Behind The Scenes of The New Wilderness Brand Reveal

The countdown to the anticipated Wilderness brand launch had begun and it was time to reveal all to the most important people in the business, our Wilderness staff.

From humble beginnings in 1983 Wilderness is now Africa’s leading conservation and hospitality company, with over 3,000 passionate employees. It’s been a remarkable journey, made possible largely thanks to the Wilderness family. It was therefore very important that time was spent with all the teams, across all regions, to explain the rebranding process: how Wilderness needs to ensure it is well positioned for global growth, and to help take its core conservation ethos and love for hospitality to even greater heights.

The internal roadshow teams set out from various starting points at the end of October, to spread the exciting news about the new Wilderness brand. Their travels extended to Wilderness camps and offices across Botswana, Kenya, London, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The rollout teams consisted of over 35 Wilderness staff, some from Marketing – who were involved in the rebrand from day one, as well as regional representatives, MDs and EXCO members. The Victoria Falls office team was lucky enough to have Keith Vincent, Wilderness CEO, attend their presentation and festivities.

The rollout teams spoke to staff about why Wilderness has rebranded, the research behind the rebrand and then presented the big logo reveal. Hushed silences and nervous giggles preceded the moment the new Wilderness logo hit the screens. Time was then spent chatting about the logo and the reasoning behind it, along with some examples of the new Wilderness branding and how it will reflect across the business – from the website to collateral, uniforms, vehicles and planes. And more!

An emotionally charged manifesto video, which featured Wilderness stars Selma Benyameni, Jason Glanville, Liberty Dhliwayo, Tshidi Ntsima and Keith Vincent, drew the reveal to a close. Heart-warming whoops, cheers, applause and songs filled the Wilderness offices and camps. Gift tote bags containing peak caps and a booklet summarising the rebrand were handed out, and many a selfie was taken with the new Wilderness-branded caps. Celebrations continued at some of the locations, with gleeful toasts, and Wilderness cupcakes showcasing the new logo.

As excited as everyone was, the new brand had to be kept secret from the world until all was revealed on 16 November 2022. The Wilderness Family can now officially celebrate the start of a new chapter in our journey. We are the same company, but with an exciting new logo and enhanced brand messaging. Conservation remains our core purpose. That will never change.