THEODORE ROOSEVELT MEDORA FOUNDATION

A BIG LITTLE VACATION

Two people hiking on a grassy hill with rolling hills and sunset in the background.

THEODORE ROOSEVELT MEDORA FOUNDATION

Leading The Way To Your Next Good Old Days

How can a town of 130 have endless things to do? We set out to answer just that – sharing the story of North Dakota’s most-storied destination.

The “Big Little Vacation” campaign highlights the remarkable juxtapositions that make Medora unique. Between the presidential history and the outdoor adventures and a musical production that’s been featured in the New York Times, this tiny town proves that big fun comes in fun-sized packages.

Hand holding a Medora adventure guide booklet against a scenic landscape of hills and a winding river.

Open travel brochure titled One Big Little Vacation laid in green plants with scenic landscape photos.

Close-up of a folded event brochure featuring Medora Gospel Brunch details in white text on teal background.

Where else does relaxation make your heart race? How is an out-of-this-world vacation so close to home? What makes Badlands look so good? All the oxymorons made for some really fun work.

Billboard advertising Medora's Real Life TED Talks with a man in a suit raising his fist.

Two hikers with walking sticks in a grassy, scenic landscape with hills in the background.

Bison silhouette at sunset on grassy hills with text 'Windows Down Horns Up' and Medora.com.

Visuals

Inspired by old-timey playbills and wanted posters, we crafted with a custom typeface, Mesteño, named after the wild horses of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. A new color palette was sourced straight from the buttes and canyons of the Badlands. (No rocks were harmed in the making of this creative.)

Typography sample on rust background showing Mesteño in bold white and Rosebay, Chaparral Pro Bold, and Regular fonts.

Branding elements including warm colors and burnt orange icons

Photography

We turned our lens towards real moments. The challenge was showing both the scale of the scene and intimacy of the vacation memories you’ll hold onto forever.

Dancers in blue floral costumes and red boots perform a lively folk dance on stage at night.

Backpacks and slippers by a sunlit glass door opening to a wooden balcony with snowy rooftops outside.

Two cyclists wearing helmets riding mountain bikes on a trail through yellow wildflowers under cloudy sky.

Man in chef coat and straw hat holding skewers of grilled meat while a girl looks on.

Trail map, 'Not-So-Roughing It' book, and trail mix on a topographic map background.

Radio

On the airwaves, we reimagined some of Medora’s larger-than-life characters and brand spokespeople – or spokesbuffalo?

Lawrence & Schiller · TRMF - TEDDY - Larger Than Life

Lawrence & Schiller · TRMF - BILLY the Buffalo

Video

More than 15 hours of summer sunlight means there’s even more time for out-sized adventures (and for super long shoot days). We brought the sounds of the scene to life with an action-packed video. Got your popcorn ready?