Arizona unveils new tourism logo
Arizona released a new tourism logo on August 23, 2024, integrated into an advertising campaign that brands the state as “Living Arizona.”
Arizona Department of Tourism
“Come to Arizona,” the logo seems to say as it spins hypnotically in the introductory video unveiled Friday.
Surrounding the concentric circles in the center are dots and dashes reminiscent of Morse code and triangular mountain peaks. In a circle around them are images of a pine tree, a fish, a cactus and a hummingbird.
This is Arizona’s new tourism logo and, according to tourism officials, is the result of a years-long process that included hearings across Arizona with 2,000 participants.
The logo replaces the previous tourism logo, which essentially consisted of the word “Arizona” in simple block letters, with an outline of the state in the center of the letter “O.”
When she took office, state tourism director Lisa Urias decided it was time for a fresh start.
Arizona has long had a thriving tourism industry because its climate reliably attracts winter tourists looking to escape the snow and cold. But Urias said the state needs to present itself as more than just a sunny land of golf courses and resorts.
“It’s important for us as a state tourism authority to make sure people understand everything we have to offer,” she said in an interview on Friday.
Urias went on a fact-finding tour of Arizona. She said she learned how important it is to educate tourists about the state’s diversity: its landscapes, its flora and fauna, its terrain.
And all of this had to be represented graphically in a logo.
This task fell to Heart & Soul Marketing, a creative agency based in Phoenix.
A tourism industry spokesman said the year-long rebranding process, which also involved hiring a firm specializing in community engagement, cost $700,000, paid for with federal pandemic relief funds.
The original idea for the circle motif came from Hannah Heisler, who was recently named Young Advertiser of the Year by the American Advertising Federation Phoenix.
Hopi and Isleta Pueblo artist Kevin Coochwytewa assisted with the design.
The logo is integrated into a new campaign that brands the state as “Living Arizona.”
In this campaign, the end of the “Z” becomes a mountain range, with the round logo representing the “O” and partially hidden behind the mountains.
The advertising campaign will be aimed at visitors in other states and countries, Urias said.
This comes at a time when other states are trying to brand their states as travel destinations, often using just a single word.
Urias mentioned the campaigns for “New Mexico True” and “Pure Michigan.”
“They do a really good branding job,” Urias said. She never thought she would visit Michigan. But after seeing the ad, “it kind of made you want to go to Michigan.”
