IMAGE: Global Vision
Art direction by Regina Rubino, principal at IMAGE: Global Vision, a firm specializing in strategic design and marketing for leading international businesses including a number of luxury hotel properties.
The branding refresh of The Beverly Hills Hotel had to carefully consider the rich history and legendary character of this establishment, renowned in movie history.
The first step was to create a word mark, inspired by the iconic logo type adorning the entrance wall. While some early explorations attempted to "clean up" the letterforms, it quickly became apparent that the quirks in the original hand lettered typography contributed to its charm.
The logotype is used extensively by the hotel, including stationary, website, shopping bags, brochures and other promotional or graphic communications.
Next, secondary word marks for the more iconic locations of the hotel were created, using the same letter forms as the main word mark.
A map of the property was created with an inset showing the layout of the famed Polo Lounge.
The official crest was derived from a hand-drawn version found on a sign on the property. Again, an attempt was made to retain the hand made feel of the original graphic material. It's best to tread softly when updating an established, well-loved brand.
An illustration of banana leaves was created, inspired by the famous Martinique wallpaper used in the hotel. The property is surrounded by tropical vegetation, particularly banana trees. A number of photos taken on site were used for reference.
The palm illustration is used on shopping bags, letterhead, brochures, manuals and even on a surfboard! The stripe motif, found throughout the interior and exterior design of the hotel, made its way into the graphic communications for the property designed by IMAGE: Global Vision.
A number of alternative treatments were explored for the palm illustration. In the end, as with all the other elements created for this project, the historical nature of the hotel called for a conservative approach.
Illustration by Tracy Sabin, who provides logo illustration and other illustration services, primarily for agencies and branding firms. To see a comprehensive selection of logos including commentary and credit information, the ebook, Pictorial Logos - Three Decades of Trademark Illustration by Tracy Sabin can be found at the iBookstore and Amazon.
