Leicester SquareDestination branding for the heart of London and the home of entertainment
24/7 since 1670
Leicester Square is a global icon, welcoming 250,000 visitors a day. Entertaining the capital 24/7 since 1670, it’s a historic destination that’s home to some of the UK’s oldest and most beautiful theatres, cinemas and casinos. Today, a cultural renaissance has emerged through significant investment in public spaces, a pioneering programme of events, some of the city’s finest new hotels and a vibrant selection of bars, restaurants and retail destinations. We developed a destination brand positioning and identity to match.
Sectors: Place and destination, Travel and tourism
Services: Research and analysis, Stakeholder engagement, Brand story development, Visual identity development, Guidelines and artwork, Brand implementation
“Lantern found the true spirit of Leicester Square and told our story with renewed energy. The branding provides us with a transformative platform for the future.”
Emily Ferrary, Head of Destination Marketing, Heart of London
A place that exists to entertain
Positioning Leicester Square as the heart of London and the home of entertainment now provides the foundations for a targeted marketing strategy, designed to drive visitor numbers and enable the area to stand out against global and local competition. Leicester Square expects over 70 million new visitors in the first three years that follow the opening Elizabeth Line – and the new brand is part of an ambitious plan to attract this new influx of visitors.
A new narrative captures the spirit and attitude of the area whilst also revealing many of the surprising stories the Square has to offer. From more than 60 premieres, rolling out over seven miles of red carpet each year, to 6,000 cinema seats, a 17,000 mirror glitterball and the world’s biggest Lego store, this is a place that exists to excite the senses.
Show-stopping style
The positioning statement informs a new brand identity system. The logo captures its very essence – a heart, an upturned ‘L’ pointing to the centre of London, a pin on a map and the glowing lights of a 24hr entertainment hub. The letters LSQ reflect a common usage shorthand version of the area’s name – often used online and across social media. The logo is supported by a suite of colourful gradients, designed to represent the sense of flow and change in light as the destination evolves throughout the day.
Partnering with the
square’s inner circle
Throughout the process, we worked in partnership with the Heart of London Business Alliance and Westminster City Council. Entertainment powerhouses including The Hippodrome, Odeon Leicester Square and Society of London Theatre also played an active role in the development of the new brand. Lantern continues to work with these stakeholders to help drive forward and shape the future of Leicester Square as the focal point of the entertainment industry.
