We Knew This Change Was The Right Thing To Do
Struck and Palisades Tahoe have introduced a new name and logo that honor the resort’s history as a home to freeskiing pioneers, Winter Olympians and cultural icons across more than seven decades of ski history. After having considered a change for years, leaders at the resort were ultimately spurred to action in 2020 amid the nationwide push for inclusion and social justice. The new name incorporates ski terrain accessible by the resort’s two base camps, Olympic Valley and Alpine Meadows.
After several conversations with representatives of the local Washoe Tribe, the resort turned to Salt Lake City UT-based marketing, advertising and creative agency Struck to lead research, strategy and creative for the rebrand. Struck worked closely with the client to develop a strategy that would capture what makes the resort special, and thus would inform naming and visual identity exploration. Palisades Tahoe was eventually identified as a name that simultaneously honors the resort’s legendary past and looks optimistically towards its future.
Once a new name was selected, the creative team shaped the brand identity based on the concept “Land of Legends” an ode to the people, geography and athletes that have contributed to the California region’s rich history. The refresh features an eagle, a symbol vital to the history of both the resort and the Washoe people. The scale of the eagle, looking over both valleys, speaks to the legendary nature of the place. Both mountains are represented, but they can also be read as feathers or the waves of Lake Tahoe. Finally, the sweeping nature of the mark speaks to the positive vibes of California surf culture.
“It’s contemporary, yet also feels like it has existed for a long time,” said Executive Creative Director Scott Sorenson. “It is timeless. It is a legendary mark for a legendary place.” In addition to its immediate use in new marketing and communications, the visual identity will be gradually rolled out across the resort’s signage, merchandise, spatial design, employee gear, and other applications. The challenge includes updating the logo in more than 5,000 sites and for more than 32,000 uniform pieces.
“We knew that making this change was the right thing to do,” said Tom Feiten, vice president of marketing and business development, Palisades Tahoe. “Struck helped us to better understand our stakeholders and create a brand vision that captures who we are, honors the history of this place and excites our community.” Creative credits include: Executive Creative Director Scott Sorenson; Art Directors Michael DeHann & Petar Mijic; Senior Copywriter Parker Dunn; Strategist Lee Banov; and Senior Producer Samantha Browning; and Client Partner Corey Flynn.
