Page Lumber Centennial Case Study
Graphic Design, Marketing, Branding, Advertising, Apparel
100 Years of Lumber
Page Lumber turned 100. They needed more than a party—they needed a legacy moment. I stepped in as both creative director and execution machine, building a full-scale centennial identity that honored their history.
The Challenge
Page Lumber is a century-old, family-run building materials company with a lean marketing footprint. They don’t typically host large events or produce major campaigns—but turning 100 isn’t a moment you whisper. The challenge was creating a celebration worthy of the milestone, one that honored their legacy, energized the community, and delivered a year’s worth of cohesive, elevated visuals without overwhelming their day-to-day operations
Brand Identity
The Centennial identity was built to reintroduce Page Lumber to the community—rooted in heritage, but unmistakably alive. The core concept centered on wisdom over time. Wood literally records its history, so tree rings became a recurring symbol throughout the system.
The logo suite included eight variations tailored for real-world use: one-color and two-color versions for screen printing and embroidery, an inverted single-color version for engraving, and simplified “barless” and circular marks for small-scale or specialty applications. Every variation kept the same visual backbone, ensuring the centennial mark stayed recognizable no matter where it lived.
Print Colleterial
Print pieces blended historic company photography with new imagery to show the evolution of both Page Lumber and the building materials industry. The design challenge was honoring the past without slipping into “old and dusty.” The solution was a hybrid style—authentic, archival, and warm—but paired with clean typography and modern layouts.
Because Page Lumber speaks to both homeowners and professional contractors, the messaging needed to bridge the gap. The chosen line “Building our community. Building your trust. 100 years and counting.” celebrated longevity while reinforcing reliability.
Commemorative Merch
The centennial celebration became a moment of pride. A collaboration with a local brewery produced Page Lumber’s own lager—complete with a custom beer can label (a personal dream project). We also created engraved Stanley cups, branded beer glasses, and beer tokens for the event.
To add a symbolic and sustainable touch, each guest took home a baby fir tree labeled “100 years and still growing strong.” These small details helped tie the centennial message into something guests could literally plant and remember.
Strategy
The centennial wasn’t a one-off poster or a quick social post—it needed to carry an entire year of attention, pride, and storytelling. The strategy was to build a flexible, heritage-driven identity system that could scale across every corner of the company: multi-location stores, digital platforms, community partners, remodels, and the anniversary event itself.
The visual direction leaned into “modern heritage.” Historic photographs, tree-ring symbolism, and warm material tones grounded the work in Page Lumber’s roots, while clean type, clear hierarchy, and modular layouts kept everything sharp and current.
The messaging approach unified two audiences, homeowners and contractors, while staying simple enough for the entire team to deploy without extra training. The goal was straightforward: honor the past, modernize the present, and make sure Page Lumber entered its next century with confidence.
Execution
The full creative output spanned more than fifty deliverables across print, digital, environmental design, and merchandising. A few pillars of the work:
Brand Identity Suite
A full eight-mark logo system, optimized for embroidery, engraving, screen printing, small-scale assets, and large-format signage.
Print System
A cohesive library including posters, postcards, event materials, rack cards, historical booklets, and in-store displays each blending archival imagery with modern layouts.
Digital Assets
Website hero graphics, social templates, email headers, internal announcements, and digital signage for multiple locations.
Environmental Graphics
Large-format banners, aisle markers, window clings, event signage, and visual elements incorporated into ongoing store remodels.
Merch & Giveaways
Beer cans, beer glasses, engraved drinkware, branded tokens, custom stickers, and take-home fir seedlings.
Everything followed the same visual logic so the centennial felt cohesive no matter which store you stepped into or which channel you interacted with.
Impact
The centennial became more than an anniversary; it became a unifying moment for the entire company. Store teams across all locations adopted the visuals immediately, creating a consistent look Page Lumber hadn’t experienced before. Customers responded with increased engagement asking about the story, sharing photos, and interacting with the displays.
Internally, the project sparked pride. Employees wore the merch. Managers used the collateral. The brand finally felt aligned across departments, and leadership continued to use many of the centennial elements far beyond the anniversary year.
The celebration successfully reintroduced Page Lumber to the community while communicating stability, craft, and growth. It honored tradition without getting stuck in it and gave a 100-year-old company a refreshed identity ready for its next century.