Flipping the Script to Reveal a Surprisingly SoCal Destination

Three Key Opportunities

Increase destination awareness beyond a place just for meetings and soccer tournaments.

Differentiate it from regional competitors while maintaining an authentic position.

Drive weekend bookings to complement already strong midweek visitation.

Create a brand bold enough to stand out and meaningful to the people who represent Irvine every day.

The new identity needed to do more than update Irvine’s look. It had to correct misperceptions, eliminate confusion and position Irvine as a destination distinct from its peers. The goal was to create a brand that stakeholders could rally behind and that visitors would remember.

From a tourism standpoint, success meant changing behavior. Too often, visitors arrived for a meeting, convention or soccer tournament, then left without exploring the city. The objective was to inspire those travelers to extend their stays and discover Irvine’s cultural, culinary and family-friendly side.

Equally important was supporting Irvine’s strong meetings and conventions business. In an industry crowded with copy-and-paste marketing, Irvine needed a bold identity that would spark conversations on the show floor and open doors with decision-makers.

Doing the Research

The process began with a competitive audit, workshops and stakeholder interviews that confirmed Irvine’s identity blended into the Southern California landscape, with the same sun yellow, teal and citrus orange palettes. The lack of differentiation even led to regular confusion with Irving, Texas.

For too long, SoCal travel has carried a reputation of being overwhelming, crowded and expensive, causing visitors to overlook Irvine or fail to consider it as a viable leisure option. The old brand only contributed to this invisibility, blending into the sea of generic logos and tourist campaigns without staking a clear identity. 

Our re-brand needed to directly address this gap.

A Brand Built to Shift Perception

The Destination Irvine re-brand took a bold step in transforming how the city was perceived as a leisure destination. We completely overhauled the color palette, visual identity and brand elements to create a modular, dynamic and hip aesthetic that finally reflects Irvine’s true personality. 

The redesign drew inspiration from a bird’s-eye view of the city, turning urban patterns into abstract shapes that formed a custom wordmark. Each element tied back to brand pillars such as inclusivity and security, while a bold lime green created immediate recognition. Stakeholders said it felt like something you’d see in a modern art museum, which gave the community a sense of pride and ownership.

The new identity loudly and proudly celebrates Irvine as a vibrant, youthful and modern place, shifting perceptions from “You have to go Irvine” to an emphatic “You have to go Irvine!” This evolution is about elevating Irvine’s appeal, making it stand out as the new “it” destination in SoCal and encouraging both locals and travelers alike to Love Irvine Loudly.