Fiji has long been known as a family destination for happiness. While this seemed like an enviable position to our competitors, Tourism Fiji had a larger ambition to grow visitation and appeal to a new generation of travellers. This required a departure from our traditional family-friendly image, which presented some challenges. Firstly, we faced being pigeonholed as a "drop and flop" destination. Visitors who wanted more than lounging poolside in a resort tended to overlook Fiji. Furthermore, happiness had become a ubiquitous and superficial positioning among island destinations, and the category itself felt like an indistinguishable swathe of beaches. Newer generation travellers seeking authentic cultural experiences balked at our generic, Disneyfied picture of fun in the sun. The challenge: Convince a new audience of authenticity seeking travellers that Fiji is more than a superficial flop and drop destination, through a communications and brand identity overhaul.

In Fiji, happiness is not something turned on for tourists. Happiness is a natural outcome of a deep Fijian culture developed over generations. The previous brand identity had its origins not in culture, but in a Disney-fied’ version of happiness filled with clichéd imagery of gleeful tourists and a smiley face logo. We believed that this brand platform required a ‘culture first’ identity.

Tourism Fiji's brand refresh moved beyond the cliched, one-dimensional portrayal of Fiji's happiness and instead celebrated the culture of happiness forged by their environment, faith, family and diet. The new logo and visual identity, created in collaboration with local artist Wati Talavutu, incorporated traditional motifs to denote different facets of Fijian happiness. Authentic imagery captured by Nat Geo photographer Mattheiu Paley highlighted the people and culture of Fiji, and ultimately, created a brand refresh that attracted tourists by not focusing on them.

The Tourism Fiji brand refresh aimed to celebrate Fiji's culture of happiness by repositioning the destination. A new national logo, created in collaboration with a Fijian masi artist, incorporated traditional motifs reflecting Fijian happiness. Masi, a revered and versatile art form, enabled unique marks suitable for various settings. The logo's aesthetic drew inspiration from the traditional printing process's natural imperfections, adding cultural value and beauty. Developed through close cultural consultation, the rebranding ensured authenticity and accurate representation of Fijians worldwide. The visual language encompassed a Fiji-inspired color palette, bold typography, and authentic imagery by a National Geographic photographer, shifting the focus from scenery to Fiji's people and culture. This new authentic brand refresh was applied to all touch-points of the Fiji brand.

The campaign launched mid-December 2021. It’s already clear that this approach is resonating with travellers and stakeholders alike, with a substantial impact on visitation numbers compared to the same period in 2019. Web traffic up 47% since campaign launch. And campaign tracking shows that 92% of people who have seen the campaign want to visit Fiji. To a country where tourism contributes almost 40% of GDP, tourism marketing is a government priority. Understandably, the Fijian Government is very supportive of the new approach. “To see the spirit of our nation, the warmth and joy, shine through in our new brand just reinforces what a special nation we are” said Hon Viliame Gavoka, Deputy Prime Minister of Fiji and Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation, in speaking about the Tourism Fiji brand campaign.