Vermilion Lake Association

Full disclosure… my sister-in-law is involved with the good folks at the VLA.  So, perhaps the work that we did was simply a product of having an insider in the process.  Know what?  Take every opportunity you can fulfill a project that falls in your lap!

That said, we still had to deliver “the goods”, make her look good so that my brother wouldn’t disown me AND ensure that the work was the best thing they had ever done.  Think in the reverse, if you’re a board member and one of your own tells you that you should use her brother-in-law from “the big city”, you’re instantly skeptical and are figuring that you’re going to live to regret your decision to acquiesce.

No pressure there

In truth, we had no worries, other than how long it might take to get everything signed off.  You see, my sister-in-law is a tenacious salesperson and is very good at persuasion (for all the right reasons, mind you).  Still, it can be tough to get an entire group on board, but after some initial logo studies, our walleye centered illustration took hold.  Fleshing out how this new identity could take their organization to the next level was simply a case of showing everyone how their constituencies would interact with their new brand.  When your client recognizes that their customers will be pleased with the results, it’s pretty easy to “get them into your boat”.

The Vermilion Lake Association is headquartered in Tower, Minnesota, just about as far north as you can go in the continental United States.  It’s a crystal clear lake, a beautiful area and if you’re an outdoorsy-type, that enjoys great lodging, food and friendly people — careful — you might just get hooked!