La Quinta by Wyndham
Amplifying Brand Cohesion for a Leading Hotel Chain
Creative Strategy, Art Direction, Graphic Design, Visual Toolkit
La Quinta Inns & Suites, a chain of limited-service hotels for budget-conscious travelers, embarked on a mission to refresh their graphical assets. After almost 10 years since the last comprehensive overhaul, La Quinta was at a new stage in its lifecycle, marked by greater brand presence, momentum, and differentiated energy. This was not a rebranding.
I led the initiative to revitalize La Quinta's graphical language, supply a centralized design resource kit that would be leveraged to ensure branding consistency and elevate overall visual appeal.
sample of Previous Brand Elements
One significant challenge was managing an extensive library of graphics used across various business units without proper oversight. To address this, we purged outdated assets, cataloged necessary revisions, and implemented replacements. Given the company’s scale, this was a monumental task.
Updated Brand Elements
Care must be taken when reworking a registered trademark tagline, as it’s crucial to preserve its distinctiveness and avoid creating consumer confusion. Minor updates, such as modernizing language or style, may be acceptable as long as the tagline’s core identity remains intact.
If substantial alterations are made to the wording, structure, or meaning, the new version may no longer qualify as a trademark. Therefore, any changes must comply with legal requirements to be accepted.
Guided by campaign messaging, our creative decisions centered on the concept of ‘Refresh,’ ensuring every change reflected and enhanced this theme. We carefully evaluated each proposed change against the campaign messaging, ensuring only aligned revisions were implemented, resulting in a cohesive visual language across all touchpoints.
before
After
The customer experience was paramount—certain key materials from each touchpoint along the customer’s journey needed to be refreshed.
The project had a profound and lasting impact both internally and externally. The organization expressed high satisfaction with the revitalized visual identity. The subtle yet significant changes propelled the brand forward, leading to a positive shift in customer perception.
During La Quinta’s acquisition by Wyndham, the transition team praised the assets and the brand’s new visual direction. This project laid the foundation for a cohesive and contemporary brand image, enhancing customer engagement and brand recognition.