The Background

The Dalata Group is Ireland's largest hotel operator, with 44 hotels across the Clayton and Maldron Hotel groups. For its newest hotel, the brief demanded that the new hotel's branding convey a sense of style and sophistication and position it as a modern, unique, on-trend destination that would appeal to the business traveller and savvy weekend visitor. It also had to maintain a subtle link to the Maldron Hotel brand.

The Idea

The new hotel’s dockside setting was the spark for our proposed name, with The Samuel’s logo and visual language taking inspiration from the Samuel Beckett Bridge and the great man himself.

The Execution

The logotype is a subtle nod to Samuel Beckett's tall, angular, condensed frame with a vertical 'THE' reflecting Beckett's unique world perspective. Paired with a sophisticated colour palette using Maldron Grey and Maldron Yellow, the logo and visual language are complemented with a contemporary sage green, which is used in materials and finishes in the dining and hotel interiors. The logo is a memorable presence in signage and touchpoints throughout the hotel, either in its complete form or, alternately, as an icon used in some on-site and online applications.

The brand's tone of voice and personality is reflected across all communications. To re-state the unconventional and unexpected traits of the brand, we introduced some of Beckett's world into the visual language in the form of quotations and objects. Symbolic and absurd items such as bowler hats and dustbins are layered over a wave graphic inspired by the hotel's location to create a unique visual language.

Photography is central to the identity, helping to convey a sense of relaxation, warmth and enjoyment and showcasing Dublin as an on-trend destination.