What happens when you ditch bland tourism slogans and build a brand rooted in local folklore, misty walks, and seasonal colour palettes? You get a refreshing new identity for one of England’s most loved beauty spots.
Studio Glass has given The New Forest a thoughtful new identity, one that swaps the usual tourism fluff for storytelling grounded in history, community pride, and the occasional fungi cream.
But why the change now? The destination’s marketing body had long struggled with a split personality, operating two separate brands: ‘Go New Forest’ for B2B audiences and ‘Visit The New Forest’ for consumers. The result? Confusion, diluted messaging, and a missed opportunity to say something much deeper about a place that’s anything but generic.
So Studio Glass went in, not with assumptions, but with open ears. They spoke to business owners, commoners (real term, not a dig), historians, and National Park representatives to understand the culture that defines this unique landscape. What emerged went beyond a visual rebrand to include a bigger idea: that The New Forest isn’t just a place to visit… it’s something you’re part of. And ideally, something you help protect.
The key came via a forgotten gem: ‘Old, Yet Ever New’, a line lifted from the New Forest District Council’s 1976 coat of arms. That simple phrase unlocked the tone for a new brand positioning that celebrates the tension between ancient lore and contemporary life. Instead of selling surface-level attractions, the rebrand invites both locals and visitors to connect with the forest’s stories, rhythms and rituals. It turns tourists into custodians — and that’s not something you get from a leaflet rack.
Visually, the brand system leans into the richness of the forest. The colour palette pulls from the landscape itself: fungi creams, beech greens, and heather purples (we know, it’s a Farrow & Ball palette waiting to happen). Elegant, modern typography sits alongside custom illustrations by Lauren Marina, developed to reflect each core narrative pillar. There’s even a seasonal strategy that repositions The New Forest as a year-round destination. Because misty off-season wanders and cosy fireside pints deserve just as much airtime as summer hikes.
All of this comes together in The New Forest Guide, an editorial-style publication that blends strategy with storytelling and gives everyone, from first-time visitors to fifth-generation locals, a richer sense of place.
For CEO Nicola Carass, the impact was immediate: “We commissioned a rebrand and redesign of our Discover Guide based on the brilliant work we have seen in the Pier Journal. I couldn’t rate Studio Glass more highly and would recommend them to any business owner who wants to work with conscientious people who are committed to overdelivering on the brief.”
If Pier Journal sounds familiar, that’s because it’s Studio Glass’s own quarterly creative publication, which is a love letter to local life and proof they practise what they preach. Founded by Chris Johnson and Sammy Murphy, the Dorset-based studio has serious pedigree (BBC, Logitech, Aman, the O2, Yo! Sushi…) and a firm belief, inspired by Beatrice Warde’s 1932 essay The Crystal Goblet, that design should be a transparent vessel for communication. Translation: clarity over ego.
It turns out that when you root a destination brand in real stories and let the community help tell them, you end up with something that’s both fresh and timeless.
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