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“Bhutan, happiness is a place,” is how the Kingdom will be presented globally by the Tourism Council of Bhutan (TCB). The national flower, the Blue Poppy, blossoming above the text and tag line, is the new logo that the TCB has endorsed as what best reflects the essence of Bhutan and Gross National Happiness.
The logo was commissioned by the TCB to Ogilvy & Mather Pvt, Ltd, India.
As the popularity of Bhutan keeps growing, TCB went through exhaustive research on finding the best way to showcase the nation as an exclusive high-end destination.
The task at hand was to enhance the uniqueness of the nation, its culture, tradition, environment, architecture and religion together with the philosophy of Gross National Happiness and merge them seamlessly into one logo.
The team did intensive research, reaching out to hundreds of respondents including tourism stakeholders for feedback on their impressions of Bhutan. Parameters were drawn and rankings made on the various unique selling points (USP) of the nation.
The logo of Bhutan had to accomplish multiple functions. Potential visitors had to grasp the essence of and experience Bhutan the moment they looked at the logo. To that end, various ventures were undertaken to determine the hierarchy of needs. Two pyramids – Maslow’s hierarchy and tourism motivations were compared.
Maslow’s theory of motivation was extended to the motivations for tourism; self-actualization and deep personal experiences were found to be at peak of both the pyramids. Further more social needs and social experiences were at the base. These have been duly taken into consideration. An interesting feature is the Hofstede grid which provides an insightful review of Bhutan. Happiness has irrefutably been proven as the core and the true essence of Bhutan.
The process started with the insight – people are happiest with the simplest things in life. A rainbow and a child’s smile can make people happier than material needs. Real happiness can be found in the simplest of things.
That is when the Blue Poppy (Meconopsis grandis) came to the fore as the true representation of happiness. It symbolizes the very essence of Bhutan and reflects its true uniqueness in all its beauty. The other considerations were:
- It is the national flower of Bhutan.
- A flower evokes feelings of love and is associated with happiness in general.
- It suggests a non-materialistic pursuit of happiness.
- Finding bliss in a beautiful flower signifies harmony and endless peace. Thus, it signifies finding happiness in the simplest of things.
Following continued consultation and discussions, the logo was unanimously selected. And so, TCB is pleased to present ‘Bhutan; happiness is a place.’
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
