The challenge
Located within one of Vienna’s most prestigious hotel environments, the retail space that would become Grand Palais needed to offer more than a conventional shopping experience. The ambition was to create a destination that combined luxury retail, refined service and contemporary lifestyle experiences within a single cohesive brand.
The challenge extended beyond attracting premium retailers. It was about creating a distinctive identity capable of standing alongside them. The brand needed to feel aspirational, elegant and fashion-led while retaining a strong connection to its Viennese setting and heritage.
The approach
The project began with a comprehensive positioning exercise to define the purpose, values and personality of the new brand. As the strategy evolved, Grand Palais shifted away from the conventions of traditional retail destination branding and towards something closer to a luxury fashion house.
A refined visual identity was developed around a bespoke GP monogram, designed to communicate elegance, exclusivity and timeless style. Drawing inspiration from the visual language of established luxury fashion brands, the monogram became the foundation of a broader identity system that could be applied across campaigns, packaging and environmental graphics.
A carefully curated art direction paired fashion-led photography with the campaign message, ‘Shop Your Own Style’, reinforcing the aspirational character of the brand. Together, these elements created a cohesive visual language designed to celebrate individuality, luxury and self-expression.
The outcome
The identity system extended across every customer touchpoint, from large-scale environmental graphics and wayfinding to packaging, gift wrap and branded retail materials.
The GP monogram evolved into a repeating pattern inspired by the traditions of luxury fashion branding, creating opportunities for recognition and consistency across both physical and promotional touchpoints. Campaign creative was developed for use throughout Vienna, including transport advertising, city-centre poster sites and prominent street-facing installations around the retail destination itself.
Together, the identity, campaigns and environmental graphics positioned Grand Palais as more than a place to shop. They established a premium lifestyle destination rooted in the elegance, culture and contemporary spirit of Vienna.
