Rosewood Relaunches Brand

Rosewood Hotels & Resorts has relaunched itself with a comprehensive, new brand identity inspired by its A Sense of Place philosophy.

Communicating this evolution, the group has unveiled an original, holistic marketing campaign titled Living Canvas which includes a new visual language, an emotive print and online advertising campaign, a reimagined website with multimedia destination guides and creative hotel initiatives.

The launch comes as the company embarks upon a global expansion with openings planned in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

"Today's traveler is someone who is more interested in 'the journey' rather than 'a trip.' Luxury is increasingly defined by experiences not by objects and delight is found through discovery rather than display," said Sonia Cheng, chief executive officer of Rosewood Hotel Group (Rosewood Hotels & Resorts' owning company.) "Therefore the Living Canvas campaign is purposefully as much about the destinations as the properties. But this relaunch goes deeper than just graphics and advertising, it also reaches to the heart of our operational philosophy which is to offer unique and authentic experiences."

To symbolize Rosewood Hotels & Resorts' fresh positioning, the group has worked with Robert Louey, creative director of Robert Louey Design, to create a new brand logo. A seal has also been designed for each individual Rosewood hotel taking inspiration from traditional family crests and from Rosewood's first mansion property.

"Rosewood has always been known as a collection of one-of-a-kind properties and the new seals perfectly portray each hotel's distinctive individuality. But at the same time, the use of seals also illustrates that the properties are all part of Rosewood's portfolio," said Radha Arora, president of Rosewood Hotels & Resorts. "We also chose seals in addition to more traditional logos to reflect our signature style of service which is intuitive and intimate as though staying in a private home."

Produced by New York-based AgencySacks, Rosewood's Living Canvas print and digital campaign uses stylish black and white photographs to subtly illustrate the vision behind the brand's culture and concept. The advertising campaign will run in key newspapers, magazines and websites in North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

The striking images, which stand out from those used in traditional hotel advertising, were produced by Danish fashion photographer Anders Overgaard and taken in Beijing, New York, Abu Dhabi and Mexico. Overgaard is known for his spontaneous, editorial style of shooting which captures stolen moments, heightened with an enticing air of mystery. Overgaard's aim was to spark the excitement of discovery and for the images to have a lasting impression on the viewers. Video footage was also taken concurrently and short films have been created for the brand and the four destinations. These films will be shown on the new website and used as part of the electronic advertisements as well as in other marketing channels.

As part of the brand re-launch, Rosewood Hotels & Resorts has also launched Rosewood Curators. The group has invited a highly select collection of tastemakers and high-profile personalities to share their favorite haunts and travel tips for each Rosewood destination. The Curators have not suggested typical tourist attractions but instead offer insider knowledge that allows Rosewood’s sophisticated and curious guests to engage in the local culture of each destination.

Rosewood's relaunch comes at an exciting time for the company, which has embarked on an ambitious expansion, with a particular focus in Asia and Europe. The brand is expected to double the current portfolio within five years. Future Rosewood properties include:

* Rosewood London -- United Kingdom (October 2013)
* Rosewood Beijing -- China (early 2014)
* Rosewood Dubai -- United Arab Emirates (2015)
* Rosewood at Baha Mar -- Nassau, The Bahamas (2015)
* Rosewood Phuket -- Thailand (2015)
* Rosewood Chongqing -- China (2015)
* Rosewood Tanah Lot Bali -- Bali, Indonesia (2017)
* Rosewood Jakarta -- Jakarta, Indonesia (2017)