By: Shawn Mars
JEFFERSON, GA — May 2025 — The City of Jefferson has officially awarded its comprehensive municipal rebranding project to Ghost Brands, a full-service creative and strategy agency known for its deep-dive approach to civic identity and community-driven branding.
This marks a significant next chapter for Jefferson, a city rich in history, culture, and Southern heritage. The rebranding initiative aims to honor Jefferson’s legacy while building a bold, unified vision for the future—one that reflects the city’s growth, values, and regional influence.
Ghost Brands, headquartered in the Southeast, is no stranger to municipal rebranding efforts. The agency previously led the acclaimed identity transformation for the City of Simpsonville, South Carolina—a project praised for its authenticity, community involvement, and long-term impact on tourism, economic development, and civic pride. Ghost Brands brings that same methodology to Jefferson: a holistic, immersive, and resident-first branding process that goes far beyond a new logo or tagline.
“We are thrilled to partner with Ghost Brands on the rebranding project for the city. Their creative strategy promises to craft not only a logo, but build a brand that tells the story of our past, showcases our present, and points to the path of our future.” – Mayor Jon S. Howell
“At Ghost Brands, we don’t believe in surface-level branding,” said Britton Briley, Founder and Creative Director of Ghost Brands. “To us, a brand isn’t something created in a vacuum—it’s something discovered by listening, exploring, and truly understanding the soul of a city. Jefferson deserves that level of care.”
Over the next 12 months, Ghost Brands will engage deeply with the Jefferson community—conducting interviews with citizens, city staff, and elected officials while diving into historical records, founding documents, and cultural milestones. Their goal: to understand what Jefferson is, what it was, and what it aspires to be.
Only after this discovery phase will design and messaging development begin, in full coordination with Jefferson’s leadership and stakeholders. From there, Ghost Brands will build a comprehensive brand system that includes visual identity, messaging pillars, brand voice, and communication strategy for all city departments. Through this process, Ghost Brands will ensure that every aspect of the city’s identity is considered, with particular attention to the elements that make Jefferson’s character unique.
But their role doesn’t stop at delivery. Ghost Brands will remain involved through the entire rollout—training department heads, aligning city-wide communications, assisting in public and media relations, and ensuring seamless brand integration across signage, websites, social platforms, uniforms, internal documents, marketing materials, and more.
“This isn’t just about aesthetics,” said Briley. “It’s about building something the city can use, live, and grow with—something that unites departments, energizes residents, and positions Jefferson for long-term success.”
With the project now underway, citizens can expect to see engagement opportunities in the coming months, from community surveys to storytelling initiatives and city forums.
About Ghost Brands
Ghost Brands is a full-service branding and marketing agency based in Greenville, South Carolina, specializing in building brands from the ground up. Known as “The Secret Marketing Agency,” Ghost Brands partners with businesses, cities, and organizations to deliver strategic storytelling, design, digital marketing, and campaign execution that aligns with purpose and community impact. With a diverse client portfolio spanning sports, municipalities, consumer products, and emerging startups, Ghost Brands has become a trusted name in authentic brand development across the Southeast and beyond. Learn more at ghostbrands.com.
Published by Jeremy S.
