Travel social

Hostelworld, the online hostel booking platform loved by budget travellers, has rebranded so that the social aspect of hostel life is now at the forefront of its identity. This is reflected in the new brand proposition, ‘Meet the World’.

The hostel industry is booming, Ottokar Rosenberger, CMO at Hostelworld, says, “They’ve become more stylish, more comfortable and better equipped than alternatives, while still being affordable, centrally located and, crucially, communal. This is what sets hostels apart and is the basis for our new ‘Meet the World’ proposition.”

The ‘H’ in the new logo is comprised of two arrows pointing toward each other and joining at the point. This symbolises a coming togetherness. According to Hostelworld, the orange provides a psychological trigger for enthusiasm, optimism and affordability. It is reminiscent of the orange used by the British budget airline, EasyJet.

The new imagery consists of authentic photography, featuring real people experiencing travel. Rosenberger says, “Hostelworld is about real travel, and our marketing celebrates the real people and experiences behind this. You can see this in the imagery, they’re not polished brochure shots but visceral gritty imagery that emphasise living in the moment. It’s hard to pose when you’re dodging tomatoes at the Tomatina Festival or volcano surfing in Nicaragua.”

The social aspect of travel is important to the millennials who make up Hostelworld’s key market. The new identity, created by Lucky Generals, a London-based creative agency, was launched last week and the new look can be viewed across the company website, app and on social media.