The Maldives Marketing and PR Corporation (MMPRC) last week revealed the country’s new tourism slogan and logo, after over a year-long consultation and design process, involving industry and government.
The new slogan is ‘Maldives – Always Natural’, which is accompanied by a logo highlighting the country’s unique natural characteristics.
“The slogan and logo are designed to underscore the outstanding natural beauty of the Maldives, which tourists from all segments of the market consistently rate as one of their main reasons for visiting the country,” said MMPRC Chairperson Thoyyib Mohamed.
The slogan and logo’s environmental theme is also designed to support the Maldives’ fishing industry: sustainable, pole and line caught tuna is the country’s second biggest export, after tourism.
Dozens of tourism industry stakeholders were consulted, as well as the general public, before the final slogan and logo were designed. The slogan and logo were formally approved during today’s cabinet meeting, which was chaired by President Nasheed.
“The previous slogan was over 11 years old and we believe the new slogan and logo better represents the Maldives of today, as well as tomorrow,” said Simon Hawkins, Managing Director of the MMPRC.
The MMPRC commissioned an open tender for a private company to investigate, research, design and create the slogan and logo. This tender was won by ‘QUO KEEN’ of Bangkok and London.
David Keen, CEO of QUO KEEN said: “’We have created a brand that stands for the Maldivian people, for tourism and for all of industry. The slogan Always Natural talks to the people of the Maldives, to sustainability and to the ultimate tourism experience. The logo has been hand-crafted to define the natural elements of the country formed in a thumb print.”
“The MMPRC is delighted with the end result and we look forward to proudly communicating the new brand to the world,” added Hawkins.
The MMPRC would like to thank Minister of Tourism Arts and Culture, Dr Mariyam Zulfa, the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) and Maldives Association of Travel Agents (MATATO) for their invaluable advice, input and contribution to the new slogan and logo.
Controversial change
Local newspaper Haveeru reports, in a statement issued “to clarify information” about the matter, the MMPRC said the fingerprint logo, which consists of islands, corals, turtles, sharks and herons that transitions from blue to green, was designed by a British designer in order to show the natural beauty and marine life of the Maldives.
The corporation stressed that it also looked into the legalities of using the logo to brand and advertise the Maldives.
MMPRC noted that no suitable logo was submitted in the logo designing competition held last year, which prompted the corporation to commission an open international tender for a private company to research, design and create the slogan and logo for US$100,000 (Rf1.5 million).
“The corporation accepts the comments made by the public about the logo and acknowledge the fact that the logo shares similarities with some other logos. The corporation would like to inform the public that the matter will be looked into,” the statement read.
The new “Always Natural” slogan and logo, which were designed by Quo consultancy agency of Thailand, will replace the existing 11-year-old logo and slogan of “The Sunny Side of Life” commencing next year.
The new branding, which was endorsed by the Cabinet last week, is expected to broaden the brand to include industries such as energy and fisheries. The government is to soon devise policies to use the logo and slogan to promote Maldivian products.
