While Marriott merged their three loyalty programs in August 2018, in 2019 they’ll be rebranding their loyalty program under a single name (currently they maintain Marriott Rewards, Starwood Preferred Guest, and Ritz-Carlton Rewards).
While Marriott still hasn’t officially revealed the name of their new loyalty program, in late November it leaked that Marriott Bonvoy would likely be the name of the new program.
This was because they briefly leaked a website that had all the new program information, including how Marriott may be renaming some of their elite tiers. It also made sense because a federal trademark registration number was filed for Marriott Bonvoy on October 30, 2018.
While Marriott still hasn’t officially confirmed the new program, there’s now yet another clue. Marriott has filed for a graphic representation of their new trademark, and it’s… well… I’ll let you guys judge.
Here’s what the new Marriott Bonvoy logo will apparently be:
My initial reaction?
So I’m not sure what exactly is going on here. I get it, they want to YELL the name of the program at us. We’re so EXCITED not to be getting breakfast at some brands, and to need flash cards to memorize the benefits available at different properties.
But what’s with the “O?” Is the “O” supposed to be a torso, and the “V” and “Y” are hands that are being raised in excitement? Or what on earth is going on?
Between this and the rebranding of World of Hyatt, I’ve come to a really sad conclusion — I’m in the wrong line of work. I’m sure Marriott spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on focus groups and on designing this logo, and this is what they came up with?
Or perhaps I should hope that they really blew through their budget prior to this and just had an intern make this in Paint in 30 seconds, in which case I’d feel much better about this.
I mean, I’m not sure if this is better or worse than the World of Hyatt logo that was introduced a couple of years back…
What do you make of the new Marriott Bonvoy logo? Is it better or worse than the World of Hyatt logo?
(Tip of the hat to LoyaltyLobby)
I agree 100% that they should have named it Marriott Preferred Guest (MPG) and kept the logo and font of Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG), just replacing the S with an M and maybe changing the signature color from SPG purple to Marriott Rewards blue. It would’ve been a more meaningful name and would’ve made Starwood loyalists like myself happy to seen at least some retention of Starwood’s legacy and modernism.
Marriott Preferred Guest would have been fine...
MPG
My first reaction to the World of Hyatt logo was like, "did a five year old created this?" And now the Bonvoy is slightly better, at least it has 3rd color!
BombYoyage from the Incredibles
for Too Much Flying.
Would be good except that the "Honor" is gone so that would be false and misleading by Marriott.
Very much like politicians. Out of touch with it's constituents.
They say to you they know what is going on. They say they have polled you but you didn't. And then they do whatever they want.
Voilà, there you have it.
They could have paid me nothing and I could have contributed Marriott Preferred Guest. MPG.
I can not imagine calling myself a "Lifetime Bonvoy" out loud.... Titanium, Platinum or anything else. It just sounds stupid plain and simple. Say it out loud: "I am a Bonvoy, a Titanium Bonvoy". What happened to the simplicity of SPG, Marriott Honored Guest, et-al which states exactly what the program is: Valued guest recognition.
Marriott Bonvoy? More like Marriott Oyyvey
@Tom is right, MPG a more sensible choice as there is such strong existing brand values and recognition with SPG. But in the marketing agency world, they can’t propose something that could have been done by Marriott in-house like MPG. I wish they did! The Bonvoy name and logo are both intern level output...the missteps in the Marriott/SPG marriage continue...
Another thing that sticks out to me is the word "voy," which means "I go" in Spanish...I have to wonder if that wasn't a strategic decision to insert a sort of nod to Latin America or Spanish speakers?
Oh Vey. To begin with, about 98% of users will be pronouncing the name incorrectly.
The program might be a dumpster fire, but the logo isn't. I still don't understand the hot dog under the O, though.
My first thought is that its yiddish- oy. second thought is that it is meant to be a head on a pillow, the orange line is the pillow and the 'o" is the head. Idk. Its bizarre and not very clever. The name itself is ridiculous. Bonvoy...is it a french company? Does it think it is? Is it pretending to be super posh? Cause its Marriott, not the George V in Paris.
Am I the only dumb person who thinks their old "Marriott Honored Guest" would be terrific?
