MAUNA KEA RESORT AND BEACH HOTEL

TIMELESS HAPPENS HERE

An 1,800-acre oceanfront resort located on gorgeous white sand beaches, Mauna Kea Resort is the singular home to two of the Island of Hawaii's best hotels, Mauna Kea Beach Hotel and The Westin Hapuna Beach Resort. Opened in 1965, Mauna Kea Beach Hotel is a historic resort hotel with an iconic brand. With formative assets that include an Asian art collection, mid-century architecture, expansive sandy beach, championship-level golf, and luxury accommodations, W|W was commissioned to help reposition the resort on an island (and state) filled with luxury beach resorts. 

Recognizing that Mauna Kea is not the average Hawaiian beach resort, W|W executed a rebranding for the resort that carefully balances the property's beloved heritage as a "home" for generations of families that have been visiting year after year, while continuing to stay relevant for new guests. 

In addition to the brand platform (positioning, promise, messaging), W|W refined the visual identity, created new lifestyle imagery, produced an ad campaign, and designed marketing collateral that collectively distinguish Mauna Kea Beach Hotel from newer, less-storied luxury beach resorts up and down the Kohala coast.

 

CAMPAIGN & COLLATERAL

The ad campaign created by W|W utilizes duotone photography for a timeless look, allowing the classic flower logo to pop in its iconic bright orange. Photography and language focus on the connections and memories that can be made – even in this modern age – with a return to the timeless magic and beauty of Mauna Kea Beach Hotel. Promotional ads collage together color and duotone photography, supplementing the core campaign. Marketing collateral was updated with the same sensibility to maintain alignment across branded touchpoints. 

IDENTITY REFINEMENT

The historic Mauna Kea logo has generations of powerful brand recognition. To maintain that important equity, W|W carefully cleaned up some curves and spaces that must have been lost in translation when earlier versions of the assets were converted to digital. 

The refined logo should be indistinguishable from the original.
The refined logo should be indistinguishable from the original.
The organic character and personality of the original were retained.
The organic character and personality of the original were retained.
As a whole the letters are more evenly weighted, the lines smooth and balanced.
As a whole the letters are more evenly weighted, the lines smooth and balanced.
Curves in the petals were smoothed and the distance between them evened out.
Curves in the petals were smoothed and the distance between them evened out.

FAMILY-FRIENDLY

We heard from many guests that they grew up coming to Mauna Kea year after year, and now they bring their family every year. Part of the appeal is the hotel's comprehensive keiki (childrens') programming. In support of the program, W|W designed a secondary Keiki Club brand, with illustrations featuring the hotel's very own manta ray characters – lovingly referred to as Mana & Makana – along with a supporting cast of colorful underwater friends.

EPITOME OF HO'OKIPA

For more than five decades, Mauna Kea Resort has established itself as the epitome of ho‘okipa, or hospitality, on the Island of Hawai‘i. Be it a honeymoon or a yearly couple's retreat, romance comes easy with breathtaking views and exceptional service. W|W produced a range of imagery, including new video vignettes and photography to support the resort's web content and marketing.