Turtle Bay Resort rides a wave into its future

NORTH SHORE, Oahu, Hawaii – This morning, Turtle Bay Resort on Oahu’s North Shore, introduced a re-rebranding campaign intended to meet the evolving expectations of today’s travelers and the premi

NORTH SHORE, Oahu, Hawaii – This morning, Turtle Bay Resort on Oahu’s North Shore, introduced a re-rebranding campaign intended to meet the evolving expectations of today’s travelers and the premium they now place on experiences. The new strategy shifts the brand essence from “True Hawaii” to “Oahu’s Fabled North Shore” and presents a distinctive waveform, based on the Bonzai Pipeline, as its new visual identity. ipeline, arguably the most recognizable wave in the world, attracts legions of surfers and adventure travelers to the North Shore annually to see some of the planet’s most epochal surf. The same memorable North Shore wave is featured (past and present) in the opening of the television show, Hawaii Five-0.

The resort’s new strategy, centered on a newly-minted brand story, was authored over a 15-month period with input from the resort’s employees, as well as members of the local community. The objective of the campaign is to feature the resort’s position as the only destination resort on the North Shore and the area’s wide array of life enhancing experiences. In addition, the campaign will establish the North Shore as a destination that exemplifies livability, as well as environmental and cultural sensitivity.

“In a frantic era when time is considered to be a new luxury, everyone from Millennials to Boomers want their experiences to be as meaningful and real as possible. We intend to transition Turtle Bay Resort to a dynamic destination synonymous with the world’s most monumental surfing,” said Danna Holck, General Manager, Turtle Bay Resort.

The brand story, based on six pillars, is an engaging and compelling description of how people, residents, and visitors alike, will experience this resort in its entirety from its setting, events, activities, culinary offerings, amenities, and sunset rituals, in essence, its interpretations of the aloha spirit. The six brand pillars also distinguish Turtle Bay Resort from all other resorts in Hawaii. They include:

Oahu’s Fabled North Shore: There are dozens of resorts that could legitimately vie for the title of “True Hawaii,” but as the only resort on this stretch of coastline, Turtle Bay is indisputably the “True North Shore.” The uniqueness of the North Shore and Turtle Bay Resort’s position within this miraculous and organic place is a story to be shared with the world as part of the new brand, Oahu’s Fabled North Shore.

Eventful: Turtle Bay Resort will be thought of as being an “eventful place,” meaning one designed specifically to host a calendar full of highly-memorable events, such as the World Paddleboard Championship, a Slack Key Guitar Playoff, or a Makahiki Festival of Cane Spirits. Turtle Bay Resort already plays host to the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing and Surfer Magazine’s Surfer Poll Awards, both of which are broadcast globally. Events, be they spectacles or small moments of close-knit discovery, are the new “community creators” in a world where people are feeling increasingly detached from reality.

Waterman: Surfers, once known as water shooters, belong to a category of super–athletes known as “Watermen.” The tradition of Watermen comes from Polynesia, and their skills include surfing, paddling, rowing, and rough-water swimming. He/she might also be skilled at diving, fishing, spear fishing, tandem surfing, lifeguarding, and handling outrigger canoes. Embracing the Waterman ideal allows Turtle Bay Resort to introduce a new concept that appeals to not only tourists, but the expanding niche of experiential travelers.

Agriculture: The seeds of a new industry have been planted in Hawaii. Called “agritourism,” this blend of travel associated with farming is a growing phenomenon. Turtle Bay Resort has an opportunity to authentically link its version of “farm to table” to its agricultural roots and ahupuaa (the ancient Hawaiian sub-divison of land from the top of the local mountain to the shoreline, which was one of the earliest forms of self-sufficiency and sustainability). Those connections will include fresh local foods, from both land and sea, prepared in the resort’s kitchen and on the pool decks of the hotel; interpretive tours of the resort’s own farmlands – tours that include an explanation of ahupuaa; partnerships with neighboring farmers to develop resort-branded products that can be shipped around the world, plus the possibility of building a small working sugar mill as part of Turtle Bay Resort’s agritourism initiative.

Romanticism: Romance can be defined as “a spirit of adventure, excitement, the potential for heroic achievement, and the exotic.” It can also mean, “fascination or enthusiasm with something, especially of an uncritical or inexplicable kind.”

There are many places that conform to this definition, but in the minds of many romantics, Turtle Bay Resort has long been a place for kindling and keeping the flame alive from proposals to weddings, honeymoons, to anniversaries, or just a romantic getaway. And, the romance of its dreamscapes, landscapes, and melting pot of fascinating faces of Turtle Bay Resort also serves as an inspiration to photographers, painters, writers, musicians, and cultural creatives.

Talk Story: Is a local expression that can be used as a noun or verb, meaning “an informal chat” or “to chat informally.” It is an evolution of that much earlier oral tradition of pre-contact Hawaii. Talk story is neither dialogue nor an interview and certainly is not a negotiation. It is a willingness to talk openly, honestly, and respectfully and to derive enjoyment, even entertainment, from it as in “the lost art of conversation.”

Talk story will be the way we engage the entire community in the resort design and planning process; the way we entertain audiences in the new “Surfer, The Bar” that is a partnership between the resort and Surfer magazine. Plus renowned surfers, authors, musicians, and filmmakers will talk story with guests and residents. We are a story-driven organization, which has been a strong influence on the development of our distinctive service culture and our interpretation of the aloha spirit.

About the logos:
In addition to the brand pillars, the campaign also introduces three new marks. An un-retouched photography of Pipeline was used as a design reference for the new Turtle Bay Resort logo. Like Ayers Rock, the Grand Canyon, Niagra Falls, Mount Fuji, and others, it is a natural landmark, a physical phenomenon that in this case is synonymous with the North Shore.

The Heirloom secondary symbol celebrates the enduring status of the original turtle logo, especially for visitors and guests who have fond memories of Turtle Bay Resort including the special occasions and extraordinary events enjoyed here.

The NS (North Shore) secondary logo recognizes the enormous cachet of the North Shore, especially among surfers and their followers. NS branded merchandise will carry a discrete reference to Turtle Bay Resort, Oahu’s North Shore. As with the heirloom logo, applications will be limited to Turtle Bay Resort’s merchandise program.

About the author

Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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