Asian Chamber of Commerce Rebrand

The Asian Chamber of Commerce Colorado (ACC) is a growing organization with deep roots in the AAPI communities.

Client: ACC

Lead: Alicia Disantis

Brief: The goal was to modernize the ACC’s 15-year-old logo by creating an updated visual identity. The ACC was expanding into new regions of Colorado and needed a logomark that positioned them as leaders within the business community. Their logo was tired, inflexible, and vague, and didn’t reflect the impact they made in the community or their unique values.

With AAPI hate crimes on the rise, the ACC had a powerful opportunity to educate, unite, and support the communities they serve. It was time to rebrand.

The AAPI community in Colorado has nearly doubled over the past 20 years, and includes over 200,000 people (2020 data).

We were asked to create a logo that:

Incorporated Asian symbolism
Incorporated Colorado symbolism
Was bold and easy to recognize
Allowed for flexibility in branding: combined logos, partnerships, products, sponsorships, and more

Challenge: Creating a visual identity that avoided stereotypes, tropes, and cliches. Asian cultures are ripe with symbolism and bold imagery, and more often than not they are Americanized and exploited. And on the otherhand, Colorado’s symbolism is typically limited to a mountain or a weed leaf. What could we create that was honest, respectful, and unique?

Solution: We designed a logomark that combined two famous botanical symbols, representing each culture - Colorado and AAPI - in equal measure.

The lotus: A far-reaching symbol that is sacred in many Asian cultures, representing strength, rebirth and enlightenment.

The columbine: The state flower of Colorado, adored and grown by many Coloradans.

Combined, these circular shapes radiate from the center and create intriguing overlay patterns. A semi-transparent color treatment was applied to create a “light-filtered” or stained glass appearance. It’s a timeless logomark that is totally unique and quickly recognizable.

It also takes on a new personality in an outline-only version, as shown below in a rich, jewel-toned color palette.