Say hello to my best friends Abby Gettys and Daniel Hart who started Hello Peoria as a grassroots movement to encourage people to share what they are doing in Peoria on social media using the hashtag #hellopeoria. They were the ones who encouraged me to create the popular “Hello Peoria” design on Daniel’s shirt and also submit it to Snapchat, where it’s been shared, yielding millions of views.

Since the start, artists and collaborators have taken the initiative to create products and artwork focused on the Hello Peoria movement. Lettering Works quickly became responsible for a variety of branded products. They fit very well into the overall Peoria product line that I was developing. All of these efforts were volunteer in hopes to spread positivity within the community. Additional graphics were made, events were held, stickers and other items handed out - all to build excitement in the community and instill pride in those experiencing all that Peoria has to offer.

The Greater Peoria Economic Development Council approached me to design a new logo, expanding the movement to the region. Hello Greater Peoria was born with the intention of replacing the existing regional attraction strategy “LiveGP.” Through the new brand, the GPEDC aims to unite the community in spreading positivity throughout the region.

It was essential to incorporate “Greater” into the logo since the GPEDC’s focus is regional and not just on Peoria itself. It was important to retain certain elements of the design to ensure a visual connection to the original Hello Peoria brand remained present. Working through a few options allowed for exploration of how this brand could evolve to serve the region.

All Hello Peoria collaborators are excited to see where this new evolution leads the region and the positive impact that the brand will continue to have on the community.

The easiest way to get involved and support Hello Peoria is using the hashtag #hellopeoria on Instagram when sharing your experiences in Peoria. Searching the hashtag promotes a focus on celebrating the positives that Peoria has to offer and connects like-minded individuals who would like to see Peoria continue to grow and thrive as a community. You can follow along with the official Hello Peoria accounts on both Instagram and Facebook as well as check out the Hello Greater Peoria website: www.livegp.org.