All roads lead to Aurora Town Square as redevelopment gets branding

August 26, 2021 · 0 Comments

Downtown revitalization has been a perennial theme for Aurora, particularly driving people into what was once the busiest part of the community – and in branding the cornerstone of this project, all roads in Aurora lead back to Town Square.

This was the overriding theme behind the development of a new logo and branding for Aurora Town Square, the largest capital project in the Town’s history, which was released last week.

Created by Katrina Estacio, Marketing and Creative Specialist for the Town of Aurora, who is also a member of the Town Square team, it uses what the Town describes as a “playful repeated pattern” that “plays off the idea that no matter what corner of Aurora you are from, all paths lead back to Aurora Town Square.”

The logo is comprised of four chevrons in a repeated pattern suggesting four squares, anchored by a square in the bottom left corner. Each of the five resulting squares represents the five key partners that will call Town Square home – the municipality, the Aurora Museum & Archives, the Aurora Cultural Centre, the Aurora Public Library, and the community as a whole.

“I knew from the beginning we wanted this logo to be versatile,” says Ms. Estacio. “It was outside-of-the-box thinking, but inside the box as well. Our colour theme was mainly inspired by our partners’ logos. For example, if the theatre wanted to put something out, they can choose a colour specific to them. With the cultural perspective, they have the green [branding] and the Library could use red. The logo can rotate and each can choose it because it represents the different corners of Aurora. They can pick their corner.

“I wanted a vibrant colour palate to be attention-getting. I think in the facility as a whole, it is supposed to be a fun, energetic place and we wanted the logo to be fun, energetic and eye-catching. The logo symbolizes the collaborative nature of the project and the coming together of all our partners and the community as a facility because once Aurora Town Square does open, it is going to be a gathering space for everyone from all corners of Aurora.”

For Town Square project manager Phil Rose, it was important to find a logo and a brand that “the public, over the long term, could relate to” while speaking to this ongoing collaboration.

“It is a Town-funded project, but it really hangs in the balance of those collaborations,” he says. “It is the uniqueness of the project, the fact that we want this to be marketed and branded for people not just within Aurora but outside as well.”

Branding is also an asset as the Town secures sponsorships and donations to make the individual components of Town Square – such as the extension to the Church Street School, the theatre within it, the bridge connecting it to the Aurora Public Library, and the outdoor gathering space below – a reality less costly to the municipality.

“I think what is of interest for prospective donors is they see this as kind of a standalone project with its own identity, as something that is engaging for them, and also provides a springboard for conversation,” says Mr. Rose on why the Town’s existing corporate logo wouldn’t necessarily do the trick. “The brand is really important, that they see themselves reflected in the brand. When you’re a prospective donor, you want to be part of something that is interesting, creative and new.

“When it came to releasing the logo, we just wanted to own it and I think by having Katrina out there, someone who is really relatable, a young professional who is good in her field and has the confidence of Council and her colleagues, I think putting that out there and the way we rolled out was really successful.”

By Brock Weir
Editor
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter