A legend reinvents itself

"If we want everything to stay the way it is, everything has to change". In 2016, the famous sentence from the novel "The Leopard" became the guiding principle for the legendary Gstaad Palace, whose guest list reads like a Who's Who of the international jet set. Hollywood stars such as Liz Taylor, Roger Moore and John Travolta regularly stay here, as do presidents and high-ranking personalities from the world of business.

The aim was to become more modern without losing any of this extraordinary, over 100-year-old splendor. The hotel's interior was redesigned and modernized, as was the hotel's complete brand design, for which the Zurich design agency Charles Blunier & Co. was responsible. "Such a legendary brand deserves the same high level of attention as its guests. After all, isn't it brand care that reflects a spirit of innovation?" says Charles Blunier.

In spring 2016, Blunier was commissioned to rebrand the Gstaad Palace. For this, the design agency conceived a common thread throughout the entire communication and designed, among other things, advertisements, brochures and cigarette cases. Finally, the website followed, which has been online since 01 December 2016 and combines both the heritage and the vision of the house in a contemporary way. "It was a challenge to make the appearance of the Gstaad Palace more modern without scratching the glamorous past," says Blunier. With great attention to detail, a unique new look was created.

"Last Paradise in a crazy world", is how Hollywood star Julie Andrews once described her vacation destination Gstaad. And sums up the secret of this beautiful place. The small village in Saanenland has always remained discreet and down-to-earth despite its worldwide fame. This unique atmosphere has been appreciated by the entire international jet set for decades. Stars such as Liz Taylor, Gunther Sachs, Madonna and the British royal family have been spending their vacations at the legendary Gstaad Palace for years.

Charles Blunier has had his own studio in Zurich's Kreis 2 since 2007, specializing in designing books and magazines, developing branding campaigns as well as apps and websites, and designing exclusive collectibles. In the past 25 years, Blunier has worked for global brands such as UBS, Holcim, Credit Suisse, Time and Oetker Collection, to name just a few. Numerous high-profile partners have been on board, including Oliver Stone, Yves Saint Laurent, Naomi Campell and Daft Punk.

Among the major milestones of his career are the book for the 150th anniversary of Credit Suisse, the art project for the global corporation Holcim and the project "One year in Space", which he also realized with Marco Grob in 2015. During his career, Charles Blunier has received over 120 awards for his work in New York, London and Paris.