More than covered bridges 

Vermont has become shorthand for idyllic New England: covered bridges, fall foliage, cows, rolling hills. While accurate, it doesn’t reflect the depth and complexity of the state’s experiences.

A rigorous research process — including a 400+ mile journey across 14 towns, extensive conversations with stakeholders and visitors, and a review of previous tourism brand research — revealed much more than nostalgia. Vermont has the highest density of artists and writers in the country, it set the standard for farm-to-table long before it became a trend, it has a culture of storytelling that makes most visits feel warm, yet educational whether you planned for that or not.

The problem wasn’t that Vermont lacked substance. It was that the existing narrative positioned it as a place to observe rather than engage with. 

State of Inspiration

Vermont was broadly perceived as an escape from modern life, but the more we examined that idea, the more it worked against it. Escape implies avoidance, running from something rather than moving toward it. It gives the credit to whatever you're leaving behind, not to Vermont itself.

What we found instead: Vermont is a place you come away from having gained something. The landscape slows you down. The food connects you to how things are grown and made. Vermonters share stories in ways that tend to stick. Visitors arrive wanting to recharge and leave having learned something.

That insight became the foundation of the destination brand strategy: ‘State of Inspiration’

The line is a play on the word ‘state’ and expands its meaning beyond a place on a map. Vermont is geographic state, filled with rolling hills, ever-changing seasons, ski slopes and artist studios; but it is also a state of mind: a feeling of curiosity, creativity and possibility that you experience while you’re here and carry with you long after you leave.

A logo full of symbols

The wordmark draws from Vermont’s handcrafted culture: the hand-painted signs found on roadsides, storefronts and farm stands throughout the state. Developed by DNCO and refined by lettering artist Rob Clarke, the letterforms carry specific references — the ‘e’ traces a winding road, the ‘m’ rises into the hills, the ‘o’ reads as moon over mountains, echoing the state administrative logo.

An identity shaped by story

The brand identity system reflects the stories Vermont proudly shares. A single typeface, used in varying weights, carries the emotional range from serious to playful, depending on the story being told. While the color palette mirrors Vermont’s natural seasonal shifts, from spring greens to the deep reds and oranges of fall foliage — a system designed to change with the seasons, just as Vermont’s landscape does.

Reading the signs

As we moved through the state, the symbols on the state seal, the road signage system and the typographic ornaments in books by Vermont writers all pointed to the same idea: icons were emerging as a consistent visual language. This observation led to the creation of a custom icon library referencing specific Vermont subjects: food, landscape, culture, and local lore like Champ, the Lake Champlain “monster.” To ensure the icons felt rooted in Vermont’s spirit, they were developed by Alyssa McCabe, an artist with long-term ties to the state.

Validated by visitors and Vermonters

From the outset, the brief demanded a brand that visitors would be drawn to and Vermonters would be proud of. We ran focus groups across the country to understand which elements of the brand were landing, then validated findings with a survey of prospective visitors and Vermont residents. 

Finally, we consulted industry professionals who would be using the brand day-to-day. They saw ‘State of Inspiration’ as expansive, optimistic and distinctly intriguing. The visual identity was well-received for its specificity and references to Vermont’s symbols and stories. 

From summits to statewide use 

State of Inspiration launched at the 2026 Vermont Tourism Summit and the entire brand platform at the Vermont Tourism Alliance Summer Regional Event. The destination brand is now rolling out across the state’s marketing, collateral and a refreshed tourism website.

To support adoption, we developed brand guidelines and onboarding workshops so partners across the state can tell the story with consistency. Vermont has always been beloved and now it has a story that defines it: State of Inspiration