Revamp for travel group’s branding

Travel company Accoladia, a joint venture between British Airways Holidays and Thomas Cook, has this week appointed graphics group The Nest to revamp its communication materials and re-articulate the company’s positioning and creative direction.

The project includes a new look for the British Airways Holidays suite of brochures and development of copy and brand guidelines for the company. The first publication appears in October prior to a full launch in December.

The consultancy has been asked to identify a ‘new path’ for the holiday company, says The Nest chairman Alex Willcock. ‘British Airways Holidays is looking for a new way forward. We’ll be developing the creative strategy and direction for it and helping the in-house design team implement it,’ he says. The work will not include changes to the logo, says Willcock.

The repositioning follows the appointment of Jo Briody as Accoladia head of marketing in June and the company’s disappointing sales figures, down 17 per cent year-on-year in March.

The Nest won the job after a three-way pitch against other roster groups last month and follows the consultancy’s revamp of British Airways’ on-board retail brand Shopping the World (DW 16 May). The Nest art director Charlie Kinsman and senior designer James Skinner will lead the project creatively.

The Nest has appointed Sophie Hatch as its first client services director. Hatch, who joined last week, was previously senior acc-ount director at ad agency St Lukes and design consultancy Circus.

Her appointment reflects The Nest’s ‘significant growth’ over the past year, says Willcock, who expects this year to report turnover as more than doubled since 2001’s figure of £1.1m.