BACKGROUND / CHALLENGE:
A legacy of the Fred Harvey Company started in 1876, Xanterra is the largest privately owned park and resort management company in the United States. Xanterra specializes in tourism in U.S. National Parks, and has a presence in dozens of national and state parks, including Yellowstone and Grand Canyon, with transportation and accommodation ranging from campsites to ultra-luxury hotels.
In 2016, Xanterra decided to launch a new premium travel brand that would cater to the ultra-luxury segment, providing private and exclusive tours of multiple national parks, including transportation by private jet, yacht and exotic cars and private concerts by major musical acts, such as the Rollings Stones. Xanterra approached WANT to help create the name and identity for this new brand, as well as establish what the brand itself would stand for (positioning).
SOLUTION:
After speaking with multiple stakeholders, seeing what competitors were offering and reviewing Xanterra’s (amazing) planned itineraries for the brand, we came to the realization that the brand wasn’t just about luxury or exclusivity; it was about making memories that would last a lifetime: Magnificent Memories, which became the brand’s positioning.
With the positioning established, we then set forth to create a name and identity for the new brand. Our goal was to find a name that appealed to a very particular audience (ultra-wealthy) and communicated the aspects of exclusivity and a trip of a lifetime. After exploring hundreds of name options, we zeroed in on a final candidate: ‘Privel’. A contraction of the words “private travel”, the name is upscale in tone and also strongly suggests “privilege”. The identity further drove the point home, using an authoritative serif font that balanced very fine serifs with thicker letterforms. A line in the logo under the name communicated that this offering was above all others and “top of the line”, while the accent color of green brought back in the nature aspect of the offering.
The ‘Magnificent Memories’ positioning was so well-received that it was also elevated to a tagline, and locked up with the new identity.
OUTCOME:
In September 2016, Privel launched its first trip named The Majestic American West: Park to Park Journey. Limited to just ten travelers, this intimate 12-day private trip visited visits Death Valley, Yosemite, Crater Lake, Glacier, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Zion and the Grand Canyon. Curated by experts from each park, the trip would deliver the best each park has to offer, topped off by local experts, sights and activities to drive memories and images that even Ansel Adams would envy.