilmington and the Cape Fear Coast, including a new logo, tagline and advertising campaign slated to get under way soon. Raleigh-based Clean Design will present sample advertising campaigns for Carolina Beach, Kure Beach and Wrightsville Beach.

One of the logo and tagline options The Brandon Agency presented in early July was “Wilmington. River District and Island Beaches,” a moniker that clearly defines the city and nearby beaches as separate destinations, but within easy reach of one another.

According to Connie Nelson, communications and public relations director for the Wilmington Cape Fear Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), “[Brandon] presented three possible directions and the TDA made the decision to have the agency move forward on one of them.”

At Wednesday’s meeting of the Toursim Development Authority board, the new designs and other branding campaign elements to be revealed are expected to rely heavily upon water as a central theme in the campaign components.

The meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Courtyard by Marriott-Carolina Beach, at 100 Charlotte Ave. in Carolina Beach. The TDA, CVB staff and representatives from The Brandon Agency and Clean Design will also be available during a morning briefing at 10 a.m. on Thursday at the office of the Wilmington/Cape Fear Coast CVB at 505 Nutt St., Unit A in Wilmington.