Black Walnut Inn & Vineyard

Our work began as a result of our long-standing relationship with Leah Schlechter, who we’d collaborated with during her stints at Mercy Corps and Alit Wines, a subscription service and tasting room based at the foot of the Red Hills. As a long-time Nike alum, Ms. Schlechter’s experience in marketing and branding would be an asset to the facility and its new owners, Rick and Erika Miller. Her understanding of the process in developing strategic platforms and the visual and verbal identities to support them were assurance that these efforts for Black Walnut Inn & Vineyard were in good hands. So too was the nature of Ms. Schlechter’s working relationship with OVO, which by now had found an ease and rhythm that had proven, time and again, to be productive and gratifying. With a relatively limited budget and an aggressive timeline, it meant we could work together iteratively, communicate openly, and arrive at solutions quickly. From our earliest conversations, it was clear that the new identity for the inn and vineyard would be at once, expressive and grounded, while considering the various applications and uses the mark would need to accommodate. Following a number of iterations, the favored type system—now highly stylized and emboldened—paired with its distinctive and familiar walnut logo, would establish a grounded brand identity that built upon the legacy of Black Walnut and would feel immediately fresh among the other competing attractions in the budding Willamette Valley.

Along with the new identity program, it was abundantly clear that Black Walnut Inn & Vineyard must convey the beauty and romance of both its architecture and the surrounding grounds. Of course, it was people who made these experiences possible and establishing a photographic style that captured the workings of the hospitality business with the languid sense of relaxation and comfort offered by the inn would be imperative. Black Walnut would need to feel “uniquely Oregon” while reminding visitors of their visions or recollections of Burgundy and the panoramas of Tuscany. Largely orchestrated by Ms. Schlechter, images would capture the ethereal light of the valley and express the inviting energy of the staff and its guests.

Given the vast array of happenings at the inn—from its full-scale culinary program, to weddings, social and corporate events, wine dinners, meetings, and rendezvous—the identity program would need to function on multiple levels, from production of daily menus and personal correspondence, to labeling, signage and digital platforms. While hardly unique for corporate communications, the needs of reproducing visual assets on the fly, accessible by many and for a multitude of purposes, is especially vital for a smaller enterprise such as a country inn. Keeping staff informed of guidelines for appropriate usage would require documentation, training, and on-going support.

Flexibility would also prove paramount. The format of the menu itself was a daily consideration, particularly given the ever-changing abundance of produce (yes, fruits and vegetables, but also fresh eggs, cheeses, meats and grains from area providers) that the valley supplied. Room service and wine pairing occasions also meant fresh sheets (the ones you read, as well as the ones you slept in) were produced and revised regularly. Digital templates and print-friendly file formats would have to feel as though they were thoughtfully crafted for each guest experience. And they were.

As with the grapes on the vine, our work with Black Walnut continues to evolve and grow in more complex and interesting ways with each changing season. Helping define special events and create the stories surrounding them is particularly satisfying with a property of such grace and beauty. Appealing to guests who have never visited Black Walnut Inn & Vineyards is just the start. Instilling a desire to return, time and again, is where the success of careful consideration and flawless execution is fully realized.

We embrace every opportunity to work with our friends at Black Walnut and are eager to see what both the vineyard produces for the bottle and what the inn delivers to travelers seeking to experience the very best that Oregon has to offer.