Gray unveiled a new logo and slogan last week, reflecting the town’s identity and codifying an informal catchphrase.

Town Communications Director Kyle Hadyniak said the town began exploring the idea of rebranding in 2024. The idea was that a rebrand would not only change how residents and outsiders perceive the town, but also foster trust in the community by adopting a new identity that reflects the town, and allowing the town to professionalize its brand in a way that was not possible before.

In 2025, the town began searching for a graphic designer, eventually landing on Portland Design Co. The town announced the rebranding process in November 2025, and over the next few months, asked the community what landmarks, themes and iconography best represented Gray’s visual identity. A steering committee made up of town staff and local business owners was formed to work with Portland Design Co. to ensure the final design reflected what the community wanted.

The final design for the new town seal depicts the clock tower at the Pennell Municipal Complex, a prominent local landmark, alongside images and colors that reflect the town’s natural beauty.

Hadyniak said AI was not involved in the creation of the seal. While the town had heard feedback from residents opposed to the rebrand asking, “Why can’t AI do it?” Hadyniak said what the town wanted was something based in human creativity, and that AI would not be able to provide the volume of deliverables Portland Design Co. ultimately did.

The deliverables include variations of the logo for different situations, all retaining a consistent design. There is also a branded style guide, providing a thorough look at different uses, and potential misuses, of the material.

Concurrent to the creation of the new logo, a vote was held on a new slogan. “At the Heart of It All,” a long-standing informal town slogan, was pitted against “All Roads Lead to Gray,” the most favored out of three slogans devised by the steering committee.

Hadyniak said “At the Heart of It All” won the vote handily.

The town is adopting a phased approach to introducing the new branding material. While the new seal, which was unveiled in a town Facebook post on May 6, will be used on social media profiles and letterheads, the previous logo, which emphasized Gray’s status as the home of the first woolen mill in the United States, will continue to be used on physical signage and car decals for the time being.