BACKGROUND

Grand Circle Travel is the industry leader in world travel experience and discovery for American seniors.

I led a dedicated Creative team at Grand Circle Travel in a complete renewal of the brand. At the helm of a brand with nearly 60 years of recognition and history under its belt, my challenge was not only create something new, but to reengage existing travelers while acknowledging the rich history of discovery and value at the core of the brand. 

Photos: Jenn Liang

DIRECT MARKETING

Starting with the catalog (Big Book) announcing the 2016 product line up, I had the team focus on price, clarity and readability as they implemented the redesign. Ultimately, we wanted to bring a little fun and excitement back into the marketing material for each trip, while still highlighting the excellent value GCT offers.

ELEMENTS OF STYLE

Fonts, colors, iconography—everything was on the table, and the team rose to the challenge. We began by expanding and developing new style guidelines that draw from Grand Circle’s history, while creating avenues for greater flexibility and modern positioning. The challenge of retaining the original logo, as well as not being able to restyle photography made this a unique challenge, but modern treatments, white space, pops of color and typographic hierarchy position GCT as a modern brand for the value-centric traveler.

LOGO CONCEPTS

For the final piece of the brand redesign, I proposed options that would propel the look and feel of the brand identity forward, while still paying honor to its rich history. The proposals added engagement and flexibility to a logo that’s remained largely unchanged for the better part of six decades. 

TEAM RECOGNITION

Designers: Kate Valentine, Caitlyn Manning, Ali Shakra, Andrea Vita, Dylan Andrews
Copywriters: Carley D. Thornell, Bob Hammerling, Danielle Ossher
Photo Editors: Christina Micek, Greg Palmer, Nicole Arsenault