2019 Winners & Shortlists

Background.

Four Seasons in every country develops an identity that reflects the local culture and heritage – everything from the country’s folklore to its weather. In Lebanon, Four Seasons has become an icon, with a prominent presence in the capital’s skyline, but the brand’s identity had yet to align with the nation’s. With that in mind, and with the hotel undergoing a full renovation, they also requested a full revamping of all branding materials in parallel, 8 years after the last one. With a budget of 1.8K USD, the objective was to reflect Lebanese culture, incorporated under one platform: The Four Seasons Hotel.

Describe the creative idea.

The revamping of the brand’s identity included everything from magnetic keys to gift boxes and menus. With an eye toward building a relationship with future clientele from now, the hotel’s main target was millennials. As such, the style is modern, yet timeless, integrating different patterns - all of which reflect historical and modern Lebanese culture (cuisine, architecture, nature, folklore, archaeology, and more) – with the incorporation of the brand logo’s leaves throughout. The primary colors (black and copper) and secondary colors (reminiscent of Lebanon’s four seasons) give the brand a contemporary persona without compromise on elegance and class.

Describe the strategy.

With the aim of modernization and reflecting a younger image that appeals to its millennial audience – male, female, ranging from age 20 to 40 – the strategy entailed doing so while still respecting the expectations and classical stature that come with the name Four Seasons. And the revamp itself was adapted on all hotel collaterals and materials.

Describe the execution.

The new style was adapted to all the hotel’s existing collaterals, with touch points including the hotel’s rooms, rooftop, lobby, lounge area, and spa. The materials, style elements and design choices included black and white papers, hot foil metallic colors, tone on tone colors, leather with debossing effect, and colorful packs. Four patterns were created that integrate Lebanese elements and landmarks, and they were treated with 4 different colors, along with the primary colors of black and copper to maintain the brand’s class and elegance. Only high end materials were used – reflecting the hotel’s stature and image – and the modern feel of the patterns and colors was introduced in a subtle way.

List the results.

Today, Four Seasons Hotel Beirut enjoys a much more culturally relevant and trendy image, appealing to their millennial target who feel like their values and their search for authentic experiences now align with the hotel’s. This has become apparent with a general increase in bookings; but more specifically, 30% more millennials attended the hotel’s annual Christmas tree lighting event in 2018 than in previous years. And this trend is set to continue. On a lighter note, the popularity of the revamped materials has proven to be attractive, if we go by the increasing number of small, newly-branded items “stolen” by departing guests.