Carmel Swim Club + Pence Media Group

For over 50 years, the Carmel Swim Club (CSC) name has been synonymous with excellence in the world of competitive swimming. Established in 1973, CSC has fostered generations of swimmers, from local club competitors to Olympic champions, shaping young athletes into well-rounded individuals in and out of the water. With an unparalleled track record—holding the national record for most consecutive high school state championships across all sports, 38 for girls and 24 for boys, Carmel Swim Club continues to dominate Indiana swimming and earn recognition as a USA Swimming Gold Medal Club of Excellence. At the helm is Head Coach and CEO Chris Plumb, who recently coached Team USA swimmers at the 2024 Paris Olympics. As a club with deep community roots and an international presence, CSC sought a Complete Digital Transformation and strategic public relations support to amplify its impact and highlight its athletes’ journey on the world stage.

To align CSC’s branding with its elite reputation, our team delivered  a full-scale brand refresh , modernizing its visual identity and messaging to reflect the club’s excellence and legacy.

Brand Messaging

In rebranding Carmel Swim Club, our focus was on refining their message to reflect not only their legacy of competitive excellence but also the deeper journey they create for their athletes. “Swimming takes you places” isn’t just a tagline; it’s a philosophy that speaks to the club’s role in shaping character, building resilience, and fostering a lifelong connection to the sport. By developing messaging that aligns with their mission, we helped Carmel Swim Club convey how they guide swimmers from their first strokes to the global stage, instilling integrity and an unshakable work ethic along the way. Whether their athletes go on to collegiate success or international competition, the promise of Carmel Swim Club remains the same—empowering young athletes to grow in and out of the water.

Logo Design + Development

Since 1973, Carmel Swim Club has built a legacy of excellence, and when it came time for a logo redesign, PMG set out to honor that tradition while giving the brand a modern refresh. Our goal was to create a design that felt both timeless and contemporary—one that reflected the club’s deep roots in competitive swimming while positioning it for the future. We utilized the same classic color palette to achieve a vintage feel with a modern edge. The result is a refined yet bold mark that pays tribute to CSC’s history while providing a fresh, polished look that will carry the club forward for years to come.

 

“Carmel Swim Club LOVES working with Pence Media Group! We recently engaged PMG to refresh and deepen our Carmel Swim Club brand. We could not be more delighted with the result: an invigorated brand identity that is authentic to who we are at CSC and encompasses both striking visual assets and thoughtfully crafted brand messages. During the creative process, PMG became an extension of our Carmel Swim Club team. Through a handful of strategic discovery sessions, PMG captured the essence of who we are at CSC. They asked great questions to understand our identity, used their expertise to challenge us to think bigger, and provided decisive insights.

 

The result is a brand that simultaneously feels like it’s been ours for decades but is fresh and bold. Our membership and the larger community have enthusiastically received our new logo and identity pieces. PMG’s brand refresh gave us tools at the Carmel Swim Club that elevate and simplify our day-to-day processes (standout newsletter templates, accessible b-roll to provide partners, and email signatures, for example). We’ve leveled up, and it shows!

 

We love showcasing the refreshed Carmel Swim Club brand and are so proud of the work PMG did in this process.”

 

– Maggie Mestrich, Director of Business Development

Carmel Swim Club

Production Shoot

High-quality visuals are essential for telling a brand’s story, which is why we partnered with top-tier creatives to secure evergreen photo and video assets for Carmel Swim Club. Collaborating with videographers Michael Durr and Logan Wood and The Siners for photography, we meticulously planned and produced a shoot that captured everything from underwater video to headshots and dynamic images showcasing CSC’s unique value propositions. 

Every detail was considered to ensure the brand video encapsulates the club’s mission—illustrating how CSC teaches excellence through swimming, for life.. These assets will serve as a cornerstone for CSC’s marketing efforts, providing a timeless library of content that can be utilized for years to come across social media, website, and promotional materials.

Website Development

We partnered with Hustlefish to develop a brand new website for Carmel Swim Club to enhance the user experience, and best tell the Carmel Swim Club story. We built a brand new website with assets that we created, for a complete digital transformation of their brand online.

Marketing Assets

Once all brand elements were completed, our team got to work designing business cards, email signatures, and printed marketing materials to give these marketing assets the polished refresh needed.

Social Media Facelift + Template Creation

At PMG, we know that a strong social media presence is essential for bringing a brand’s story to life, which is why we gave Carmel Swim Club a complete social media facelift that reflected the club’s new brand. We designed a set of sleek, cohesive templates that modernize CSC’s digital presence. To ensure a well-rounded representation of everything CSC stands for, we also developed strategic content pillars—highlighting athlete achievements, club culture, community impact, and training excellence. This foundation not only makes content creation seamless but also strengthens CSC’s online identity, engaging both current and future athletes with a fresh, dynamic brand presence.

Public Relations

As the 2024 Paris Olympics unfolded, our public relations efforts centered on securing earned media coverage that highlighted CSC’s significant impact on the global stage. With a strong tradition of developing world-class athletes,it was essential to showcase the club’s role in shaping this year’s  Olympians.. Two current CSC swimmers and one distinguished alumnus competed in Paris, collectively earning three medals. Alex Shackell won gold in the 4×100 medley relay, and secured a silver medal in the 4×200 freestyle relay. Aaron Shackell competed in the 400-meter freestyle, while alumnus Drew Kibler contributed to a silver medal performance in the 4×200 freestyle relay.

CSC’s leadership was also represented at the highest level, with Head Coach and CEO Chris Plumb serving as a Team USA swimming coach, further reinforcing the club’s influence in international competition. Additionally, 14 CSC athletes competed in the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials in Indianapolis, a testament to the club’s continued success in developing elite talent.

Through strategic media outreach, PMG secured high-impact coverage for CSC in premier sports and local news outlets, amplifying its national and global prominence in competitive swimming. These accomplishments reaffirm CSC’s reputation as a leading force in the sport, consistently preparing athletes to compete and succeed on the world’s biggest stage.

#Consideritdone with PMG in 2025! 

We’re honored to accompany our amazing clients in their successes. With expertise in branding, web, digital, content creation, and public relations, Pence Media Group would be honored to partner with your business to elevate your brand! Consider it done.