Governor Baxter
website (Wordpress + WooCommerce)
Governor Baxter is a person. Governor Baxter is an online outdoor gear shop. The person was the 53rd governor of Maine from 1921 to 1925. Famous for his Irish Setters, one of whom died during his term in office. He flew the state flag at half mast. There is a cemetery for his dogs on Mackworth Island in Casco Bay. More famously, Governor Baxter personally purchased Mount Katahdin in northern Maine and donated it to the state to create Baxter State Park.
Governor Baxter, the outdoor gear shop, is run by a descendent of the real Governor. In keeping with his local history, the company creates all its products in Maine. All materials are natural. The flagship product is the Mackworth dog bed.
I researched a trove of family archives and designed a brand that references and highlights the provenance of the company. This begins with the logo, which blends two formal and subtly nostalgic fonts with a political campaign pin from 1921. Historic and family photos are intermingled with product shots. The company founder maintains the site himself, so I developed it around a basic WordPress theme with a WooCommerce plugin. The company exists exclusively online, although its solid identity and products have now begun to attract attention from national brands.
What I did
- Creative Direction
- Design
- Copywriting
- Wordpress development