We Are Nashville

The Need

Unprecedented flooding hit the Nashville area early in May 2010. Once the rain went away and the waters began to recede, thousands of citizens saw the damage and their fellow neighbors in need. People rolled up their sleeves and immediately got to work. Catalyzing the rebuilding effort was this post by local blogger Patten Fuqua. Hours after writing it, the post was emailed and shared and nearly instantly, a rallying cry had been born.

Looking for a way to help raise awareness and money for recovery efforts, Cool People Care contacted Fuqua for permission to use his words on a T-shirt to sell to fund rebuilding middle Tennessee via The Community Foundation. Permission was granted and Cool People Care worked with Rob Williams of Proof to find an appealing design.

The Work

Rob set out to capture the spirit of the voluntarism, the reality of the situation, and the ethos of the city. He wanted a design that wasn’t centered on the flood, but was borne out of it. Thus the “Hatch show” style font resting on a blue wave remembers the disaster, honors a people, and embodies a movement. The design is clear and compelling.

The Result

The day the design was finalized and listed for sale online, over 1,000 orders were placed, especially after the design appeared on Anderson Cooper: 360. To date, the design has raised over $100,000 for flood relief efforts in Tennessee, and continues to be shipped around the world to supporters, some four months after the event.

Click here to learn more about the We Are Nashville campaign