Branding the Visit Nepal Year 2020 was a daunting project for us to be executed in just a few months. The thought of encapsulating the essence of Nepal in all its cultural and geographical diversity had us giddy with excitement.
Our whole team joined in on the many hours of brainstorming sessions to decide on a style, letting out a torrent of all kinds of ideas. We finally settled for a campaign personality that resembled the spirit and substance of Nepal - rich in history, culture and symbolism, with elements that were rugged, colourful, handcrafted and joyful.
Our whole team joined in on the many hours of brainstorming sessions to decide on a style, letting out a torrent of all kinds of ideas. We finally settled for a campaign personality that resembled the spirit and substance of Nepal - rich in history, culture and symbolism, with elements that were rugged, colourful, handcrafted and joyful.
Our research reinforced our understanding of Nepal as a country of vast ethnic diversity and of splendid scenery. We wanted to honour Nepal’s grande dame – Mt. Everest, but also promote the other aspects of the country, because Nepal is SO MUCH MORE than Everest and trekking.
We wanted to show a more authentic side of Nepal and get away from the polished images of tourism campaigns of the past. The side of Nepal we wanted to present belonged to the locals, and the beauty and moments of joy they experience everyday in their lives.
The typography is modern with clean lines, but reminiscent of the traditional script, and unmistakably Nepali in its use of calligraphic strokes.
We chose a shade of vibrant yellow that seemed omnipresent, but was not often noticed in Nepal –the colour of marigold flowers, gold statues and ornaments of monk robes.
The red tika is an auspicious symbol, a blessing within a dot on the forehead of a Nepali. So it’s only fitting that we adorned the logo with a red tika composed of tiny Nepali flags, for Nepal is blessed and Nepal is in the blessing.
The red tika is an auspicious symbol, a blessing within a dot on the forehead of a Nepali. So it’s only fitting that we adorned the logo with a red tika composed of tiny Nepali flags, for Nepal is blessed and Nepal is in the blessing.
The symbols are inspired from Nepal’s unique landscapes, religion, architectural elements and festivals. We wanted new eyes and a new take on these traditional visuals. So we stylized them into thick, bold patterns to display Nepal’s scenic and cultural wealth and used them throughout the campaign as a part of its visual identity.
It was important to us that ordinary Nepalis would stand behind this brand as a good representation of them, so we tested them every time we had a visitor in the studio. Our teamwork was even more evident on this project as everyone brought their own talent, skills and take on it to successfully deliver a campaign of this scope within a tight timeline.
After we nailed the visual identity, we applied it across the campaigns’ collaterals and promotional posters. Our strategy was to display and brand different aspects of Nepali life - from the arts and cuisine to religion and spirituality - on flags and posters in public spaces.
