Build Oregon
The Work
Brand Voice & Messaging Guidelines
Campaign Strategy
Social Media Strategy
The Landscape
Nonprofit
Construction
Workforce Development
My Role
Strategist
Content Strategist
Copywriter
About the Organization
Build Oregon is a nonprofit initiative, created to help build a stronger, more diverse future for the construction industry. Their latest challenge? Recruiting Gen Z to the skilled trades.
The industry was aging out.
Gen Z wasn’t buying in.
Construction companies across Oregon were feeling the strain of an aging workforce and a major perception problem. Many young people saw four-year college degrees as the only path to success — and the trades weren't even on their radar.
Build Oregon needed a brand voice that didn’t sound like a parent telling you to "get a real job." They needed something authentic, energized, and unapologetically different to catch Gen Z’s attention — and show them that a career in the trades isn’t a backup plan; it’s a bold, badass choice.
“Build Oregon is a rebellion against the expected. In a world that pushes college debt and corporate cubicles, we offer another way — a path where skill, grit, and passion build not just careers but legacies.”
Hard hats meet punk rock.
To stand out, we leaned in: tapping into grunge, zine culture, and DIY rebellion as creative foundations for a campaign aimed at recent high school grads. Instead of trying to look polished or corporate, I built a voice that felt raw, real, and proud to go against the grain.
I developed a set of brand and messaging guidelines that embraced sharp wordplay, cultural references, and a fiercely independent tone. The guide included campaign direction to be used across social, print, and out-of-home campaigns — helping Build Oregon position the trades not as a fallback, but a first choice.
“You could spend four years in a lecture hall racking up debt. Or you could spend that time mastering skills that actually pay. Your call.”
Agency
Kinesis
Build Oregon Brand
Quinn Thomas
Campaign Design
Rebekah Garibay