Nothing Compares

Driving back west down I-40 last night, I saw a billboard my friend Shannon had told me about. It's simple; it shows the letters "NC" with a pine tree in between with the catchphrase "Nothing Compares" below.

I saw it and tweeted (@matt_lail): "I'm digging the 'NC: Nothing Compares' ads. Nice job, @VisitNC !"

Unfortunately, I name-dropped the wrong state agency. The "Nothing Compares" campaign is a new branding campaign via the N.C. Department of Commerce, not Tourism. However, the point remains that I think this is very tasteful and very classic.

I followed up that tweet by saying that it's as if North Carolina said, "we see you and your Palmetto, SC. And we raise you a pine."

Anyway, here is some more info about the look of "Nothing Compares:"

With its scenic beauty and welcoming spirit, North Carolina has a special place in the hearts of residents, visitors and business leaders alike. Conversations with the people who know and love North Carolina helped us define the qualities that make the state so inspiring, and create the new expression of the North Carolina brand. The logo symbolizes the brand by focusing on the longleaf and other pine trees, a reflection of North Carolina’s strong roots and continued growth. The colors move from green to blue, mirroring the diverse landscape from the mountains to the sea. The tagline Nothing Compares captures the excitement of being connected to a place rich in ideas and opportunities.

The website itself features some nice pieces about the people of North Carolina, the very folks who "Inspire us all."

All in all, I really like this new brand and kudos to Kim Genardo and everyone at Commerce for pulling this off. It clearly has legs as I've seen caps and shirts with this look on them. (If anyone wants to send me some swag, I'm all for it!)  Even the Governor is getting involved. From a recent economic development announcement release (bolding is mine):

“Proto Labs is one of those 21st century companies that is helping North Carolina stay on the cutting edge of technology and innovation,” said Governor McCrory. “By more than doubling its workforce, the company is demonstrating that nothing compares to North Carolina when it comes to being a great place for innovative ideas.”

The Nothing Compares site promotes a brand video; however, I can't get it to load at the moment. So, instead, here is Sinead O'Connor with "Nothing Compares 2 U."



(Image from the NCCommerce.com site)