Richmond, Va., Nov 22 — Following a highly competitive search, the Science Museum of Virginia has selected brand consultancy Joe Smith, a division of Padilla, as its brand partner. The agency will work closely with the Science Museum to build an evolved brand strategy that honors the organization’s legacy and propels it into the future.
“The Science Museum is the marketing agency for science, and our brand is paramount to how we interact with the community,” said Rich Conti, chief wonder officer at the Science Museum. “The Joe Smith team understands that brand is rooted in storytelling. We’re excited to work with the team to evolve our brand to propel us forward as we tell the important story of the impact science has on our lives.”
The Science Museum’s 50th anniversary, which is coming up in 2027, offers an opportunity to not just reflect on the past, but to reimagine how science can spark curiosity, engage communities and foster discovery across Virginia and beyond.
“Our team is beyond enthusiastic about the opportunity to usher the Science Museum of Virginia’s iconic brand into the next era of growth,” said Lauren Tannenbaum, senior vice president and group lead of Joe Smith. “We’ll draw on experience working with science and technology companies as well as nonprofits and consumer brands to help the Science Museum tell its story in a way that attracts new visitors and builds deeper relationships with existing ones.”
With an approach firmly grounded in research, Joe Smith will create a refreshed brand strategy and visual identity for the Science Museum that will elevate how it communicates its purpose and build momentum as it plans for the next era of community impact.
“This work will have ripple effects that outlive any logo or tagline and help more people see themselves in the story of science,” said Matt Kucharski, president of Padilla. “Our firm and the Joe Smith team have deep community connections in Virginia and a track record of award-winning brand work that will help guide the Science Museum forward and raise its profile at a regional and national level.”