Vanderbrand Kicks off 2025 with a Win

Anna Vander Herberg and Julie Vander Herberg, Vanderbrand partners

Vanderbrand is an award-winning independent strategy and creative agency founded by creative director Julie Vander Herberg in 2008. They hit 2025 running as they picked up the AOR for Base31, marking them as a rising agency for destination and place branding projects.

Base31 is a cultural destination located on the 70-acre site of a former World War II Air Training Base in Prince Edward County (PEC), Ontario. Base31 will serve as the cultural anchor of the larger 750-acre master-planned district that will be developed into a dynamic collection of neighbourhoods over the coming years.

Vanderbrand has been chosen to handle the strategy and brand identity for Base31, which includes performance venues such as The Drill Hall, a 1,500-person event space featuring the RBC Stage, and The Commissary, an open-air food and drink market, among other indoor and outdoor spaces. 

“We are excited to be at the heart of evolving the visual identity of Base31, Ontario’s premier cultural destination. Vanderbrand has deep roots in the region, as my business partner, Anna, and I were raised in the area. Base31 will transform the PEC region into a world-class destination for creative placemaking and we are thrilled to be a part of its journey.”
Julie Vander Herberg, founder of Vanderbrand

PEC Community Partners have embarked on a 25-year plan to transform the historic site and its surrounding area into a vibrant master-planned district designed by Boston-based and internationally acclaimed urban planning and design firm Sasaki, which will add over 7,500 homes to PEC.

“Over the next several years, these lands will be the home of culture, heritage, placemaking, residential, and commercial activation. The PEC Community Partners team selected the best agency partner to execute various brand initiatives for this exciting destination. Our collaboration with Vanderbrand unites internationally recognized creatives with a deep-rooted understanding of the community and proven success in destination and place branding."
Tim Jones, CEO Base31

In 2025, Base31 will begin its fourth season of arts, cultural, and culinary programming. Base31 has hosted large concerts by top Canadian musicians like Charlotte Cardin, Arkells, and The Sheepdogs. The Base31 cultural destination is led by Tim Jones, CEO, who was recently honoured with the Order of Canada for his contributions to arts and creative placemaking.

About Vanderbrand

Vanderbrand is an independent strategy and creative agency operating in Toronto. Led by research, the agency uses combined experience to create concise and compelling work. Vanderbrand operates across all industries to deliver strategy, brand, creative direction, and design for clients of varying scales.

Vanderbrand has been recognized by international juried competitions, including Communication Arts (United States), the Advertising and Design Club of Canada (Canada), Pentawards (Belgium), and Awards (Spain).

Vanderbrand has been featured in global publications including AIGA Eye on Design (United States), Creative Boom (United Kingdom), Taschen (Germany), The Brand Identity (United Kingdom), The Dieline (United States), Siteinspire (United Kingdom) and Victionary (Hong Kong). 

About PEC Community Partners 

PEC Community Partners is a group of community builders including CaraCo Group of Companies, DECO Communities, Fieldgate Homes, Paradise Developments, PEC Placemaking, and Rockport Group. The partnership brings together expertise in complete community development, affordable housing and commercial space, mixed-use residential, site servicing and infrastructure, and adaptive reuse of heritage sites with a specific focus on creative placemaking.

About Base31 

Base31 is Prince Edward County’s largest new cultural destination, located on the site of a former 70-acre World War II Air Training Base just outside of Picton, Ontario. Each year, Base31 hosts hundreds of experiences, ranging from big stage concerts to intimate performances by Canada’s top musicians, immersive after-dark programming, an open-air food and drink market, as well as public art, galleries, outdoor play spaces and programs for kids, historic tours, and bespoke group experiences. Base31 will open a museum celebrating the site’s heritage and the role that it has played within the local community, the nation, and globally.

Base31 is the cultural heart of a larger 750-acre site that is being developed over the coming years into a dynamic collection of neighbourhoods with a mix of uses: retail, restaurants, places to work and create, parks, trails, and recreation areas, a full complement of community amenities, and a range of housing to suit many needs. Together, we will create a County-made community brimming with opportunity: to live, to learn, to play, and to thrive.

Exciting project, congratulations Vanderbrand on the win!