Lush
Lush is among the best love motels in Brazil, but that is not enough to describe them. They do everything in their power to change the very meaning of love motel. A few years back they were pioneers on coining the term “Private Urban Resort", that ended up being embraced by other brands on the segment.
Now, Lush reinvents itself again, by marketing the brand as “Adult Play”, an innovative concept for the kind of service they provide. Their plan is to brand Lush as a medium for discoveries and bond making, not confined to their accommodations.
The motel is becoming a chain and expanding physically, but also their services are growing. They go from haute cuisine to digital experiences. Additionally, Lush hopes to offer decentralized accommodation with suites throughout the city, outside the motel.
If Lush's original statements as a brand tried to give it an aura of "respectable", as a strategy to remove the stigma usually attributed to love motels, their rebranding aimed to go beyond that.
Lush is already a respected brand, so now they can afford to express themselves fully. They can move away from a distant and sort of "standard" look and feel to a warmer and humanized language.
For the design, we had to portray Lush in its full power. They are premium, but also rebels. So on the one hand the visuals should put forward a feeling of elegance, but on the other, their nonconforming status.
We looked for a mix of vibrant typography, photography and colors. All the elements are highlighted on the design, but they take turns on which gets the spotlight on each piece.
One of the themes we set for the project was the one we called “subtly provocative”. At some point, we had to talk about sex, but should obviously do it with finesse. This is more clearly seen on the photographic language, which goes unexpected ways to address the topic.
For the type, we had the theme of the encounter: two very different typefaces we wouldn’t expect to see working together, but in the end they make for a passionate couple.
Lush is now branded as an avant-garde love motel that is neither naive nor obscene on displaying its nature. The brand's purpose is to strengthen bonds – whatever form they take – and its visual language shapes that intent. Lush is not only welcoming to every kind of relation, but is also a vehicle for those to intensively and creatively express their feelings.
