Scandic has been associated with old roadside hotels that have not been refurbished since the 80's. The old design and visual identity was an attempt to dress the bride and cover the ugly parts with a modern fashion inspired design. However the design did not represent what people thought of the brand; neither did it succeed in covering the bad parts. It was rather a clash that was apparent for both employees and guests. Over the past few years Scandic has started refurbishing the old hotels and also building new modern ones and we were tasked to develop a new identity to tie together the diverse product and find a common basis that went beyond pretending to be cool.

New brand values were defined: casual, caring and creative. We started with a handwritten note from one friend to another and expanded it to a visual world of caring notes, photo albums and maps drawn to help a friend find the way. The challenge was to create a design system that felt real and honest at the same time as it was applicable on the multitude of contact surfaces used at a hotel. The aim was to make every guest feel that he or she is staying among friends.

The result was a new graphic profile that permeated all contact surfaces, from stationery to frequent guest cards, restaurant menus to websites. The identity has been very well received, and the staff as well as guests very much recognize themselves and the atmosphere at Scandic in the playful, warm and easy going expression.