Costa Rica Incentive Trip Identity
For meeting and exceeding certain sales goals, Heartland rewards its top performers with an annual incentive trip located in some of the most beautiful and fascinating places around the globe. Sales people have a full year to earn their spot, motivated by custom-branded emails, articles, and promotional swag along the way.
For Costa Rica, I wanted to lean into the cultural vibrancy of the "pura vida" lifestyle, which celebrates simplicity, happiness, and harmony with nature.
Client: Heartland Payment Systems
Industry: Financial Technology
Role: Brand Strategy, Identity, Brand Guidelines, Print, Web Campaign, Environmental Design
The Brief
The goal was to develop an adaptable identity system, ensuring consistency without repetition. We wanted every interaction, whether a branded postcard or trip qualification brochure, to feel fresh and engaging, without becoming too familiar over time. Through conversations with the client, we decided to lean into the cultural vibrancy of Costa Rica's Pura Vida (which celebrates simplicity, happiness, and harmony with nature) lifestyle. At the event, we ensured a cohesive experience with banners, lanyards, name badges, cards, and brochures, all crafted to communicate an intentionally consistent message.
The Process
In researching the location, I drew inspiration from the hand-painted signs along the winding roads of the region, and decided that a hand-painted type treatment best conveyed the local flavor. Even more delightful were the hand-painted oxcarts, a national treasure of Costa Rica. The colorful oxcart wheels (decorated with geometric patterns, flowers, animals, landscapes, or portraits) have a tradition dating back to the early 20th century, where they were used to identify the driver's region. This whimsical tradition brought a splash of joy and character to my design inspiration.
