Pick Ellijay, Gilmer County

How We Helped

  • Ad campaign
  • Branding
  • Copywriting
  • Digital advertising
  • Environmental graphics
  • Giphy stickers
  • Swag
  • Website
Couple drinking wine in a beautiful apple orchard

The Apple Capital of Georgia

Nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains lies Gilmer County, Georgia’s own wine and apple country. Gilmer’s county lines were drawn in 1832, and just two years following, Ellijay was hoisted into the county seat. Once a remote mountain community, the progression of the railroad brought a boom to the lumber industry. Today, Gilmer County’s sprawling vineyards and treelined trails are a blissful return to nature that calls to all.

Magazine ad of family walking through apple orchard

So much to behold

As The Apple Capital of Georgia, Gilmer County is ripe with creative potential. After partnering on an award-winning website redesign project, we have had the opportunity to develop a long-term creative services relationship with the organization. The continued efforts have resulted in three branded trail experiences, a comprehensive ad campaign, conference assets and a whole lot of swag in between. How do you like them apples?

Pick Ellijay enamel pin

Pinning Gilmer County on the map

As the largest international travel writer conference in the U.S., IPW is a must-attend for communities hoping to mingle with travel writers and bloggers. To help Gilmer County make a sweet first impression, we designed three t-shirts featuring custom illustrations for their team to wear.

An enamel pin affixed to a backing card served as a takeaway for conference attendees. A QR code on the back of the card led users to a landing page about tourism in Gilmer County.

Mockup of three shirts
Man on laptop visiting the Gilmber Chamber website

Award-Winning Website

The fully-responsive, custom WordPress site was created to allow the Chamber staff complete control and management of the site – ensuring it could grow and evolve alongside the community. The front-end was designed to be as visually appealing as the real-life Gilmer County. Don’t be shy, visit gilmerchamber.com.

Georgia Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus logo

In February of 2023, the site won the Georgia Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus’s Paul Braun Award for Marketing Initiatives (budget over $1 million)

A Trio of Trails

Three unique, experiential trail brands were crafted to drive economic generation to and awareness of local businesses, while appealing to visitors and residents alike helped to create a year-round experience.

Three logos for Ellijay's three trails
Rack cards

Rack Up the Points

A rack card was created for each trail so that participants can collect stamps and claim a prize. These rack cards are placed in Gilmer’s Visitor Center and at point-of-sale areas in participating businesses. After making a qualifying purchase, participants are awarded a stamp on the card. Once they’ve racked up enough points, they can redeem the card for a custom, trail-specific prize.

The Results

With a suite of thoughtfully branded marketing collateral, Gilmer County can now speak to its audience in a unified voice. In turn, the Chamber has gained the ability to increase regional awareness as an idyllic destination for leisure travelers. From apples and vineyards to trails and treats, visitors will live out storybook moments when they Pick Ellijay.