UMARI – Luxury Spa
BRANDING
A complete identity system for UMARI, the Four Seasons Hotel Cartagena Luxury Spa
When European colonizers arrived in the Americas, they encountered a treasure the Indigenous peoples had long known: the Umari.
From a lush and striking palm grew a fruit in vibrant citrus hues, a vital source of nourishment in the local diet, while various parts of the plant were used in traditional medicine.
The plant also played a significant role in ceremonies and traditional rituals of well-being and spiritual connection, making it a symbol of culture, the identity of these communities, as well as a representation of care, beauty, and spiritual growth.
The brief: one shared identity across everything a guest would carry away: stationery, gift cards, spa menu, paper bag. We built it around a single palette and script.
Eugene Rimmel, in The Book of Perfumes, recounts the travels of Alfred Russel Wallace through the Amazon and the Rio Negro in 1853, highlighting the rich olfactory traditions of South America’s Indigenous peoples.
Among these, Wallace describes Umari, a highly esteemed native perfume extracted from Humirium floribundum. Renowned for its exquisite scent, Umari was produced through a distinctive process, captivating both explorers and locals alike.
We redefined Umari as a symbol of nurturing the soul and planting for oneself.
