bold. sophisticated. PLAYFUL.
When Coastal Virginia Realtor, Erin O’Brien, first connected with us, she was passionate about her work, but less clear about how to share her story with the world. While her service was powerful, the brand itself was invisible. So in summer of 2025, Erin invited BLUEPRINT to craft an all-new visual and verbal identity that would champion the best of her personality – calm yet confident, with a side of cheeky attitude.
For Erin, our challenge was conveying the spirit of a pro who believes the home buying + selling experience can be both everyday and exceptional. Erin’s past NFL career in marketing, PR and coaching brought rich texture to her story, but needed revitalizing to her current audience. We also needed to tap into the beauty of her coastal environment and honor her generational real estate expertise without losing a modern expression.
Through a full rebrand experience, we helped Erin reposition herself as a real estate brand that truly gives a damn — where moves are actually moments, and clients feel safe and seen with warm, authentic personality. (Flip flops, F-bombs and all.)
To achieve this, we crafted a voice for the Erin O’Brien brand that moves away from cold category-speak and communicates with gravity, friendliness, and wholesome attitudinal punch.
We began with the idea of celebration (something Erin frequently highlighted in her own writing + client convos), expanding into notions of the power of presence and belonging. Buying and selling as a series of savor-worthy moments. A state where celebration flows freely.
STORY & MESSAGING DEVELOPMENT
In an industry saturated with inflated marketing promises and fake friendliness, Erin needed to be understood as a genuine, meaningful partner. An individual who cares deeply about her people, but knows how to ditch the fuss.
Meanwhile we wove in an occasionally punchy tone of voice that pays tribute to Erin’s tenacious past in the NFL world. Through subtle sports imagery – athleticism as a metaphor, peppered throughout the copy – we reframed the way Erin handles preparation, execution and “peak performance” wins for her buyers and sellers.
With our lead strategy writer, Emilie, at the helm, we successfully developed a messaging suite for the Erin O’Brien brand that integrates her lighthearted attitude with a refined style. The resulting copy is both a beacon for celebration and an invitation to benefit from Erin’s “No B.S.” real estate savvy, all rooted in easy, open-hearted acceptance of people + process.
"After 13 years in real estate, I’d experienced a lot. Started on a team, then built my own business while navigating the chaos of the COVID market, switching brokerages, and juggling personal challenges along the way. I’d reached that 'sweet spot' in my business, but knew I needed messaging to match that clarity..."
"Before, my messaging felt like puzzle pieces scattered on the table. Now it’s not just words on paper — it’s a voice that mirrors how I show up in this business.
"Emilie guides you in a way that feels supportive and insightful, and the result is messaging that feels authentic and powerful. The process is part strategy, part reflection, and part pep talk. It leaves you with messaging that makes you excited and confident to put yourself out there."
visual BRAND IDENTITY
The brand color palette aims to feel both lighthearted and comforting. We avoided primarily muted or washed-out pastel tones often seen in coastal brands, instead marrying bold leading colors of deep Oak and jewel-toned Ocean – and a signature, celebratory yellow “pop” – with softer supporting neutrals for grounded balance.
To balance the elegant flow of the Wordmark, we selected a “typewriter style” font for supporting typography. Its uniformity and block-like extensions cut through the warmth, creating the tension we were after, while echoing the nostalgic charm of the Wordmark.
The Primary Logo begins with a thoroughly custom Wordmark. The italicized display serif typeface in use for Erin’s name blends vintage curves with older-style calligraphy, creating a memorable, energetic expression.
With these leading lockups in place, we introduced a unique system of supporting elements to mirror the range of Erin’s personality. An effortless monogram icon, classic brand pattern, and various submarks together form an emotional, ownable component of the visual language.
The result? “The Elo Pattern" — pulling distinctive graphs of copy and other bits of styled language from Erin’s new brand messaging, enlivening them graphically across the page alongside other playful “Elo” sub graphics.
THE "ELO" PATTERN
Early on in our process, Erin introduced us to her nickname, “Elo,” and asked if we could meaningfully incorporate the word into her brand visuals. She was first given the nickname as a teenager working on the oceanfront; the name stuck through college and her NFL career. Eventually “Elo” made its way onto her license plate, then as the focal point of her original real estate logo.
We knew the story + sentimentality of “Elo” deserved a place within the brand suite. But to give the word due meaning (and avoid any muddling of the formal business name), we had to contextualize it appropriately.
It’s sophisticated but cheeky, designed to play well on tissue paper, within print pieces, and wherever a more punchy or story-driven marketing tone is needed to make a statement.
In practical use within brand collateral, the Sand Dollar Icon is a conversation starter and functional visual tool. Most importantly, by taking a true coastal object and giving it a bold twist, the Icon symbolically embodies what Erin’s service stands for: something sensitive yet resilient, and fully adaptable.
ILLUSTRATION
In our visual discovery phase with Erin, we agreed to create an illustrative piece that would nod to the natural beauty of her coastal location while showcasing creative distinction. But we craved a more elegant solution than the bevy of overused coastal brand cliches. Our resulting concept – the sand dollar – felt both subtly distinct and regionally relatable.
SAND DOLLAR ICON
The Erin O’Brien brand suite also includes artistic patterns that expand the coastal imagery in unexpected ways.
In a clear nod to the illustrative Icon, we created an entirely hand-drawn pattern reflecting the micro interior design of the sand dollar. Its artistic style emphasizes spontaneity and “perfectly imperfect” detailing – visually intriguing all on its own and particularly when scaled up or down to create new compositions.
ILLUSTRATIVE PATTERNS
We also created a more abstract “coastal texture” using the monoprint method. Our in-house illustrator, Christine, mixed colors layered onto a glass surface and pressed down with a palette knife. The thick, tactile and lushly painted result is unafraid to show a little grit.
To complete the authentic fusion of artwork playing off the larger coastal theme, we rounded out the illustration suite with a final handmade element. “Light on the Sea” takes a soft impressionist approach to create a vibrant and shimmering effect, capturing the qualities of contrasting light + shadow in an abstract coastal scene.
We love how the audacious, joyful flecks of light visually communicate a core theme of Erin’s brand ethos — “Celebrate Everything” — with depth and luminosity.
Overall, Erin’s illustrative suite avoids direct reproductions of tired coastal brand cliches, while building an original visual universe conveying freshness and familiarity. Each piece will function as a beautiful, versatile layering element within both print and digital media.
KIND WORDS
"Before, my branding looked like it was trying hard but hadn’t quite grown into itself yet. It got the job done, but it didn’t fully capture the personality or the level of professionalism I bring to my work.
"After working with Caroline and her team, my brand feels like it has finally arrived. It is polished, coastal, confident, and warm. It communicates my story without me even having to say a word. And honestly, it makes me feel proud every time I see it, which is a huge shift from where I was before."
ERIN O'BRIEN, FOUNDER
With support from our team for customization, Erin further expanded her new marketing toolkit with client guides, using our signature studio templates as the foundation for premium resources like a Relocation Guide.
BRANDED CLIENT GUIDES
Through her new identity and voice, Erin is empowered to fulfill her best brand promises — creating space to be at ease and present in the moment, with a brand world that resonates with clients’ everyday experiences. Each expression of the identity pays homage to her tenacious story while consciously driving growth through creative connection, fresh solutions and warmhearted celebration.
