Please, No More Commemorative Mugs
According to tradition, you give certain gifts for milestone anniversaries: paper for the first, cotton for the second, leather for the third. But what happens when you reach 50, 150, or even 250 years? At Mission, we mark these events a little differently—with digital experiences that captivate audiences and make legacy feel immediate and relevant.
Our work for the Supreme Court Historical Society, Johns Hopkins University, the B&O Railroad Museum, and MD250 demonstrates how anniversaries can become more than celebrations. When anchored in tangible moments and made accessible to new and existing audiences, they become platforms for storytelling and sustained engagement.
To the average Joe, a 150th or 250th doesn’t mean much. What matters is helping people see themselves in the story. By creating digital experiences that show how a brand has impacted them in real ways, we made these events feel less like history lessons and more like evolving narratives that invite participation.
Here’s how it worked in practice.
Supreme Court Historical Society (50 Years)
In 2024, the Supreme Court Historical Society marked its 50th anniversary and needed a digital experience that could activate members, reach new supporters, and make their work feel accessible to a wider audience.
We built an anniversary landing page that extended our Oyez!50 concept. The page served as a central hub for the celebration, bringing together donation pathways, event promotion, and content that highlighted the Society’s preservation and education efforts. Interactive components, unexpected typography, and saturated color helped break from the formality people expect from the Court.
Because our strategy prioritized engagement and reach, the digital experience played a major role in elevating the broader campaign. The work earned Best in Show at the Addys, a testament to how a thoughtfully designed web presence can transform a 50-year milestone into momentum for the next 50.
Johns Hopkins University (150 Years)
To celebrate their sesquicentennial (say that three times fast), Johns Hopkins University planned a year of programming across campuses and needed a digital hub that could bring everything together.
Instead of presenting a traditional timeline, we built a “Stories of Impact” experience. Taking themes like cardiology, space exploration, and teaching excellence, we traced modern breakthroughs back to the discoveries that made them possible. This framework was designed to resonate with both internal and external audiences, connecting alumni pride, faculty achievement, and public impact through one continuous narrative.
A filterable events page encourages ongoing participation—online, on campus, and around the globe—turning the anniversary into an open invitation to learn, gather, and continue the story.
B&O Railroad Museum (200 Years)
In 2027, the B&O Railroad Museum will mark the 200th anniversary of railroading in America. To support that milestone, the Museum needed a website that could serve as a true digital gateway—honoring the B&O’s legacy and helping people explore, learn, and plan a visit with ease.
We built an interactive site inspired by the language of rail. Vertical lines emulate trackways as users scroll, while subtle flashes between content blocks echo crossing lights. Visitors can engage with educational materials and map out a visit in just a few clicks. The calendar system is entirely bespoke, supporting event listings and venue rental requests and blocking off dates when the Museum is closed.
By grounding a 200-year milestone in a digital experience designed for both depth and delight, the website made the B&O’s history more accessible than ever. Rail enthusiasts can immerse themselves in the details they love, while families, educators, and casual visitors can quickly connect with stories that show how the railroad shaped daily life.
MD250 (250 Years)
As the nation approaches 250, nonpartisan initiative America250 is encouraging states to develop a commemoration that reflects its own people and history. Here in Maryland, Governor Wes Moore set the vision clearly: make this the most inclusive celebration ever. Don’t just retell history, but invite Marylanders to see themselves in it.
Drawing from the colors, forms, and spirit of Maryland’s iconic flag and waterways, we created a digital hub designed to bring this to life. The new site is for events and learning—but it’s also for storytelling, highlighting compelling and lesser-known tales from across the state, and even allowing Marylanders to contribute their own experiences. This ensures the platform reflects Maryland’s diversity and invites engagement from residents who might never have seen themselves in state history before.
By opening the door for thousands of voices, MD250 turns a milestone into a shared story, shaped by the past and by the people living it now.
Anniversaries are often seen as look-back moments. But they create natural opportunities to clarify identity, strengthen community, and build affinity that lasts long after the candles are blown out. When supported with thoughtful strategy, storytelling, and design, an anniversary website becomes a chance to show people why an institution matters now and how it will continue to matter next. And that’s work worth celebrating.
If your organization has a milestone on the horizon, now’s the time to start thinking about how to honor it. We’d love to help you plan a celebration that feels authentic, meaningful, and impossible to ignore.
Get in touch and let’s talk.