Strategy

A “true original” captures the moment by studying the past to define the future. It is with this guiding principle that RO NEW YORK began its full brand evolution for Thompson Hotels. After a complete deep dive into the brand’s heritage, we discovered that Thompson’s reason-to-be lies in its continuing embrace of meaningful contradictions — high- and low-culture, the classic and contemporary, the world-renowned and underground — and we built the brand’s story, positioning, mission, and DNA around this idea. We then translated this ownable verbal identity into a refined, yet modern visual identity and experience, keeping in mind the needs of the post-COVID traveler.

Identity

We applied Thompson’s new visual identity to the considerable amount of collateral a hotel requires. We established a color palette, typographic system, and photography style to illustrate the brand’s juxtaposition between classic and modern, as well as a subtle and easily scalable iconographic system that pays homage to the brand’s signature tile symbol.

Advertising

We communicated the brand’s evolved identity through the pairing of striking, luxury photography and approachable, informative copy. The campaign was the first to execute the brand’s new photography style, which allows potential guests to immerse themselves in the Thompson Hotels environments through the anonymity of the models.