Wolff Olins look for tourist board

The London Tourist Board is changing its name to Visit London and has appointed Wolff Olins to design its logo, as the organisation moves to reposition itself and turn the tide of falling visitor numbers.

Visitor numbers to the capital have plummeted on the back of 11 September 2001 and the war in Iraq. From a recent high of 31.6m total visitors in 2000, numbers have fallen by almost 20 per cent to a projected 25.9m for 2003.

The LTB has received recent funding injections, including a £7m boost from the Mayor of London at the end of last year with a further £3.8m scheduled for later this year, to address the problem.

According to an LTB spokeswoman, the organisation plans to reposition itself as less ‘stuffy’ as it moves to target both the corporate and individual market in the UK and internationally.

‘The name Visit London is more dynamic and has none of the stuffy connotations of the title “tourist board”,’ she explains.

Wolff Olins has been briefed to develop a corporate brand with the ‘flexibility to represent Visit London to both business and leisure tourists’, the spokeswoman adds.

Visit London will also synchronise with the Visit Britain and Visit Scotland tourism organisations, she says, and ensures the LTB falls into line with its website address, www.visitlondon.com.

The consultancy was appointed last week following the ratification of the name change by London Tourist Board members. It won a five-way unpaid creative pitch against unnamed consultancies. The project is worth a five-figure sum to the group.

Wolff Olins creative director Keshen Teo, who is leading the project, says the consultancy has had to work fast on visuals since its appointment. The group is now awaiting approval for its creative work developed last week.

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