OLG has had the privilege of providing marketing and communications consulting services to Foellinger Foundation for many years, including a recent brand evolution, and a documentary on its founder, Helene Foellinger.
At the beginning of 2022, OLG was asked to help further bring its brand and history to life as part of a major office renovation. Originally built in 1992, Helene envisioned it as a convening space where Allen County nonprofit leaders collaborated and ideated ways to address our community’s most crucial issues, and so the new space features more open community space, including four rooms that are available for use by Allen County nonprofits at no cost. Our goal was to complement the wonderful work being done by MKM architecture + design to make this space open and welcoming, while telling the story of the Foundation and its founders.
While the brand’s touchpoints can be experienced throughout the building, we’ve highlighted some of our favorites below.
Upper Level
As you walk into Foellinger Foundation’s new lobby, you’ll first notice the brightly colored mural, which depicts some of Fort Wayne’s most iconic buildings. (Note the raised elements off the wall, creating a unique viewing experience.) If needed, a custom-made wayfinding display will guide you to where you need to go. You’ll also see a grid of tv displays that contains a customizable welcome message alongside historical family footage, as well as footage developed by OLG for a grantee video library for the Foundation.
The other major highlight is The Library. We envisioned a space where Foellinger family artifacts could be shown in museum-quality displays. Custom, inset acrylic boxes were created and curated with unique items, like Helen’s ski boots and the family’s projector. The artifact display and Foellinger Family flip wall, located on the lower level, feature online audio descriptions in an effort to make the displays more accessible.
Lower Level
Walking down into the common space of the lower level, you’ll encounter the custom-made Foellinger family flip wall. This display has 15 “cards” that have an image relating to the Foellinger family on the front, and turn to reveal a description on the other side.
We also considered ways to infuse the Foellinger family history into meeting rooms. In The Cabin Room, guests sit next to two illustrated posters done in an early 20th-century style to reflect the adventurous spirit of Oscar Foellinger and his interests. In The Garden, named because of the fun moss wall—a tribute to Esther Foellinger, whose passion was gardening—you’ll find a custom neon sign with a message true to the Foundation.
And we can’t forget the voting wall—a fun addition that extends a friendly vibe in the kitchenette area. Voting content can be easily switched out to whatever is on people’s minds!
Exterior
Just as important as what’s inside the building, is the signage on the outside—we made sure to add elements that elevated its presence in downtown Fort Wayne and made it easy to find entry points to the parking lot.
