Fontainebleau redefines its brand identity as it heads into its 70th anniversary

03.01.2024 - 09:10 / traveldailynews.com / Vicky Karantzavelou

Fontainebleau Development, founded by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Soffer and led by his partner Brett Mufson, is one of the country’s premier real estate development and hospitality groups, with a diverse portfolio that includes properties in the hospitality, gaming, residential, retail, commercial, and luxury services sectors.

LAS VEGAS – Peter Arnell, Brand Guru and Legendary Designer, known for transforming some of the world’s most prestigious brands, and who has created iconic brand marks for Pepsi, DKNY and others, played a pivotal role in redefining the brand identity of the Fontainebleau hotel on the eve of its 70th anniversary. Arnell, in his role as Chief Brand and Design Officer for Fontainebleau Development, was tasked by Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Soffer and President Brett Mufson with redefining Fontainebleau’s brand identity. He is responsible for the design of Fontainebleau’s new brand logo, which has become a motif throughout the Fontainebleau resort in all aspects of the customer experience. Drawing inspiration from the iconic marble bowtie motif in the Fontainebleau Miami Beach lobby, first introduced in 1954, Arnell designed a modernized bowtie logo pattern that pays homage to the resort’s original design roots and its architect Morris Lapidus.

Arnell, who has been redefining brands for over four decades, conceived of and orchestrated a unique and ambitious event to unveil Fontainebleau’s new brand identity. Working closely with Sherri White at Jamestown and Jeffrey Straus at Countdown Entertainment, Arnell and his team created an unprecedented event by developing an animation for the New Year’s Eve ball during the midnight countdown in Times Square. The animation compliments the iconic ball’s design while showcasing the new Fontainebleau identity.  The result ensures the worldwide audience of over one billion, who witness this historic moment are introduced at the same time to the new Fontainebleau identity, ingeniously linking the hotel’s heritage with the iconic and historic Times Square ‘bowtie’ as witnessed from the ariel view of Times Square. This ambitious idea not only paid homage to the hotel’s legacy but also marked a new chapter in its story.

Further elevating the event, Arnell and Mufson arranged for performances by Paul Anka and Post Malone, each symbolizing different eras of the Fontainebleau’s rich history and cultural impact. Anka, the legendary singer, songwriter has deep ties to both Fontainebleau, having performed there regularly in the heydays of the 1950s and 60s, and Times Square, whereas a 15 year old he received his first recording contract, just two blocks from where the ball drop will occur. For the Post Malone performance, Arnell