zurich tourism
rebranding and corporate identity for zurich tourism. the core concept is a flexible logo system comprising the expandable wordmark ‹zürich, switzerland›. it is a ‹story telling logo› that gives the possibilty of infinite logo variations and interplay with various contents.
rooted in tradition
the design refers to the heyday of swiss graphic design in the 60s, where zurich was one of the hot spots. the custom typeface is based on the original helvetica, the ‹neue haas grotesk› which was drawn by max miedinger in zurich in 1956/57.
inspired by the city
the color palette for the identity is derived from the tram lines in zurich.
highly flexible
the wordmark can be adapted depending on the message and medium used. for example, each employee’s business card contains an individual personal tip for zurich.
zürich card
the design for the official city pass combines a stylised card shape with an emotional imagery, making the advantages of the card visible. the design creates a visual stage to showcase the numerous benefits of the zürich card in an emotional and flexible way. see more ›
future proof
an extensive design manual documents the basic rules of the identity and sets the guidelines for future applications.
zurich experience
the identity for zurich experience – a summit about urban tourism – is built on the branding of zurich tourism. see more ›
project details
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zurich tourism needed a distinctive and flexible corporate identity to represent the city and its wider region across a diverse range of communication channels. the identity had to bring together zurich’s cultural heritage, international appeal and contemporary urban character while remaining recognisable across different applications.
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at the heart of the identity is an expandable wordmark: ‹zürich, switzerland›. conceived as a storytelling logo, the system allows the wordmark to be adapted and combined with different content, creating a wide range of variations while maintaining a consistent brand identity.
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the visual identity draws inspiration from zurich’s rich graphic design heritage of the 1960s. its custom typography is based on neue haas grotesk, the original typeface drawn by max miedinger in zurich in 1956/57. the colour palette takes its cues from the city’s tram lines, connecting the identity directly to zurich’s urban environment.
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the flexible identity was applied across a wide range of touchpoints, including stationery, business cards, maps, advertising, digital communication and visitor information. individual details, such as personal tips on employees’ business cards, bring the city’s character into everyday interactions. the design for the zürich card extends the system through a stylised card shape and expressive imagery, presenting the benefits of the official city pass in an engaging and accessible way.
an extensive design manual establishes the principles of the identity and provides guidelines for its consistent use and future development.
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client: zurich tourism
year: 2017 (ongoing consulting)
location: zurich, switzerland
services: brand strategy, concept development, art direction, corporate identity, logo design, typography, graphic design, animation and design guidelines -
creative direction & art direction: studio marcus kraft, concept & design: studio marcus kraft in collaboration with atlas studio, text: rainer brenner, custom typeface: commercial type, video animation: josh schaub, web development: liip, amazee labs (until 2020)
zurich tourism: thomas wüthrich (director), martin sturzenegger (director until 2021), janine rupf (head of marketing), nathalie lüthi (head of marketing until 2024), anita lutz (graphic designer & brand manager), andreas schläpfer (lead digital solutions), matthias drabe (lead digital until 2022)
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