They already own the trademarks and logos and it would go a long way to setting the tone that their guests are actually honored, not treated like scummy marks, to rip off, like they currently are under the merged SPG/Marriott program.
But is it pronounced "bon-VOY" or "bohn-VWAH"... Oy! Pseudo-French naming...! Please show some respect for that beautiful language. Why didn't they just name it "Bon voyage"?
As for WOH, it looks like they meant to say "Word O. F. Hyatt".
Lap it up, millennials. Lol.
Bonvoy beats WOH for bad program names, but WOH still reigns for pretentious and awkward tier names. I feel like an idiot when I refer to myself as a “Globalist” at check-in or on the phone.
I am eternally grateful to those who pointed out that "Bonvoy" came from Bon Voyage and then explained that it was French. Merci Beaucoup.
Just shows how classy Marriott really is. Sensas.
Do you think they are going to Bonvoy to make it more of an Avios type program that includes points earning and burning outside of their core hospitality brands? Therefore the need to de-emphasize the Marriott name?
To those that say 'its only a logo'. You are correct, but why create something that is so bad.
If it does not matter, keep the Marriott Rewards name/logo and move on. If it is important,then do it properly.
I'm in the strategic communications and PR consulting business. I charge $125 per hour. I have no doubt that Marriott and Hyatt probably paid a branding firm a hefty retainer and then a principal at one of those firms probably billed out $200–$300 an hour for something that took 15 minutes in Microsoft Paint to design.
It's Marriott saying 'Bon Voyage' to members who are opting for the better Hilton and Hyatt programs, very applicable.
The WOH logo is the undisputed leader in amateurish ugliness. Also, no diamond tier so it’s not for me any more.
It’s a logo. It has nothing to do with the program. Slow news day.
Is it just me or is the logo essentially the text used by American horror story...
Hopefully a stay there won't bring the same horrors
The logo is fine -- the name is not.
Nothing will ever eclipse how awful that World of Hyatt logo is - how the spacing of the 'O F' was approved, I will never understand!
Too easily confused with Bon Jovi.
Oy Vey Voy our new world class program
Bonvoy is French for No Upgrade For You!
I despise both but will say that World of Hyatt MAY be related to how it appears on your phone apps. It really stands out and when I am swiping through I always notice it. Marriott and Hilton apps I tend to not see them and often takes me longer to find. It's the only reason I can imagine for it as, yes, it's god awful otherwise.
Well, of course, it’s an ugly standard logo with no special meaning that tries to suit hundreds of
million of people. Nothing exclusive, nothing surprising, nothing you would tell anyone about.
If you ask me, it perfectly fits for what Marriott has done to SPG.
Dropped my SPG Platinum since this mess started. No more loyalty for me. All loyalty program managers seem to aim for profitability instead of customer stickiness, airlines and hotels.
Well they can have it, I now select on price and find myself any hotel/ flight with the quality I find acceptable.
This can go into HBR as as a nice business case.
Honestly while basic it’s also somehow a bit too stylized with the very unnecessary raised O...
For a program that spans so many brands I think the overarching logo should be simple and sleek. The hotel brands are the ones that should have the personality.
It also looks cheap...
George Costanza would proudly claim these logos. Who in the hotel conglomerate chain approved this junk? Doesn't their complete lack of judgment on this issue cast a shadow on their overall ability to run a successful company? Can anyone who thought these logos were a good idea be trusted with the keys to the company vehicle? Can you imagine the thoughts of the lone sane person in the room as his or her superiors gushed over the proposal for the new logo(s)?
Hard to imagine, but the name and the logo are even worse than Hyatt’s. Tier names are better though except for Titanium being the top tier.
Since I determine what hotels I book not based on quality, rewards program, location or any other logical factor but rather their logo this is super important. Oh wait...that's not right I don't give a flying F about the logo...just like 99.9999999999999% of people booking hotel rooms.
@chancer maybe they were talking to the few who haven’t, which you refer too. There go your smart ass reaction nobody needed is just a smart ass statement nobody needed.
@aaron v, there are tons of greater issues in this world. I agree. But this is a travel site and this is the topic of the article. Imagine life where you only talked and argued over the most important things in life. It’d be...
