January 24, 2008
NIZUC, a New Luxury Destination, Brings Mayan Culture into the Future

New York, NY, January 24, 2008 – Today’s travel elite, sophisticated voyagers who circle the world in search of the latest luxury experiences, are hard to impress.

Mexico City-based developer Alan Becker selected Carbone Smolan Agency (CSA) to create a seamlessly branded experience for travelers who wish to enjoy the finest and most authentic aspects of Mexican culture. NIZUC features a luxury hotel and deluxe full-ownership residences on the site of the former Mexican Presidential retreat. Its pristine beachfront, spectacular coral reefs and ancient mangroves have attracted heads of state and dignitaries for decades.

CSA’s design vision helped to attract a team of globally renowned and experienced architects, designers, developers and creative visionaries from Amanresorts and GHM Hotels including legendary hotelier Adrian Zecha, architect Jean-Michel Gathy, and interior designer Jaya Ibrahim. “The NIZUC project was unusual in that the brand and vision were created first and set the stage for everything that followed,” explains Leslie Smolan, Co-founder and Director of Creative Strategy, CSA. “Branding is essential because it takes all the intangible qualities of a developer’s vision and makes it material in the minds of creative partners and potential buyers” says Alan Becker, Developer, NIZUC.

“CSA was the perfect fit for our asset branding philosophy, “ says Manvinder Puri, VP, The Americas, GHM Hotels. “In a world where there is so much homogenization, we strive to create a resort unique to each location and, with CSA’s help, we have succeeded with NIZUC.”

Sophistication Meets Nature and Authenticity

By seamlessly weaving together the essence of Mayan culture with a distinctively modern aesthetic, CSA brought the NIZUC brand to life in its logo, a modern Mayan glyph. The logo became a powerful icon across all touch points of the brand. “Every expression of the brand, from the sales and marketing collateral to the promotional goods, captures the spirit of NIZUC. The strong, black and white motif, the anthropomorphic quality of the logo and the precision of the typography join together for a one-of-a-kind expression of design and quality, “ says Smolan.

CSA selected local organic materials to embody the brand in a graphically stimulating book that pays homage to NIZUC’s cultural and natural heritage. “These tangible representations of the brand set the stage for what’s to come – an experience that will combine exquisite design and craft with an innate sense for the natural Riviera Maya landscape,” says Smolan.

CSA also designed NIZUC’s website, which features a short film by the producers of 21 Grams and Babel. Lush photography, shot on location, captures the extraordinary natural surroundings, while detailed renderings highlight the spectacular architecture.

A multi-million dollar, global print and interactive ad campaign garnered an immediate and overwhelming response from prospective buyers around the world and drove record numbers to the NIZUC website. Featuring the NIZUC logo, embodied as a silver artifact plucked from the sea, the advertising is symbolic of finding NIZUC and adopting a “NIZUC frame of mind.”

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Carbone Smolan Agency offers a comprehensive set of strategic and creative services designed to build a singular brand voice across all media. Based in New York, the firm has built an international reputation creating outstanding programs for world-class clients, including Morgan Stanley, Tiffany & Co., the W Hotel Group, Herman Miller, PBS, Christie’s, Musée du Louvre, The Museum of Modern Art, and The Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

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