ABOUT

THE BEST OF ITALY IN ONE PLACE
Italy is renowned for its cuisine, wines and historic buildings. The north of the country also has wonderful scenery with coastlines and lakes offering water sports, as well as dramatic mountain ranges to tempt skiers and climbing enthusiasts. Add to this a reputation for welcoming families and you have a world-class holiday destination.
With the best of Italy in one place, a single strong identity to spearhead a marketing campaign was all that was required to make holidaymakers more aware of the region. On the face of it, this was not as straightforward as it sounds as Lake Garda is divided by the regions of Lombardy in the west, Trentino in the north and Veneto in the east. Historically and culturally, the three regions are quite different and have in the past promoted their own area of the lake without there being one overriding, unified message. This situation was confusing for travel agents advising holidaymakers, as for them Lake Garda was one destination not three. To make matters worse, each region would have their own stand at trade shows promoting their part of Lake Garda. In a bid to change this fragmented approach, a single identity was proposed to communicate what the whole area had to offer, which would in turn be endorsed by each regional tourist authority as being representative of Lake Garda.

AN UNPARALLELED HOLIDAY DESTINATION
Branding for Lake Garda took the form of a distinctive logotype encapsulating visual elements, including castles, olives, fine wines, water sports and leisure activities, associated with the region. The brand identity was applied to road signs, posters, stationery, brochures, T-shirts and other promotional collateral. Design guidelines were also produced showing the visual relationship between the Lake Garda graphics and designations for the three surrounding regions.
Lake Garda was presented as one destination with clear signposting, information centres and guidebooks all with the same look and feel, reassuring visitors and contributing to an enjoyable, seamless experience.

ATTRACTING NEW HOLIDAYMAKERS
The new branding for Lake Garda was an instant success. Travel agents could now deal with a single entity about enquiries instead of three separate bodies, saving them time and inspiring confidence. For the three regions, a single powerful identity could only serve to amplify their shared values, identifying the rich heritage they have in common and allowing them to now compete with other strong destination brands.

TESTIMONIAL
“The awareness of Lake Garda as a premium and family holiday destination, particularly within the UK and Russian markets, has been considerably enhanced. We are delighted with our new brand.”

Enio Meneghelli,
President of Garda Unico