Listen to Shanmathy Kumaravel on Brand Intelligence
In this episode of Brand Intelligence, host William Tyree talks with Shanmathy of the Baltimore Development Corporation about Made in Baltimore, an award-winning campaign that reimagined a biannual lookbook as a storytelling platform for the city’s makers.
What started as a catalog evolved into a lifestyle-magazine experience, showcasing more than 65 local businesses across fashion, food, home goods, and wellness. Shanmathy explains how Baltimore’s mural culture inspired the campaign’s bold, immersive aesthetic, how the team built it in just three months, and why authenticity was central to its success.
Along the way, she shares the challenges of coordinating dozens of creatives, the surprising feedback from retailers, and her perspective on using AI as a tool while keeping design rooted in originality.
This conversation highlights how design can capture the spirit of a city, strengthen community, and elevate local economies.
Learn more about Made in Baltimore at https://madeinbaltimore.org/
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Episode Transcript
William Tyree: Welcome to the Brand Intelligence Podcast, a show where we pull back the curtain on some of the world’s smartest brands. I’m your co-host William Tyree, and today we’ll look at an award-winning brand campaign called Made in Baltimore. Joining me to talk about it is one of the creative forces behind the organization. Welcome, Shanmathy.
Shanmathy: Thank you so much for such a lovely welcome. I’m really glad to be here and thrilled to see a Brandie Award for one of my most special projects. I can’t wait to talk about it.
William Tyree: Congratulations. Before we get into your amazing story, we like to kick things off with a theme song. If you were walking out to give a keynote speech about design, what would that song be, and why?
Shanmathy: Is it okay if it’s an Indian song?
William Tyree: Of course — it can be anything you want.
Shanmathy: Great. There’s a song called Pala Palakura Agila Nee. It has unstoppable energy — fast, bold, and motivating. The rhythm feels like the essence of design: always moving, always evolving, always pushing forward. That’s why I’d choose it.
William Tyree: That’s awesome. We’ll put that in the show notes — I’d love to hear it. Congratulations again on your Brandie Award. Before we get into the nuances of the campaign, can you tell me a little about the Baltimore Development Corporation and what it does?
Shanmathy: Sure. It’s the city’s economic development agency. Our mission is to grow Baltimore’s economy, support small businesses, and create opportunities for the people. Within BDC, we have multiple initiatives like Made in Baltimore and Baltimore Together Summit. Each one targets a different sector that requires focused support.
William Tyree: Very good. So your team creates a biannual lookbook with the goal of stimulating the local economy. And by the way — my wife has been in fashion for decades, so I know what a lookbook is — but some listeners might not. Can you explain what a lookbook is?
Shanmathy: It’s essentially a photo-driven book. It’s not heavy on text — more like a photo magazine where you can flip through and immediately understand what it’s about. For us, since every creator has products that are highly visual, we focus on strong photography rather than long explanations. The products speak for themselves.
William Tyree: Awesome. So tell me a little bit about the campaign. Who’s the audience, and how do you decide who gets featured in the catalog?
Shanmathy: The lookbook is a biannual publication — it comes out twice a year. It’s more than a catalog; it’s a storytelling piece that highlights over 25 local vendors across fashion, food, home goods, and wellness. The audience is a mix of retailers and wholesalers looking to stock local products, as well as everyday consumers who want to shop locally.
To be featured, businesses must be members of Made in Baltimore. It’s a simple process: fill out a form and qualify as a Baltimore-based business. We look for authenticity and quality — making sure products are truly sourced and created locally. If you meet those standards, you can be included.
William Tyree: I think people really need to see this. I hope listeners go to the website — it’s incredibly vibrant. The art is visceral, the photography is stunning. Can you share the vision behind this year’s lookbook and how you executed it?
Shanmathy: Thank you. We worked really hard to communicate Baltimore’s energy so people could feel it on every page. I wanted it to look like a lifestyle magazine, which meant bold, immersive photography, typography that carried Baltimore’s character, and a flexible grid to showcase everything from jewelry to food packaging without feeling cluttered.
In just three months, we brought together 10 creative consultants and collaborated with more than 65 makers across multiple photo shoots. The goal was immersion — you don’t just see the products, you see the people and their stories. That’s what makes it powerful.
Most importantly, it’s a Baltimore-made product. Every aspect — from writing to printing to photography — was locally sourced. It’s truly by Baltimore, for Baltimore.
