ORGANIZATION BACKGROUND Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park is an icon in both California and the Sacramento area. One of the earliest European settlements, it is tied to pioneers, the Gold Rush, the Donner Party and of course John Sutter. The Friends of Sutter’s Fort is the non-profit that operates and manages many aspects of the Fort including the retail, marketing, special events and community relations. As a key attraction in the Sacramento region, we have been working with the Sacramento Convention and Visitors Bureau (SCVB) on promoting the Fort and providing special events for their tourism clients and in that spirit, created Pioneer Dinners. The Friends of Sutter’s Fort also operates the museum store at the Fort. The store sells interpretive items including products produced onsite. Items sold include kits for making corn husk dolls, woven bags etc. Currently, packaging is not professional nor intriguing; a consistent look and feel will increase sales, but will also improve the image of the organization. INSIGHTS: The park has a lot of equity in nostalgia – memories that are shared across generations. Significant repeat visitation: Survey shows 100,000 of visitors come to the Fort each year, and about 70% are 4th graders studying California history. When you visit, it is a real experience that sometimes includes hands-on activities, or interpretive activities that are not a typical part of modern life (i.e. spinning, weaving) . The Sutter’s Fort Trade Store, a retail store at the Fort has been highly successful in selling merchandise that interprets the Fort, but does not capture a “Created at the Fort” feel. Currently the kits don’t sell well to kids, although the kids are our largest customers. DESIGN OBJECTIVES: 1) Create a high quality promotional piece, that can be used in both print and can be shared electronically (PDF), to intrigue meeting and event planners and tour operators to include Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park as well as Pioneer Dinners in their plans. 2) Design a new packaging idea or store label that more closely embodies the brand character and positioning – and is ultimately more appealing to the broader targets (Passes the t-shirt test).

1. FRIENDS OF SUTTER’S FORT
JUNE 1, 2014

2. page 2
FRIENDS OF SUTTER’S FORT - PACKAGING & FLYER
packaging & flyer

3. Historic Sutter’s Fort in the heart
of Sacramento’s vibrant Midtown
area captures the pioneer spirit
of families arriving at the dawn of
the Gold Rush. Come experience
life during a bygone time of
California’s rich history.
S U T T E R S F O R T. O R G
• Historically costumed docents
• Events and exhibits
• Hands on activities
• Demonstrations
For Information Call: 800.777.0369 | 916.445.4422
Open 7 Days a Week | 10 AM - 5PM
916.653.6995 outside the U.S. | parks.ca.gov/suttersfort
• Gift Shop
• The Haunted Fort (October 24-25)
• “Environmental Living Program”
An overnight experience for 4th graders
THE FORT EXPERIENCE:
Steeped in tradition and immersed in an air of
bygone times, when cannons fired, dinners were
cooked over an open flame, and the air was filled with music
and dancing, the Fort welcomes you to step back in
time and experience California’s history like never
before with our signature Pioneer Dinner.
• Three full hours at the Fort
• Cannon demonstration
• Buffet pioneer dinner,
with prairie style cooking
P R E S E N T S
$50• Live music
• Dancing
• Lasso weaving and
rag doll lessons
INCLUDED WITH YOUR EVENT TICKETS:
Photo courtesy of Sutter’s Fort Sate Historic Park. This event is a collaborative effort
of Friends of Sutter’s Fort and the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau.
per person
Contact Leticia Bokan, Tourism Sales Manager
Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau
lbokan@cityofsacramento.org | 916.808.7781
page 3
FRIENDS OF SUTTER’S FORT - PACKAGING & FLYER
FRIEND’S OF SUTTER’S FORT [flyers] print

4. page 4
FRIENDS OF SUTTER’S FORT - PACKAGING & FLYER
FRIEND’S OF SUTTER’S FORT [magazine] print

5. Historic Sutter’s Fort in
the heart of Sacramento’s
vibrant Midtown area
captures the pioneer spirit
of families arriving at the
dawn of the Gold Rush.
Come experience life
during a bygone time of
California’s rich history.
S UT TERS F ORT.ORG
• Historically costumed docents
• Events and exhibits
• Hands on activities
• Demonstrations and gift shop
• The Haunted Fort (October 24-25)
• “Environmental Living Program”
An overnight experience for 4th graders
THE FORT EXPERIENCE:
For Information Call: 800.777.0369 | 916.445.4422
Open 7 Days a Week | 10 AM - 5PM
916.653.6995 outside the U.S. | parks.ca.gov/suttersfort
Steeped in tradition and immersed in an air of
bygone times, when cannons fired, dinners were
cooked over an open flame, and the air was filled with
music and dancing, the Fort welcomes you to step back
in time and experience California’s history like never
before with our signature Pioneer Dinner.
• Cannon demonstration
• Dancing and live music
• Lasso weaving and
rag doll lessons
• Buffet pioneer dinner,
with prairie style cooking
P R E S E N T S
THE 3-HOUR EVENT INCLUDES:
$50per person
Contact Leticia Bokan, Tourism Sales Manager
Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau
lbokan@cityofsacramento.org | 916.808.7781
Photo courtesy of Sutter’s Fort Sate Historic Park. This event is a collaborative effort
of Friends of Sutter’s Fort and the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau.
page 5
FRIENDS OF SUTTER’S FORT - PACKAGING & FLYER
FRIEND’S OF SUTTER’S FORT [rack cards] print

6. page 6
FRIENDS OF SUTTER’S FORT - PACKAGING & FLYER
FRIEND’S OF SUTTER’S FORT [packaging] print
Beginner’s
Loom and Weaving Kit
Includes: Loom — Yarn — Weaving Needle — Instructions
Makeyourownbagjustlikebackinthedaysofthepioneersand
takehomesomeoftheFort!Youdon’tneedahugewoodenloom
toweavecloth.Somethingassimpleasaloommadeofcardboard
worksjustaswell.Allyouneedisinthispackage.
Bythe1840swhenSutter’sFortwasbuilt,manyofthestepsin
creatingclothhadbeenautomated.In1774thepowerloomwasin-
ventedbyEdmundCartwrightandthefirstfullymechanizedtextile
factoryintheUnitedStateswasestablishedbyFrancisC.Lowellin
Massachusettsin1814.
However,manypeoplelivingonthefrontierstillwovethecloth
theyusedtomakeclothing,linens,andevenwagoncoversand
supplybags.
AtSutter’sFort,CaptainSutter’sheadcarpenter,JamesMarshall,
builtspinningwheelsandloomsfortheblanketfac-
tory,whichisonthenortheastsideoftheFort.You
canseethetypeofloomsthatmayhavebeenused.
suttersfort.org
Make Your Own
Corn Husk DollIncludes: Corn Husk — Artificial Sinew — Instructions
Feellikeapioneerboyorgirl!
InthedaysoftheFort,dollsofcornhuskwheremade
toentertainthechildren.Theyarecreatedbyusingthedried
outerleaves,orhusks,ofthecorncobs.Haircouldbemade
fromthecornsilks,andsometimesclothingwouldbemade
specificallyforthedolls,muchliketoday,eitherwithfabric
orpiecesofthecornhusk.NativeAmericanchildrendressed
theirdollsinthestyleof
theirindividualtribe.
CornHuskDollKitIncludes:
→CornHusk
→ArtificialSinew
→Instructions
suttersfort.org