In 2010, Pixel8 refreshed the Hotel Indigo brand for InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), beating a pitch list which included three US branding giants.

Pixel8 is now carrying out a brand refresh for Crowne Plaza, the world’s fourth largest upscale hotel brand. The contract win has led to Pixel8 taking on five new members of staff at its northern quarter offices.

Pixel8 will once again report to Ed Thorne, Director Global Brand Management, Upscale Brands based at IHG in Atlanta. On selecting Pixel8 for a second time, Ed said, “Pixel8 did a fantastic job and really helped to define and create consistency across the Hotel Indigo brand. Having proved they can really push the boundaries, they were the obvious choice for our next major refresh.”

Pixel8 Director Jamie Watson said, “Once again our corporate branding and graphic design services have been picked ahead of our international competitors. This is great news for Manchester and of course for Pixel8.  Our relationship with IHG continues to go from strength to strength.”

Nigel Daws, Pixel8’s Creative Director added, “Making brands work is at the heart of what we do.  We’ve been able to demonstrate that we can develop an effective and consistent brand and create meaningful marketing collateral that works.”

Originally branded as Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza, the first US hotel opened in Rockville, Maryland, in 1983. Today, there are over 400 Crowne Plaza hotels in 52 countries. In July 2009, Crowne Plaza was recognised by US magazine Lodging Hospitality as one of the industry’s top growing brands.

IHG is the world’s largest hotel group by number of rooms with over 4,500 hotels, more than 650,000 guest rooms in over 100 countries and territories worldwide. IHG Brands include InterContinental Hotels, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites.

IHG also operates the world’s largest hotel loyalty programme, Priority Club Rewards, with over 52 million members worldwide.

For more information about Pixel8 please visit www.Pixel8ltd.com or call us direct. From the USA dial 011 44 161 228 6489, in the UK call 0845 230 1336 or contact us by e-mail

Pixel8 was the only UK agency on the four-strong pitch list, beating competition from top USA branding agencies for the six figure contract from InterContinental Hotels Group.

The contract is for a brand refresh for InterContinental Group’s international boutique brand Hotel Indigo, ahead of three UK hotel launches in 2010.

The six figure win has led to the appointment of three new members of staff for Pixel8, which was founded 11 years ago by joint managing director Nigel Daws, former lead graphic designer at Manchester United Merchandising Ltd.

Pixel8, which is based in Manchester’s creative Northern Quarter, will report to Ed Thorne, Director Global Brand Management for Hotel Indigo at InterContinental Hotels Group’s Atlanta offices.

Speaking about how a small Manchester agency ended up on a pitch list with three major US players, Pixel8 joint managing director Jamie Watson said, “Ed Thorne was previously a Global Brand Manager for InterContinental Hotels & Resorts based in London, he was impressed with our portfolio but at the time there was no immediate need for our services.

“Four years later, we got a call from Atlanta asking us to pitch. We didn’t know at the time that we would be the only UK agency on the pitch list.”

On selecting Pixel8, Ed said, “Hotel Indigo is an international brand and it was vital that the agency we chose could think globally. Pixel8 demonstrated a more outward looking focus than its US counterparts and gave us greater confidence that they could align our brand all over the world.

“Pixel8 has a proven track record in design and branding and was able to demonstrate a greater degree of flexibility than the larger agencies. Their ability to tell the brand story of Hotel Indigo through identity design was exemplary, and their reasoning for making the branding changes was a clear winner.

“I have a personal preference for smaller branding agencies as they offer better access to the senior figures. Once I showed Pixel8’s proposal to the Atlanta-based senior management team, I had no trouble convincing them that this Manchester agency would deliver the highest calibre of work.”

Pixel8 joint managing director Nigel Daws said, “Pixel8’s background in working for well known brands was integral to demonstrating that we fully understand the guiding principles behind brand development.

“Working with InterContinental Hotels Group gives us the credibility we need to engage with other global brands. This win has already led to more work from other US companies and will lead to other exciting opportunities within the InterContinental Hotels Group.”

In addition to defining the brand identity, Pixel8 has been contracted to prepare guidelines for all in-hotel materials and develop tool kits to help deliver the look and feel across the internationally franchised brand.

The other competing agencies on the pitch list were Boston and Los Angeles-based Design Continuum, San Francisco’s Marshall Strategy and Brand Logic, which has offices in New York and Los Angeles.

About Hotel Indigo and InterContinental Hotels

Worldwide 33 Hotel Indigos have opened since 2004 and most of the hotels are pet friendly. Several Hotel Indigos host Canine Cocktails events where local residents, hotel guests and their pets get together and enjoy treats for all! Cocktail selections for pet owners may include “Salty Dogs” and “Greyhounds”, whilst the four-legged visitors get to grips with canine bacon treats.

Hotel Indigo offers boutique accommodations in an unconventional and unpretentious setting. Cozy, airy and inviting guestrooms with oversized beds, plush bedding, pillow top mattresses, throw pillows, area rugs, signature murals and spa-inspired bathrooms with walk-in showers, vessel sink, hair dryer and Aveda products.

London’s Paddington is home of the UK’s first Hotel Indigo and three more UK hotels are scheduled to open in London, Glasgow and Liverpool in 2010. A further seven hotels launches are planned this year including Vancouver and Shanghai, and additional hotels in New York and Atlanta. One night’s stay in a Hotel Indigo costs between £110-£170.

InterContinental Hotel Group’s other brands include Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express, Candlewood Suites and Staybridge Suites. Its portfolio currently offers over 621,000 rooms worldwide.

For more information please visit Hotel Indigo on Facebook, twitter or at HotelIndigo.com

The corporate rebranding work is complete and the new website design is online at www.vodat-int.com

As well as our corporate rebranding work, we design print and supply complete exhibition stands, pop up exhibition banners, and rollup banner designs. We can even remove the exhibition stand when the show is over, as we often provide our clients with complete exhibition stand services from concept to clean up!

See our exhibition design portfolios for brand name clients including Kellogg’s, Interflora and Manchester United and for small business companies such as Boxfresh Organics.

Our in-house full colour large print and laminator facilities make us unique amongst Manchester design agencies. This enables us to manage the process through from initial concept to construction of the exhibition stands.