Following a pitch, Katapult were appointed to develop and execute a brand development project for the Finesse Collection, a group of hotels within the East Midlands: Lace Market Hotel in Nottingham, Cathedral Quarter Hotel in Derby, Donington Manor Hotel in Castle Donington and The Lion Hotel in Belper.
The brief was to create better internal and external understanding of the group brand whilst retaining the personality and profile of the hotel sub-brands – the resultant brand framework had to communicate that each Finesse Collection hotel is individual and a different offering from the next as well as the shared group experience through the level of service and high standards.
Beyond initial desk research, Katapult ran brand workshops with employees and management to generate insights to inform development of a brand framework, clearly setting out the group's purpose, positioning, proposition and values. This provided the platform for development of a new brand identity and design style which reinforced the group's commitment to amazing experiences, every time, for every guest and which were clearly set out in extensive Brand Guidelines. As well as providing a clear articulation of the framework, these provide guidance on consistent application of the group brand and hotel sub-brands covering executional aspects including typography, tone of voice and photography.
Katapult were then given the great honour of producing the Queen's Royal Menu for the Civic Luncheon following the Office of the Royal Maundy at Cathedral Quarter Hotel in Derby.
The menu was classic and elegant with a black plike cover, used for its tactile qualities, having a unique and unusual surface texture.