Brief
Myhotels Group is a chain of boutique hotels where every guest is an individual and treated as such. From the smallest details of choosing your pillow type to the way favourite cocktails are made, nothing is too much trouble. Brightenups were initially briefed to help integrate the hotel into the local community and help raise its profile for launch. Well, that was the initial brief…
Insight
Brightenup helped to facilitate the transition from a building site into a swanky hotel, which both the Brighton locals would embrace as well as its guests. Particular care was taken to help myhotels integrate with the Brighton North Laine, cultural quarter and its vibrant and cultural community who are cautious of big brands or London types.
Our consideration and understanding of the unique way the myhotels approaches all its design projects; from lavish interiors through simple signage, led Brightenup to become pivotal in realising the myhotels vision. Working closely with an eminent Fung Shui William Spear, creative genius Karim Rashid and owner of myhotels Andy Thrasyvoulou, Brightenup worked round the clock to reliase the vision of where‘Freddie Mercury meets the Maharishi’.
Objectives
Having completed over 130 elements for myhotels, each have had their own specific objectives. However, these are the overarching pillars that we work towards
- Create a look and feel for collateral that embodies the diversity of each of the hotels whilst maintaining a group holistic experience
- To unify the usage of the brand and the language (visual and written) that it uses for each and every piece of communication
- To work within very tight timescales and budget restrictions
- To produce designs and executions that would work within a boutique environment in terms of quality that were also functional in usage
- To integrate the Brighton myhotel into the local community and raise awareness.
Execution
The elements that Brightenup have produced can be split into the following broad categories:-
- Advertising
- PR
- Interior
- Printed material
- Photography
- 3D animation
- Digital
- Large scale graphics
- Uniforms
Our approach was to create a unified suite of images that embodied the individual nature of the hotel, as well as the guests enjoying the spaces. This has been used across the guest and events brochures, PR, e-newsletters, website and advertising.
The selection of paper stocks for all collateral was considerate of the brands environmental credentials, however at same time needed to look super duper premium. To achieve this we worked with our most trusted suppliers from old men in caps up north, who hand finished our hot foiling to working with a leading paper merchant to develop new micro mesh printing for their stock.
Bespoke graphics and images such as celebretity chef Aldo Zilli, through to abstract artwork photographed in New York were crafted into large scale wall graphics. The curved and tapered walls, which the hotel is famed for creating some heads for the fitters and some industry firsts.
Vinyl graphics have been used in a variety of ways within the hotel from windows, suite doors, showers and mirrors. Each one providing a layer of design contributing to the balance of the space.
The merkaba cocktail area was taken as a whole project and a separate brand in its own right. Collateral produced included hand finished hot foil printed menus, reserved signs and stationary package along with uniforms and 3D graphics to play upon the 10 meter bank of screens behind the bar.
To integrate the hotel into Brighton, special hardhat tours were organised to allow journalists, prospect corporate clients and influencers a sneak preview of the hotel. Intimate Preview Salons were held with key prospects prior and post opening where the hotel could be showcased. This culminated in a grand opening day with official opening by Brighton dignitaries and a themed launch party for over 600 guests. This included support in terms of theme ideas/planning, guest list generation, hosting, invitations, guides and entertainment.
Other elements produced include; ice cream cups, uniforms, business cards, invites, exhibition graphics, hanging signs and snake charmers to name but a few of the other projects and challenges. Moving forward Brightenup are consulting on the way forward to drive bookings via websites, affiliate marketing and harnessing the emerging social media platform to deliver tangible results back into the group.
