Clemson students help reintroduce the Village of West Greenville

In recent years, Greenville, South Carolina, has seen rapid growth, attracting new residents from across the country with its growing food scene, creative energy and small-business charm.

Over this past academic year, four Cadency students partnered with the Village Business Association to reimagine the neighborhood’s brand and website. Their goal was to create a shared identity that could unify more than 150 small businesses and celebrate the community of West Greenville. The students in the team were:

• Brooke Bedell, junior marketing major from Vernon Hills, Illinois
• Natalie Bell, senior graphic communications major from Greenville, South Carolina
• Kylie DeWeese, junior sports communication and marketing double major from Greenville, South Carolina
• Bella Greco, junior marketing major from Fort Lauderdale, Florida
• Evy Lane, junior marketing student from Greenville, South Carolina
• Bryson Padgett, senior marketing student from Irmo, South Carolina

In Cadency, Clemson’s student-led brand agency housed in the Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business, students take on real-world branding projects for companies like Whataburger, Smoothie King and HP, guided by faculty mentors.

“We were so excited to take on this project,” said DeWeese. “Many of our team members grew up around the Greenville area, and my great-grandfather worked in one of the mills. This project was personal for me, and I was proud to be a part of it.”

Listening first, then designing

The very first step the team took in the rebranding process began with research. The team visited the Village in person, talked with business owners and distributed surveys through Facebook groups and Reddit to gather insight from residents and frequent visitors. They also dug into the area’s history through the Clemson Archives, exploring old photographs, documents and records to learn more about what makes the Village so special.

“It became clear early on that the history of the Village was incredibly important,” said Bedell. “We knew after we began learning more about it that the history was something we wanted to incorporate into the rebranding.”

During one visit to the archives, Bell, the team’s designer, came across an old photo of Brandon Mill laundry trucks. The script lettering on the side of the truck stood out and eventually inspired the logo’s custom type.

“When we started thinking about the logo, we knew we wanted it to be unique,” Bell said, “and when I saw the laundry trucks and the script it used, I knew that’s what I wanted our logo to look like.”

That original type inspired the logo’s signature “V” and was paired with modern elements to keep the brand fresh. It also features stitching and script details to highlight the influence the mill and textiles had historically on the Village.

Community launch

By the end of the Fall semester, the team presented its initial branding, logo concepts and a prototype website. The feedback from the Village Business Association was positive, and they decided to move forward with the concept.

In the spring, Bella Greco, junior marketing major, joined to make a team of four. Together, they took the design concepts and built a fully functioning Squarespace website that launched for the public unveiling in April.

“Coming in with fresh eyes, I could immediately tell how much heart had gone into the work,” said Greco. “It was amazing being able to see all our hard work take shape and become something real.”

After working on the final touches to the rebrand, the team of Cadency students presented the final product in April.

“Being able to work on this project was such an honor,” explained Bell. “This rebranding is really just a reflection of what’s always made the Village special.”

About Cadency

Through the Brand Communications Signature Program at the Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business, the Erwin Center for Brand Communications launched Cadency, an interdisciplinary student-led brand agency. Cadency is an opportunity for students of all majors to gain real-world branding experience before graduating. Companies and organizations can inquire about becoming clients, and the students, with guidance from faculty members, help solve client problems from research and insights to concept development. Cadency also offers opportunities for students to learn from industry and business leaders with past trips to Atlanta, New York, Chicago and the Pacific Northwest.