The Company – Ihu (meaning “to rest” in the language of the New Zealand Maori) is a luxury accommodation brand. It is specifically targeting potential overseas (rather than local) visitors that wish to experience a unique New Zealand getaway.
The Solution – The logo uses the godwit as a metaphor for travelers coming to New Zealand—the bird that makes the longest flight in the world from the northern hemisphere to New Zealand. There are three different lockups for the logo to allow for flexible application. In each, the godwit is resting after its flight, the tall text of the logo extended to mimic the poles of a wharf, the bird on top.
Ihu Brand Story – In late September as summer winds down to golden autumn, the eastern bar-tailed godwit takes flight from the coast of Alaska. For seven long days and nights it flies, following the arc of the earth far into the vast southern ocean, not resting until it comes finally to the distant island sanctuaries of Aotearoa, New Zealand. For 11,000 kilometres it journeys, the longest non-stop flight of any bird in the world. It comes seeking replenishment, a place to rest and the start of spring.
Man has always watched the skies. Searching for signs of providence, hearts yearning for what lies beyond the horizon. So it was before Polynesian voyagers set off to explore the Pacific, the flight of the godwit (or kuaka) gave them hope that land lay to the south. Navigating only by the currents and stars they sailed against the wind into the unknown expanse of blue. There, like the kuaka, they discovered a lonely land apart, a land of birds, of lush forest sanctuaries of ancient trees and hidden waterfalls, a land of plunging cliffs, wind swept coasts, gentle dunes and snow crowned mountains. They named it Aotearoa, the land of the long white cloud.
Almost a thousand years have past since man first reached these distant islands, and the kuaka still come to replenish themselves on our shores. Like the kuaka, man has discovered the wisdom in rest, the replenishment of body and soul.
Ihu (pronounced e-who, meaning “to rest” in Maori) provides an escape from the pace and rush of everyday life. Luxury accommodation where you can stop, rest and experience the rare natural beauty of Aotearoa. Whether for a weekend, or a month, you will not leave unchanged.