The Novotel Melbourne on Collins is a hotel in quite possibly the best location in our beloved city. Located on Collins Street, they have everything the Melbourne CBD has to offer at their doorstep. Literally.
This enviable location gives Novotel Melbourne on Collins a competitive advantage in a crowded market – they just needed to tell their story. They were ready to stake their claim with a strong, ownable brand positioning and they asked Liquorice to help create it.
Together with the hotel’s GM and Director of Sales and Marketing, we worked to identify and leverage this competitive advantage, positioning the brand as the “Heart of Melbourne” and building a suite of tools to bring this new positioning to life.
Our goal for the new positioning was to shift guests’ perspectives on their relationship with the hotel and to generate word-of-mouth promotion. Through a social media campaign and a series of in-hotel activations, the core brand strength was celebrated and shared with countless conversations between the hotel and its guests, both in person and through the #heartofmelbourne hashtag.
A series of hero images were created for use on social media, each heart shape housing a quintessential Melbourne experience such as sport, culture, food & beverage and shopping. Each image speaks to a key motivation for potential guests and helps position Novotel Melbourne on Collins as the gateway to these experiences. Establishing a strong connection between the hotel and Melbourne’s vibrant culture was key to the campaign strategy.
As well as the social media assets, an illustrated walking map of key locations was designed, further cementing the idea that the Novotel Melbourne on Collins is synonymous with Melbourne’s CBD. The concept was also explored through staff uniform accessories, site signage, valet carpets, the hotel website and in-room materials.
Restaurant Identity
The hotel bar and restaurant, Lane, is a prominent feature. It’s the first thing guests see when they enter the hotel lobby and the last thing they see as they leave. Giving an under-utilised asset like Lane a refresh was a low-cost, high-impact project that helped to enhance the guest experience and the overall perception of the hotel. Custom typography and illustrated characters surprise and delight guests throughout the venue, showing that the hotel is a vibrant and culturally connected entity.
The opportunity to push the boundaries of an established global brand and find a niche local flavour was an exciting one. From the concept and visual identity to the tone of voice and overall execution, we’re proud of the balance we found between making the hotel feel intrinsically Novotel but unmistakably Melbourne. Novotel also share that pride:
“Having worked successfully with the Liquorice team on two previous projects, I had no hesitation in recommending them as a high quality digital agency. The vast range of ideas and creativity has provided a varied collection of assets to work with. From the detailed brief, the immaculately designed assets, the efficiency and professionalism of the team, the whole process has exceeded expectation.”