A rebellious new name, identity, and brand experience for an alternative hotel, that reflects the best of Melbourne, both high and low culture.

After travelling to the US, client James Fry was captivated by the American icon that is the Airstream trailer and conceived a plan to relocate six reconditioned trailers onto the unused rooftop of the nondescript Melbourne carpark he owns.

James came to Self-titled with the bare bones of the idea, wanting assistance with bringing all aspects of the brand to life. It was identified early on a strong brand concept was required to ensure the project had longevity beyond the initial novelty.

Reflecting and reframing Melbourne

The name and logo explicitly express the idea that this is ‘not a hotel’, with a subtle nod to the slashed ‘no symbol’.

Celebrating the best of Melbourne, reframing both high and low culture, Self-titled created the Self-truth® — ‘reflecting and reframing Melbourne’. This helped inform the reflective surfaces, cut-out logo and tone of voice.

Brand experience

Beyond the visual identity, Self-titled consulted and collaborated on art and interior design. Melbourne-based Edwards Moore created a space-age interior design scheme which took cues from the Airstream era.

Self-titled also commissioned Ash Keating to create a huge site-specific mural using his signature paint-filled fire extinguisher technique. Dusty pinks and silvers complement the bright red astroturf flooring.

Website

A website with a mirror-like front page and a playful design which reveals and reframes layers of content.

An online guide gives guests the low-down on Notel’s recommended venues to eat, drink and discover.

Results

By working with the client from the inception of the idea, Self-titled has been able to add value at every step of the journey, creating a vision that’s inspiring people to engage on social media, and brands to become partners.