Simply Block Island:
A Brand We Built
Simply Block Island is a lifestyle brand, local guide and shop celebrating Block Island, created, owned and run by Merci La Vie. It is our proof of concept: everything we offer clients in branding, marketing, merchandise and events, built and tested on a brand of our own.
The Numbers
300 to 1,300 followers in four weeks. More than four times the audience, driven by a single campaign.
16 Block Island bars and restaurants. One island-wide bracket, with islanders and visitors voting round by round.
1 champion. Traders Dock Bar at Champlin’s, crowned the 2026 Mudslide Madness winner.
A shop that sells. Official Mudslide Madness tees, totes and hats, plus year-round island apparel and gifts.
What We Built
We started with a name and a feeling: Block Island, simply done your way. From there we built the whole brand: the name, visual identity and voice; a local guide to island events, food and insider tips; a partnerships program for island businesses; an online shop; and a social presence on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube, all under one handle, @simplyblockisland.
The Campaign: Mudslide Madness
The Mudslide is practically the unofficial cocktail of Block Island, and everyone has an opinion about who makes the best one. We turned that friendly debate into Mudslide Madness: a tournament-style bracket where 16 local establishments went head-to-head while islanders and visitors voted round by round. Every matchup gave the bars a reason to share, their regulars a reason to vote and the whole island a reason to talk. In 2026, Traders Dock Bar at Champlin’s took the title.
The result: Simply Block Island grew from 300 to 1,300 followers in four weeks, and a brand-new account became one of the places the island checks to see what’s happening.
From Campaign to Collection
Attention only matters when it turns into something. We launched official Mudslide Madness merchandise, including the champion tee, a tote and a trucker hat, and sell it through the Simply Block Island shop alongside year-round island apparel and gifts.
What It Means for Your Brand
Simply Block Island is where we test our own playbook with our own money on the line: build a brand people recognize, give a community a reason to take part, then turn that attention into partnerships and sales. It is the same approach we bring to every Branding and Marketing client.
Rooted on Block Island
Amanda England attended the Block Island School from first through eighth grade and has spent summer after summer working on the island ever since. That local knowledge is behind Simply Block Island, and behind every Block Island wedding we plan from Fairfield County.