Young design agency puts SA tourism brand on the map

The three-year-old design consultancy was one of four marketing partners appointed last year to deliver a fresh face South African tourism in a R500 million marketing campaign involving, branding, PR, advertising and media planning.
 
Two Tone Design was responsible for the entire look and feel of the new SA Tourism brand. "The new branding had to reflect SA Tourism's commitment to selling experiences rather than destinations," said Carlo Murison, CEO and founder of Two Tone Design.
 
"These encompassed the four themes of awesome sensory impact, real wonder, fusion and beat, and freedom and humanity," he added.

In addition, a 'Co-Ordinates Campaign' (which gives the literal co-ordinates of the different places to experience in South Africa) was developed that sells the proposition that there are places and moments to expand the traveller's perspective.
 
"Our brief was to provide a 360º view of these values in SA Tourism brand so that it was reflected in every point of contact with the overseas traveller en route to South Africa - from making a booking, being served aboard the airplane, arrival at customs, to the time he or she puts their feet up at a hotel," Murison said.
 
This approach was supported by other promotional material such as information kiosks, brochures, website, posters and adverts. Even the tourism training received by tour operators was considered.
 
The culmination of four months intensive work on the branding campaign resulted in its début at the Tourism Indaba 2004 at the Global Brand Village, which SA Tourism CEO Cheryl Carolus described as "ground breaking", bringing to life months of effort to define and refine the organisation's marketing and communication plans.
 
"The launch of the brand brings to life the best of our thinking demonstrating the awesome experiences this country has to offer in terms of Real Wonder; Fusion and Beat; Awesome Sensory Experience and Humanity and Freedom," Carolus said.
 
"We are doubly proud of the achievement," said Thebe Ikalafeng, Two Tone Design's Strategy Director and shareholder.
 
"Not only have we come up with a "look and feel" to the brand, which can be benchmarked against the world's finest, but we have the satisfaction of seeing South Africa presented in a way that does justice to its beauty, splendour, energy and promise."