Arizona has updated its tourism brand, unveiling a logo that emphasizes an ethnic design. According to the state’s Department of Tourism, the new brand identity reflects Arizona’s rich heritage and dynamic spirit, and is as vibrant as its residents.
The refresh of Arizona’s tourism brand is part of the state’s new strategy to enhance its competitiveness and appeal as both a destination and a business location. Featuring a rising sun as the central motif, the updated brand conveys “the spirit of Arizona,” according to a press release.
The brand’s key element is a round mandala with various symbols arranged in a circle. Birds, fish, trees, cacti, and other elements of tribal art are combined to form a solar sign that represents the people and culture of Arizona, including the 22 Native American tribes who have lived in the area for generations.
The Department of Tourism shares that the rebranding process began with surveys and consultations involving nearly 2,000 residents of the state. These discussions aimed to uncover what residents value about their communities, how they perceive Arizona, and what goals they envision for the future. The insights gathered from these conversations served as the foundation for the new design.
Explaining the new identity, the authorities stated that Arizona is more than just a place—it is a blend of diverse landscapes, cultures, and experiences. The main challenge was to encapsulate this natural and human richness into a single emblem. To achieve this, the design team from the Phoenix-based studio Heart & Soul worked directly with local people, collecting information on what makes the state unique. They experimented with various colors, patterns, and symbols that would resonate with the people of Arizona, ultimately developing a design that truly reflects the essence of the state.
The previous Arizona tourism brand, introduced eight years ago, featured a relatively simple wordmark with the state’s outline inside the “O” as a design feature. It was also complemented by the tagline “The Grand Canyon State,” referring to the famous 277-mile-long natural wonder, which is the state’s main attraction. The bright contrast between dark blue and yellow was also a notable aspect of the old design.
The new Arizona logo, which does not include a tagline, uses a different typeface with wider letters. A distinctive feature of the lettering in Light Sea Green is the “Z,” which has an elongated tail forming a silhouette of mountains, and the aforementioned mandala representing the “O,” resembling the sun rising over the mountains.
In addition to Heart & Soul, the project also involved design and branding specialists from the Welcome Strategies agency and designer Kevin Coochwytewa, a representative of a Native American community. As expected, a comprehensive campaign will be launched in early 2025, promoting Arizona’s tourism offerings under the slogan “Vibrant Arizona.”
Overall, Arizona demonstrates a modern approach with its tribal pattern and brand mark. The underlying theme is the dichotomy of unity and diversity, whether cultural, ethnic, biological, or geographic. This theme even aligns with the motto on the Great Seal of the United States: “E pluribus unum” – “Out of many, one.”
