The only hotel which sits at the water’s edge of Lake Wānaka, Edgewater approached us to refresh their brand strategy and visual identity. 

In the refresh of their brand, we worked with Edgewater to create a new north star which would carry the brand through and out of the pandemic. After spending time at the hotel in Wānaka, copious amounts of research into the travel industry, and hearing from the customers themselves through interviews, I established a new brand essence for the brand — At nature’s pace. This new essence encapsulates the contrast of Wānaka to its fast-paced adrenalin-filled neighbour, Queenstown. It also offers an answer to the overwhelming world-wide research that stipulates the post-pandemic traveller’s need for a slower and more consciously-connected travel holiday. 

At nature’s pace has been interwoven throughout the entire operation at Edgewater, including the customer service, the seasonal menus, and even their internal culture. It was also used as inspiration for the visual identity refresh — from the seasonal, ever-changing colour palette, quiet moments captured through lived-in photography, hand-crafted organic illustration, to the spaced-out typesetting itself, encouraging viewers to take each message in with intention. 

Post-refresh, at Edgewater, the days are slow — warm afternoons floating on kayaks, the steady rhythm of a hike, the hum of conversation on the grassy bankside, and the pull of the majestic Lake Wānaka, immediately compelling everyone who sees it to slow down and take it all in.