The Grande Dame Reimagined
Capturing over 200 years of elegance at The Imperial Hotel, Cork
One of the primary long-standing clients I worked with during my time at Limelight Media was The Imperial Hotel, Cork. Steeped in over 200 years of history and tradition, the luxury four-star Imperial Hotel is a timeless landmark and boutique hotel in the heart of Cork City. Often regarded as the ‘Grande Dame’ of Cork, it embodies elegance and sophistication. Our task was to capture and communicate this history while bringing the rich character of the hotel to life for modern audiences, ensuring its legacy resonates with both new and returning guests. This involved a thoughtful balance of preserving its iconic charm while introducing fresh, contemporary design elements.
Initially, I collaborated with our marketing team to manage the client's social media. As we gained their trust, our role expanded to developing and building the brand for this iconic landmark. We brought the brand to life through various touchpoints, including social media campaigns, print materials, product packaging, digital advertising, and environmental design. By essentially becoming their full suite design team, I was able to take it from a slightly generic and traditional hotel brand to an award winning brand, that showcased a unique voice and rich history.
Design system
Approach
Our journey began with a deep dive into understanding The Imperial Hotel's target market, focusing on accentuating its luxurious essence while simultaneously unveiling a more playful character through cohesive design elements. Recognising the iconic status of the hotel's emblem, which is woven into the fabric of the city's history, we aimed not to completely rebrand but to reinvigorate its image, ensuring it remained a beloved landmark for both locals and visitors alike.
To achieve this, I introduced fresh typography, vibrant colours, and bespoke illustrations, crafting a new design system that permeated all brand touch points. The traditional black, white, and gold palette was expanded to include rich accent colours. A deep green was chosen to reflect the hotel’s proud Irish heritage and commitment to sustainability, while a sophisticated pink embodied classic elegance, playfulness, and stylishness, nodding to its historical connections with fashion icons like Princess Grace Kelly of Monaco and its welcoming atmosphere for Cork's LGBTQ+ community.
Elegant, classic fonts were selected to maintain a refined aesthetic that underscores the hotel’s luxurious atmosphere. I often integrated typography as a design element within images, adding visual dimension and conveying that this elegance is an intrinsic part of the hotel’s offerings. A comprehensive style guide and custom presets were developed to ensure consistency and recognisability across all imagery.
Simple yet elegant shapes and lines, inspired by the hotel’s historic architecture, were utilised as frames and decorative elements throughout the designs. This refreshed brand language, crafted for timeless appeal, included high-quality advertising campaigns and engaging social media strategies that blended classic charm with contemporary trends. Meticulously designed menu layouts, print collateral, and signage enhanced brand consistency and contributed to the hotel’s sophisticated ambiance. These comprehensive design solutions not only reinforced The Imperial Hotel's prestigious image but also led to increased brand recognition and customer engagement, solidifying its position as a premium choice for visitors to Ireland.
Crafting compelling & memorable campaigns
In collaboration with The Imperial’s marketing team, we developed a series of themed seasonal campaigns that infused the hotel with a playful, theatrical energy. From a romantic “Queen of Hearts” theme for Valentine’s Day to transforming the hotel into “The Imperial Whotel” for a Grinch-inspired holiday experience, each campaign offered a unique themed stay and afternoon tea, allowing the brand to transcend its traditional luxury image and express a distinctive, captivating personality.
Central to these campaigns was Grace, the charming mascot born from our sub-brand, Sketch. Through video and photography campaigns, Grace became the vibrant face of the hotel, engaging audiences and ensuring our advertisements were instantly recognisable. Her presence deepened the hotel’s connection with guests, making each campaign a memorable extension of The Imperial’s evolving identity.
For each initiative, I collaborated closely with our illustrator Ethan to create bespoke illustrations for printed elements like themed menus for Sketch and seasonal signage for the hotel. Working with our photographer Louis, we produced captivating imagery and video content for digital campaigns along. I also crafted social media content—including posts, stories, animated teasers, and videos campaigns—while designing artwork for The Imperial’s website and Google ad campaigns. Social media and Google ads proved powerful tools, significantly boosting sales for both themed and seasonal campaigns. By establishing a cohesive brand foundation, we consistently conveyed the hotel’s elegance, successfully attracting both new and returning customers.
Outcome
Initially perceived as a traditionally luxurious yet somewhat formal establishment, The Imperial Hotel has been transformed into a vibrant and stylish destination through our collaboration with their exceptional marketing team. We introduced modern aesthetics, playful elements, and an engaging social media presence that resonated strongly with both existing and new guests, particularly younger, affluent travelers. This redefined brand not only captured the hearts of Corkonians and tourists alike but also significantly increased profits and sales. The rebrand led to a remarkable 179% growth in their Instagram following. The Imperial Hotel even earned nominations for several awards, including those for their digital marketing campaigns.
The updated branding and dynamic advertising campaigns successfully showcased the hotel’s seamless blend of classic elegance and contemporary charm, making it more approachable and appealing to a broader audience. This strategic transformation has elevated The Imperial Hotel's status, positioning it as a chic, luxurious, and welcoming choice for a diverse range of visitors.
