PEACOCK ALLEY
Rebranding the World Renowned Peacock Alley at Waldorf Astoria
Introducing our latest work for Waldorf Astoria– a brand refresh for Peacock Alley. A signature in Waldorf Astoria hotels worldwide, Peacock Alley is an iconic bar steeped in history and heritage. At Crown Creative, we developed a refreshed brand identity along with collateral to be rolled out in each hotel location across the globe.
-
Before the Waldorf Astoria came to be, a 300ft-long corridor lined with marble was built to connect the two hotel buildings of the Waldorf and the Astoria hotels. The corridor gained the name ‘Peacock Alley’ as it became New York City’s runway of the times, where guilded women would flaunt their flowing gowns, pearl necklaces, diamond tiaras, white ties and tales – much like peacocks.
An icon of fashion and opulence, the Waldorf Astoria is one of the world's most prestigious and world renowned hotels and, today, Peacock Alley bar sits at the center of each one.
CHALLENGE
Honoring generations of New York legacy, while reinventing the brand for today.
PEACOCK LOUNGE AND PEACOCK ALLEY CAFÉS
THE ALLEY: PEACOCK’S NAMESAKE AND THE INSPIRATION FOR OUR IDENTITY
THE CLOCK, CENTRAL TO EVERY WALDORF
BRAND IDEA
The idea was to translate the beauty of the brand name and history into an elegant design, while allowing it to be adaptable across Waldorf Astoria locations worldwide.
ICONOGRAPHY
Inspired by the Golden Era of design in which the Waldorf Astoria began, our identity system features three key icons suggestive of the hotel’s history. These include motifs such as the signature peacock grandfather clock, a peacock’s plumage and elegant archways found throughout the hotel’s alleys.
The brand is cloaked in luxurious gold finishes, rich blues and a beautiful custom pattern, evoking a sense of truly layered luxury. This choices and finishes are intended to capture Peacock Alley’s stature as a sophisticated and timeless space within the Waldorf Astoria brand.
BRAND EXPRESSION
The bespoke pattern for Peacock Alley was meticulously crafted through a printmaking process, resulting in a design that subtly echoes the fan of a peacock’s plumage. These patterns were then intricately woven into custom-made silk, which is used across a number of brand touchpoints.
PEACOCK PATTERN MAKING
BRAND IDENTITY
The Waldorf and Astoria hotels were initially built as two separate structures, but it was later planned that the two hotels could be connected by a 300-ft-long corridor known as Peacock Alley. Our wordmark intends to bring this story to life with each letter in the stencilled face featuring an ‘alley’ running through it. The exception is the letter O’ symbolising Peacock Alley as the central meeting place in any Waldorf Astoria worldwide.
BRAND EXPRESSION
These carefully considered elements come together to create a beautiful and crafted brand identity that it is both sympathetic to its history while being refined and relevant for today.
BRAND IN USE
The Peacock Alley brand has been created to reflect the environments in which the hotels exist. The brand features both a dark and moody palette for Urban properties, and a lighter, softer palette for Resort properties.
OPPULENT APPLICATION
Pastry boxes designed to be as elegant as the treats they contain, accent decorative marks that span the width of each panel, gold engraved serving trays and die-cut stencils for gold-dusting drinks with the brand’s monogram ensure that every aspect of the Peacock Alley experience is infused with its unique identity.
CREDITS
Lead Designer: Kate Louise Tracey
Creative Direction: Ryan Crown
Strategy: David Carafano, Simon Worthington McQueen
Copywriting: Kellyn Bowler
3D Rendering: Chris Hamill
Video: Joel Somerville
Animation: Volta Studio
Photography: Adam Bell
WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO
Hilton Hotels
Waldorf Astoria New York Hotel Archives
Waldorf Astoria Doha
The New York Public Library
Internet Archive, New York
Belfast Print Workshop