GreatWater Garages

Turning a local auto shop into a recognized national brand

GreatWater 360 Auto Care grew from a Michigan shop into a national brand. They needed a memorable identity with flexible brand elements that could scale to any shop size across the country.

The opportunity

Their down-to-earth midwest roots speak to what drivers actually want: competence and calm. Not a brand that shouts discounts, but one that feels like a trusted mechanic: knowledgeable, no-nonsense, and on their side.

the insight

A gritty, trade-craft-inspired identity rooted in Michigan DNA, built to scale. Bold wordmark, shield-and-wrench emblem, a voice that leads with wit over urgency. A brand that doesn't just say it knows cars. It feels like it does.

the solution

  • Brand Identity

  • Photo and Video Art Direction

  • Environmental Branding

my role

A deep blue palette anchored by a bold industrial wordmark creates a visual language that is confident without being corporate. Typography pairs a rugged condensed sans with clean supporting type, shifting between grit and clarity. 

Design Approach

The website trades generic auto service templates for bold photography, punchy headlines, and a voice that actually sounds human. Dark hero imagery and high-contrast type set the tone, while clean navigation makes booking an appointment frictionless.

Digital

Gritty shop footage, family road trips, hands that know their way around a car. The film captures what no discount mailer ever could: the difference between good and great. Not a tagline, but a belief rooted in Hudsonville, Michigan, and carried into every shop in the network. 

Brand Video

A modular wall system that brings the brand to life at every location. Bold shop photography, punchy headline posters, and exterior garage door graphics work together to turn any touchpoint into a brand statement. Scalable to any size space, the system ensures every Greatwater location feels unmistakably on-brand.

In-Shop Graphics

An entry hallway at the Greatwater headquarters received a dimensional mural that turns the brand into an experience. Viewed from one direction it reveals a dramatic shop photograph; from the other, a branded headline: "We're driven to keep you driving."
MUSE Creative Awards winner · Mar 2024 | Interactive Wall | Outdoor Advertising - In-Store

Lenticular Wall Installation

Concepted and produced for the client at Tom, Dick & Harry Co..

“GreatWater’s growth from a small group of auto repair shops to more than 160 locations in just four years would not have been possible without first building a brand that people could recognize, trust, and rally around. Alanah and the TDH team brought that brand to life.

What they created is visually strong, but the real impact is deeper than design. The GreatWater logo, website, and visual identity tell the story of who we are: a company built from humble roots, grounded in Midwest values, and committed to carrying the legacy of local auto repair shops forward."

-Mike Finke, SVP of Marketing & Communications at GreatWater Garages

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