How did Landor rebrand Azerbaijan?
When Landor set out to help promote Azerbaijan as an often-overlooked travel destination, its design team had no idea that it would also help define the identity of the country itself.
After immersing its teams into the history, landscape, culture, and society of Azerbaijan, the designers soon learned they were looking at many dichotomies: in climate, in architecture, in ancient versus modern cultures, in craft, in entertainment. In fact, the mix was so rich and drastic, that it would be difficult for potential visitors to actually parse out what was special.
So Landor used this dichotomous nature to help explain the country: consider this aspect, but also its opposite. Once the model is introduced, it’s easy to read and predict. Where there is ancient culture, there is also the most modern. Historic trades like rug-making live on, right alongside high-tech developments. You can ski, but you can also visit volcanoes. Every point of interest has a counterpoint.
The tagline, “Take Another Look,” encourages the visitor to consider both sides, and in doing so, appreciate the scope of the country. A “reveal lens” in the shape of a lowercase “a” was created to present these two views simultaneously. It’s an endlessly adaptable device, and in fact, it proved so popular that an Instagram campaign sprung up almost immediately as citizens presented their own mash-ups of what they thought made their country special.
