In February 2022, Northern Plains Resource Council was preparing to host a rally against a disastrous methane-fired power plant being constructed in Laurel, MT. The plant is owned by NorthWestern Energy, Montana’s monopoly utility company. In the weeks leading up to the rally, they wanted to run digital ads in local newspapers calling for accountability from NorthWestern Energy. In addition, they needed design collateral for the rally.
Scope: Four weeks
Scope: Four weeks
Deliverables: Caricature Illustration, Digital Ads, Rally Signs, Rally Banner
Software used: Photoshop, Illustrator
Software used: Photoshop, Illustrator
Team of stakeholders:
Communications Director
Lead Community Organizer
Member-Leaders of the Campaign
Communications Director
Lead Community Organizer
Member-Leaders of the Campaign
My role: Graphic Designer and Illustrator
The stakeholder team wanted the digital ads to call out NorthWestern Energy directly for the pollution, expensive costs, and climate implications of the new plant. The team wanted something that felt like a “vintage health and safety PSA poster.”
I said, “You got it!”
I said, “You got it!”
I started with a caricature illustration that is loosely based on NorthWestern’s CEO. The team came up with the great idea to mimic the Monopoly Man to emphasize the company’s corrupt money-grab by constructing this plant, and to turn his top hat into a smokestack.
Caricature Illustration
From there, I incorporated a vintage-looking font and a collage to highlight the plant’s pollution in the digital ad.
Accountability Banner Ad
Tying in some branding elements from the ad, I created the rally design collateral. I wanted the signs and the banner to be colorful and visually impactful to make sure they were memorable to the community.
People's Hearing banner
People's Hearing banner
Protest signs
This was one of my first times creating an illustration for a high-impact campaign such as this. It was particularly exciting to stretch my creative skills with such a pointed and political image. These designs helped NorthWestern Energy see that they were being watched and would not be able to get away with such a destructive new energy development project.
