One Company, Two Brands - The Active and Austin brand refresh

ACT Headers with Logo 1

 

Active Adventures and Austin Adventures’ brand refresh is part of our commitment to pay attention to how we relate our company and brands with our guests, and to constantly improve their experience with us.

By creating strong, recognizable brands we aim to provide a sense of belonging and community for our guests.

Alongside bold new logos and styles, the refreshed color palette and bespoke typeface reflect our company’s goal to capture the adventurous spirit and active lifestyle of our guests and staff.

 

 

Why the change?

In this video, our CEO, Wendy van Lieshout, explains why change now and what it means for Active Adventures and Austin Adventures.

We have spent the last 1.5 years bringing two incredible small-group adventure travel tour operators together to become one company with two distinct brands. We have done our research through surveys to our audience, external one-on-one interviews with guests, internal interviews with guides and staff, consultations with our partners, and reviews of the niche travel market that we operate within. We endeavored to understand what our guests love about each brand, what makes us unique for our guests and why we do what we do for them! 

 

 

Designing brands that capture our yearning to roam

After acquiring Austin Adventures in July of 2021, Active Adventures set off to strengthen each brand’s unique position.

For Active Adventures, the mountains are always calling and we find ourselves drawn to the great outdoors. From the rugged beauty of Patagonia to the peaks of New Zealand and the historic cultures of Europe, our guests experience authentic travel experiences with unique impact that few others do.

Austin Adventures shares its own distinctive blend of warmth, grace, hospitality, and desire for human connection. Inspired by our upbringing in the USA’s national parks, we love what we do and that shines through our new brand. It feels like family and that’s what we’re all about.

The design team revealed the new logos earlier this year with both companies’ new websites going live in November. Additional work will roll out across our transport, social media, communications, and our famous red carpet.

 

How were the two brands inspired?

The Active Adventures logo is a modern statement of adventure, excitement, and exploration. Mountains and the wild landscapes of New Zealand sit at the core of the Active brand and through them, we channel a spirit of adventure and love of the outdoors.  

 

The Austin Adventures' master logo was inspired by traditional scout emblems and nostalgic North American adventure badges. It features the bison as our mascot - a native North American animal that was revered and loved to wander and explore wide open spaces. 

 

The color palette for Active Adventures is inspired by epic natural landscapes. Styles are always grounded in Ocean Blue which are paired with a set of bright, lively secondary color tones that help provide a sense of energy, excitement, and adventure.

Active Adventures color palette

 

For Austin, the color palette is inspired by the beauty of the USA’s natural landscapes and national parks. Earthy, warm and welcoming, the style is inspiring and imaginative.

Austin Adventures color palette

 

Alongside our colors, typeface, and branding we use icons inspired by our adventurous youth in the Scouts and at Summer Camps to help our message stay clear and concise.

Austin's new logo, colors, typeface, emblems and icons

 

The new branding will be applied throughout physical and digital touchpoints, from the sides of busses to hats, t-shirts and guide-wear, communications to guests and on social media. 

 

 

 

According to Courtney Iannuccilli, VP of Global Marketing, the response so far has been very positive and the brand will continue to “come to life” over the next few weeks.

 

 

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