As the oldest grocery store in the DMV, Giant continually aims to join with community members to embolden their pride and proudly declare “This is Home,” an ongoing brand campaign celebrating how Giant’s food fuels the passions, activities, and lives of the DMV’s diverse communities. The Artist Bag initiative extends this campaign into a tangible, creative experience, transforming a practical grocery accessory into a way for shoppers to carry a piece of their local community while reinforcing Giant’s commitment to transparency, waste reduction, and sustainability.
To give Giant shoppers a way to carry their hometown pride, Giant partnered with four local artists from across the DMV, each illustrating what “home” means in their community through a reusable bag design, drawing inspiration from local foods, family traditions, landmarks, and people.
Ultimately, the Artist Bag extension aimed to celebrate DMV neighborhoods through the work of local artists, inspire community pride, and give shoppers a tangible way to carry their communities with them.
To bring the Artist Bag extension to life, Giant sought to represent the DMV’s diversity by partnering with four distinct local creators, one from each market: D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware. We began with a large pool of local artists and narrowed it to 20 candidates, evaluating their distinctive styles, community connections, and influence. After a few rounds of review, we selected the four artists, carefully considering how each designer’s style aligned with the campaign’s vision.
Partnering with Janna Morto from Maryland, artist partnership Doudgy Charmant and Sara Conedera from D.C., Eric Dolgas from Virginia, and Brittany Coleman from Delaware, we invited each artist to interpret what “home” meant to them, translating personal experiences, local landmarks, foods, and stories into original designs that reflected Giant’s “This is Home” storytelling. We collaborated throughout the process, reviewing sketches and refining concepts together, ensuring the final designs not only highlighted Giant, but also honored the artists’ unique styles and the communities they represent.
Across 160+ DMV stores, Giant brought to life a limited-edition collection of reusable bags, each designed by a local artist. More than a grocery holder, each bag carries the stories, flavors, and landmarks that make its community unique, showcasing creativity and local pride. Crafted for repeated use, these durable carriers help reduce plastic waste while keeping a piece of home close at hand.
To further deepen the local impact, $1 from every bag sold during its first month in stores was donated to each artist’s local charity of choice, directly supporting organizations serving the neighborhoods that inspired the designs.
Rooted in celebrating DMV neighborhoods and empowering local pride, the Artist Bag extension highlighted each community across Giant Food’s DMV stores. Over seven months, 120K limited-edition bags were sold across 160+ locations, generating ~$210K in revenue. The success of the initiative wasn’t measured in sales alone; it was reflected in the excitement and pride of the DMV community, who embraced their neighborhoods through the artwork of local creators.
Each of the four artists Giant partnered with illustrated what ‘home’ means in their neighborhood through their bag design. Janna Morton in Maryland wove Baltimore Album Quilt motifs, local foods, and landmarks into her artwork. Doudgy Charmant, an indigenous Haitian artist based in D.C., and Sara Conedera, a French-Ethiopian artist, collaborated on a vibrant design filled with bold colors, abstract forms, and expressive characters. Eric Dolgas in Virginia created a detailed black-and-white mini-mural layered with hidden elements, and Delaware-based Brittany Coleman reflected themes of nature, family, and shared memories in her bright, heartfelt design.
The Artist Bag in Maryland sparked meaningful community engagement with a collaborative Instagram video featuring Janna Morton (4K Views, 875 Engagements). Comments such as “@janmort3000 is an AMAZING artist!!!! I can’t wait to get one of these Giant Janna collab bags! 🔥🔥” and “I’LL GO TO GIANT FOR THIS” further reflected excitement and pride in local artistry.
By showcasing each artist’s unique interpretation of home to represent their region, the Artist Bag extension strengthened community pride, celebrated local creativity, and promoted sustainability across Giant Food’s stores.
