2026 marks America's 250th anniversary. (Time flies, I know.) The federal government launched a nonpartisan initiative that invited all 50 states to commemorate the pending semiquincentennial. I was lucky enough to help Maryland's commission develop a brand identity for their commemoration, and thus—MD TWO FIFTY was born.

The name may seem run-of-the-mill, but it's a significant departure from what other states are doing. The spelling out of "two" and "fifty" are deliberate in that they use letterforms instead of numerals. Maryland's Governor Wes Moore wanted this to be about storytelling. Well, letters make up the words we use to tell stories. Plus, to help make this the most inclusive commemoration in Maryland's history (another one of Gov. Moore's charges), we translated "two fifty" to more than 15 different languages.

The folks planning this at the state level are intensely passionate about history. All parts of it, too. The great, the not so great, and everything in between. You'll find that the brand language and positioning are very much grounded in the past, present, and future.

Anyway, this was a fun one that saw my Maryland pride ratchet up a few clicks. The full site is live and sure to grow before the big shindig in 2026.

mdtwofifty.maryland.gov