@chancer maybe they were talking to the few who haven’t, which you refer too. There go your smart ass reaction nobody needed is just a smart ass statement nobody needed.
@aaron v, there are tons of greater issues in this world. I agree. But this is a travel site and this is the topic of the article. Imagine life where you only talked and argued over the most important things in life. It’d be like living on the set of BBC.
I got used to the world of Hyatt logo. It’s quite easy to recognize so even if it’s not visibly appealing, it gets the job done, which was probably their intention. Bonvoy just sounds unfinished and the voy, from a distance looks like a crying clown face.
@ French Baby, ‘un voyage’ is any trip/journey. ’Un voyage en autobus’ is exactly what you might think it is. It has nothing to do with a ship, per se. Perhaps you’re channeling Bugs Bunny.
Also... Bonvōy: “Hey WOH, hold my beer...”
Wow. World of Hyatt is awful, but Marriott managed to beat them at awfulness. It wasn't easy, but Marriott somehow pulled it through. Color me impressed. Hopefully no one tries to beat Marriott. The last two are gruesome enough that we don't need any more contenders.
the race to the bottom in full swing
@ French Baby - I think most people reading this blog have heard of "Bon Voyage." Thanks for the French lesson nobody needed.
I thought the whole idea of a new name was to remove the "Marriott "Name from the loyalty program - i.e. to satisfy SPG members...
I spoke with a well-informed GM of a BIG Sheraton Hotel over the weekend - someone I've known for years and he said even THEY are in the dark re: the new program name etc.
He had just returned from a Sheraton GM conference and NOTHING was mentioned about the new program -
It's not as bad as
World
O F
Hyatt.
Bonvoy is a nod to the French expression "Bon Voyage." "Voyage" to me means a trip on a ship. You would say "Bon Voyage" to someone leaving on the Titanic. The small o looks like a porthole on a ship. It also looks like a peep or key hole. Hey, look INSIDE me! It also looks like MANY other NSFW interpretations.
French is still sophisticated, baby!
Slightly better than WOH but the name “Bonvoy” is ridiculous. Seems the leadership of these hotel chains are bush league.
The fresh-faced grads with their handy-dan marketing degrees having landed a gig in some firm are the first of the scatter-brained, zero-attention-span, smart-phone-addicted cohort.
And it shows.
Even if Marriot bonvoy ends up being in a text box in calibri with word 1987 it would still be better than world of hyatt
Better than World of Hyatt... but still very, very tame. Not actually going to attract anyone to the brand (but does it need too?)
Whilst we’re throwing “shade” - who’s worse - WoH or the Netflix account icon :) ?
I'm not sure what the fuss is over any of this? It's a bloody logo. That's like saying I don't want to visit Germany because I don't like the shade of yellow that is in their flag. Or I prefer Honda over Hyundai because I don't like the italicized 'H.' There are greater issues in the world to be concerned about than a leisure chain's catchphrase.
This is offensive. Absolutely appalling. Should have stuck with Marriott Rewards or SPG or even MPG if they wanted a new name. HH and IHG must be feeling real good looking at this.
Both bad but WOH is terrible.
It's not worse than Hyatt, because at least it doesn't pretend that its elites favor a single, planetary government.
A little basic but pretty inoffensive imho.
Your bitmoji reaction looks like the trash bin in Banky's latest artwork (maybe he saw this coming and the child in the pic is screaming over seeing the new Bonvoy logo ;) )
https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/banksy-port-talbot-graffiti-wales-michael-sheen-steel-pollution-environment-a8692821.html
Hilton is stoked
Who cares. It's a logo.
Should have bonvOY:)
This is inoffensive, to everyone. When you have a large program that spans the world, inoffensive is the go-to.
Marriott is betting Hyatt they can make a worse logo.
Marriott clearly won the bet.
World of Hyatt is a marginally better name than Bonvoy... but Marriotts logo still beats the World of Hyatt logo. Lets keep in mind how low of a bar that is to beat, the Bonvoy logo is still awful.
nothing is worse than World of Hyatt
Bon voyage, Bonvoy. That's French for see you later!
quite sexy