Bringing the Explore Aberdeenshire Campaign to Life for the RHASS 2026 President's Initiative
The Royal Highland & Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS) is one of Scotland's most respected rural organisations and the team behind the Royal Highland Show, the country's largest agricultural event. Each year, the RHASS Presidential Initiative provides an opportunity to champion a chosen cause, region, or industry that makes a meaningful contribution to Scottish life.
For the 2026 Presidential Initiative, Aberdeenshire was selected as the focus under the banner "Explore Aberdeenshire", celebrating the people, businesses, landscapes, industries, culture, food, heritage, and innovation that make the region unique.
The Project
Following our appointment by RHASS President Patrick Machray, we were tasked with creating and delivering the complete visual identity for the Explore Aberdeenshire campaign.
What began as a logo design project quickly evolved into a fourteen-month creative partnership spanning branding, exhibition design, print, merchandise, event collateral, vehicle graphics, and large-scale experiential marketing.
The challenge was not simply to create a logo. It was to develop a campaign capable of representing an entire region while remaining flexible enough to support fundraising events, official engagements, exhibition environments, educational activities, promotional materials, and ultimately a major presence at the Royal Highland Show itself.
The Solution
Working closely with Patrick and the wider team, we developed the Explore Aberdeenshire brand identity and delivered a comprehensive suite of campaign materials across multiple events and touchpoints throughout the initiative.
The campaign launched through a series of high-profile engagements including the President's Golf Outing, Harvest Thanksgiving Service at Crathie Kirk, and the Presidential Initiative Ball. Each event required bespoke design, print management, and production, ranging from invitations and programmes to trophies, auction materials, presentation packs, signage, and branded merchandise.
As the campaign evolved, the identity was expanded across large-scale applications including a fully branded refrigerated trailer, exhibition graphics, event signage, educational materials, supporter recognition displays, children's activities, and commemorative awards.
The project culminated at the 2026 Royal Highland Show, where the Explore Aberdeenshire exhibition environment brought together every element of the campaign into a cohesive visitor experience designed to educate, engage, and celebrate the North East of Scotland.
Designing an Exhibition Experience at National Scale
The centrepiece of the Royal Highland Show presence was a bespoke eight-panel octagonal exhibition stand designed specifically for the campaign. Each panel highlighted a different aspect of Aberdeenshire, including tourism, food and drink, heritage, farming, Highland Games, education, research, and local businesses.
Every section was carefully structured to guide visitors through the story of the region using custom mapping, photography, illustration, and informative content. The stand was designed not only as a display piece but as an immersive experience that encouraged visitors to explore Aberdeenshire in greater depth.
Alongside the octagon, we produced supporting exhibition graphics including double-sided totems, feather flags, pull-up banners, supporter recognition boards, directional signage, and interactive educational materials.
From Initial Concept to Royal Highland Show
Over the course of fourteen months, the Explore Aberdeenshire campaign grew into one of the most extensive projects our team has delivered.
The work included logo creation, campaign branding, fundraising event materials, commemorative plaques, merchandise, vehicle graphics, educational resources, exhibition environments, print management, and on-site installation support.
What made the project particularly rewarding was the opportunity to showcase the creativity, attention to detail, and collaborative approach that define our agency. From the earliest concept sketches through to standing on the showground at Ingliston seeing visitors interact with the finished campaign, every stage was delivered by the Minto team working together towards a shared vision.
"Minto Branding has done a fantastic job for us on our 'Explore Aberdeenshire' initiative. From the initial logo design to creating eight detailed maps displayed on an octagon that tell the story of the North East, their work has been phenomenal.
Bob and Stuart showed incredible patience and dedication throughout the entire process. They delivered a wide range of highly researched, superb materials; including commemorative plaques for our livestock producers, fundraising event brochures, a fully wrapped trailer, and even a children's treasure hunt and bespoke pin badges.
The detail they put into every single piece perfectly captured our brand and what we are all about. The project even opened our own eyes to just how much goes on in Aberdeenshire. We couldn't have asked for more from the team at Minto Branding; they created something very, very special, and we know that once people see the final results, they will be completely blown away."
