THE GRADY HOTEL
Finding the soul of Louisville in its hospitality
Winner of 2018 AIGA Louisville "Best of Show" Award
Note: The name of the hotel was changed from "The Wilder" to "The Grady" during construction because of trademark concerns.
Note: The name of the hotel was changed from "The Wilder" to "The Grady" during construction because of trademark concerns.
The Client
Vision Hospitality Group is known for going above-and-beyond with their hospitality, service and innovation. So when they chose Louisville to step into the boutique hotel market, we were happy to have the chance to tell the stories of our city.
We worked closely to establish a brand story that made sense to personas in and out of Louisville. We also collaborated closely with the interior design firm on the elements and collateral inside of each room and the lobby.
"Not only was the hotel beautiful, I felt like I got
a great introduction of the culture of Louisville
and the experience of truly seeing the city as a
local. It really represented a modest city with
the great energy it truly has."
a great introduction of the culture of Louisville
and the experience of truly seeing the city as a
local. It really represented a modest city with
the great energy it truly has."
Come as a guest,
Leave as a local.
Our client needed this hotel to capture Louisville’s essence. And not the bourbon barrels or horses, but what it actually feels like to live in this historic city with the warm souls and progressive spirit that started it all to begin with. We visited the Filson Historical Society. We scoured antique stores. We interviewed proud Louisvillians from all influences. This started with a whole gamut of deliverables from our Branding Program including a competitive analysis, feature comparison, semantic differential and voice & tone. We came up with a plan for execution that was direct, apparent and layered in every element.
The location is fabulous, and I really feel
like staying at The Wilder gave me an
introduction to Louisville’s history, story,
and what Louisvillians are truly like.
like staying at The Wilder gave me an
introduction to Louisville’s history, story,
and what Louisvillians are truly like.
COLOR THEORY & OPPORTUNITY
The "Leafy Greens" palette
One may feel they can barely afford to look at this color palette it is so luxurious. It is that expertly crafted pair of leather shoes in the window that you can’t help but admire. The greens support a freshness that requires a high level of polish. Imagine this paired with patinated metals and smooth dark textures. The light this welcomes is natural lighting from large windows. The earth tones of this palette also bring forth our bourbon culture (through the barrels), and the greens bring forth our city of parks and the outdoors.
One may feel they can barely afford to look at this color palette it is so luxurious. It is that expertly crafted pair of leather shoes in the window that you can’t help but admire. The greens support a freshness that requires a high level of polish. Imagine this paired with patinated metals and smooth dark textures. The light this welcomes is natural lighting from large windows. The earth tones of this palette also bring forth our bourbon culture (through the barrels), and the greens bring forth our city of parks and the outdoors.
NEVER A VOICE WITHOUT A TONE
After the voice and tone was established, we broke our copywriting out into several different sections: headlines, tagline, service lines and maker’s marks. We wanted a layered approach from corporate-focused to guest-welcoming. The best way to establish this was to create a clear system on where each user would interact with each type of copy– some going deeper into the warm, antiqued tone more than others. At the heart of our brand was the descriptor:
“Accommodations Kindly, Provisions Mindly.”
I was greeted warmly
when I entered, much like
I expect from the South.
when I entered, much like
I expect from the South.
