When spartanburg, SC Students Need Answers, Big Mo Knows.
Big Mo
THE ASK
The Spartanburg Academic Movement needed a brand for a new high-profile college-access program for Spartanburg County students. It needed to interoperate with students, faculty, and supporters across all seven school districts and a host of community partners. Oh, and make sure it's cool enough that teens will actually want to use it.
No pressure.
THE OUTCOME
Meet Big Mo.
Part scholarship connector, part advisor, part "I've got a stupid question" safety net for students, Big Mo was designed from the ground up to be the resource every student wished they had. Bold enough to stand out, but approachable enough to actually get used. With so many organizations involved and so much riding on the launch, it was important that we keep one thing at the center of every decision: the students. Everything else followed.
WHAT WE DID
Naming
Brand Identity
Strategic Marketing
Advertising
Video Production
GOING STRAIGHT TO THE SOURCE
We knew the fastest way to lose a teenage audience is to sound like you're trying too hard to win them over. If this program showed up with "Hello, Fellow Kids!" energy, it would be doomed. So before we ever designed a logo or wrote a line of copy, we went straight to the source.
Through a series of student focus groups and interviews across Spartanburg County (and beyond), we dug deep into how high schoolers think about life after graduation — their aspirations, anxieties, and the ways they want to be spoken to. They gave us honest feedback on everything: tone, visuals, specific language, social media habits, general vibes. Nothing was off the table.
Their insight guided every creative decision that followed. We kept the language real, the tone confident but conversational, and the visuals clean, fresh, and built to feel timeless without trying too hard.
NAMING SOMETHING THAT MOVES
If there's one thing Spartanburg didn't need, it was another initiative with a forgettable name and a conference-room-approved identity to match.
This program needed its own identity. Something bold, current, and full of energy.
After exploring hundreds of ideas, one name cut through the noise: Big Mo.
It’s short for Momentum or Movement, or Moves, or Money, or…whatever feels most true to the student. It captured everything this initiative stands for: the idea that possibilities are out there, and that once you start moving toward them, good things follow.
The name opened creative doors instantly, giving us room to play with language ("Make Your Move," "Ask Big Mo") and build a voice that felt both powerful and personal.
A VISUAL BRAND THAT POPS
Big Mo's visual identity had to work just as hard as its message. We developed a bright, flexible, endlessly fun color palette paired with bold typography and a logo built to convey confidence and permanence… without a single ounce of corporate stiffness.
The result is a brand that feels youthful without being childish, and inspiring without being preachy. And adaptable enough to speak to students, parents, school counselors, and community partners without skipping a beat.
FROM BRAND TO MOVEMENT
Once the foundation was in place, we helped SAM and its partners bring Big Mo to life everywhere it needed to show up:
Website – A fun, accessible hub that makes next steps feel simple, not overwhelming.
Print collateral – Rack cards, one-pagers, posters, and banners tailored for students, parents, and educators.
Launch campaign – A countywide rollout plan, complete with social media strategy, school-based materials, and earned media support.
Ongoing support – Social content development and management, web updates, and ongoing creative consultation to keep momentum strong post-launch.
THE RESULTS
Big Mo launched to an incredible reception, with awareness spreading quickly across Spartanburg County as schools hosted Big Mo events — leading to nearly 600 students signing up within its first month and more than 1,000 before the end of the fall semester, far surpassing the client’s expectations.
For SLANT, it was a chance to do what we love most: helping partners turn complex collaborations into clear, compelling stories that connect with real people.
And now, it’s helping a whole generation of students make their move.
