Luxury Meets Old West: Building a Brand for The Wagons

Mike Short's father loved two things: covered wagons and the Black Hills. The Wagons brings both together. Mike and Mindy Short built a place where guests sleep in handcrafted covered wagons on their land, with the comforts of a real getaway. Before the first guest arrived, the Shorts needed a brand. The Courtside Group built it with them, starting from a blank page.

Problem

The Wagons was a brand-new business with no name recognition, no logo and no visual identity. It was opening in a region full of cabins, campgrounds and roadside motels, and it needed to look like none of them. It also had to feel personal, because the business is personal. The Wagons exists because of Mike's dad and because of what this land means to the Shorts. A stock western logo would have missed both.

As a small, owner-run business, The Wagons needed a partner who would learn the story before designing anything, and a scope that made sense for a business its size.

Solution

Courtside started by talking with Mike and Mindy about the land, about Mike's father and about what they wanted guests to feel when they pulled in. The covered wagon became the center of the logo because it's the center of the story. The tagline, Luxury Meets Old West, describes the stay in four words. The palette pairs Pioneer Blue and Night Sky with Antique and Reed, colors drawn from the Black Hills at dusk and the wagons’ canvas and wood. Kepler, a classic serif, carries the frontier feel, and Poppins keeps everyday materials clean and easy to read.

Courtside then showed the brand on signage, social posts and other mockups, so the Shorts could see it in use before paying for printing. A brand guideline covers logo use, color and type, so the brand stays consistent whether Mindy is posting to Instagram or a local sign shop is building the entrance sign.
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Result

The Wagons opened with a brand that already matched the stay. Guests know what they're getting before they arrive: Old West character with real comfort. For Mike and Mindy, it's a brand that tells their family's story every time someone sees the logo.

"We knew the experience we were creating was special, but nothing we had really showed it. Courtside gave us a brand that looks the way a night in one of our wagons feels. My dad would have been proud to see the name on that wagon, and that means more to me than anything."

— Mike Short, Owner, The Wagons

Work With Us

Starting something new and need a brand built from scratch? The Courtside Group will learn your story first and build an identity around it. Reach out to start the conversation.