Rebrands, as we’ve discussed, are never easy.

You’ll always get the crowd that complains about change, but in the case of a mountain like Shawnee Peak in Maine, you’re also adding a chorus of voices from a crowd that think the current name is okay simply because you think it’s not okay.

Boyne’s recent purchase of Shawnee Peak opened the door for yet another layer: the big bad ski company coming to town and “ruining everything.”

A Lot to Like

This will sound odd to say, but there’s one tiny part of this rebrand that I love the most.

Which is saying something because the Boyne team did a fantastic job bringing the resort into their fold. For example, the stock website setup looks fantastic with Pleasant Mountain’s assets and colors.

And focusing folks’ attention away from just “change” to the fact they’re “returning” to something with words like “reconnect” and “welcome back” is another brilliant move.

But my favorite touch on this thoughtfully executed acquisition and rebrand was something that mesmerized me from the moment I saw the first tweet. It was this animated GIF.

They used it on social media, they used it on the website, they used it whenever they could given the constraints.

Smooth

When we talk about rebrands, we frequently see a very stark cutover from the old to the new. One day everything is one logo. The next – and totally out of the blue – it’s gone and something unfamiliar is in it’s place.

That can feel a bit jarring for folks who may have a lifetime of memories with that identify.

This little animation did a surprisingly good job of avoiding that whiplash. It allows Boyne to put the old front and center to greet folks with something familiar, then draw in their attention with movement and slowly convert that into what’s coming next.

A small thing, but kinda big…and beautifully done.

About Gregg & SlopeFillers
I've had more first-time visitors lately, so adding a quick "about" section. I started SlopeFillers in 2010 with the simple goal of sharing great resort marketing strategies. Today I run marketing for resort ecommerce and CRM provider Inntopia, my home mountain is the lovely Nordic Valley, and my favorite marketing campaign remains the Ski Utah TV show that sold me on skiing as a kid in the 90s.