To achieve this, Tsogo Sun worked with Cross Colours – and together developed a strategy and unique model for the entity. The outcome was an essence and creative tonality that is unique in the hotel, gaming and entertainment category.

“With the combination of 14 world-class casinos across the country and South Africa’s hotel icon, Southern Sun, they essentially created a powerful entity in the highly competitive hospitality and entertainment industry,” explains Adelle Wapnick from Cross Colours. “As a result, the group needed a new identity that stemmed from this and reflected the strong set of values that emerged from the business.”

The identity needed to translate across all brands and sub-brands and unite them while still retaining some individual flavour. The logo was updated to reflect a more contemporary position – which meant merging the iconic sunburst with a modern and elegant typography. In addition, a distinctive photographic style and colour treatment was created to ensure the brand’s new identity and visual language remains unique to the brand.

In refreshing the brand identity, it all began with the name.

“The name Tsogo Sun is unique,” says Wapnick. “Tsogo in Setswana means resurrection or new life, a term that mimics what the sun does every day. Combined with the Sunburst, which is taken from Southern Sun Hotels, we created a uniquely African identity that is steeped in heritage.”

“The Tsogo sunburst is not just our brandmark, it is so much more,” adds Louise Sevell from Tsogo Sun. “It’s our promise. In order to deliver on our promise, it’s important that we acknowledge the part that the brand has to play, and how we represent the various elements of the brand to our desired customer.”

The company’s vision is to retain leadership across all its categories, and therefore alignment to the brand’s identity and essence plays a big part in sustaining this leadership role.

“Our distinctive sunburst needs to be a symbol of all that we stand for, an icon or beacon of our vision and our promises,” says Sevell.

The Tsogo Sun target market is wide and varied, mostly because it is a holding brand for two industries and therefore interests a vast audience - from customers to stakeholders.

“The Tsogo Sun brand role may vary from region to region, but it is essentially a sought after place of work that inspires people to reach their potential,” says Wapnick. “It’s also quietly passionate about leaving footprints in the communities it serves.”

With regards to positioning, Cross Colours aimed to present the brand as an exceptional hospitality and gaming group that provides great experiences at every destination.

“The essence of the brand is to ‘escape to great experiences,” adds Wapnick, “which needed to be reflected in every aspect of the communication.”

With the combination of a rebrand, new visual language, ad campaigns and some classic media channels - Cross Colours created a campaign with wide and powerful reach – leaving no doubt in consumers’ minds that Tsogo Sun represents the very best in gaming and hospitality.