A voyage of more than a year reached its first port of call with the launch of a new Hornblower Cruises and Events website.
As is so often the case, the act and art of building a website suggests a greater transformation is at hand. The new Hornblower site is a culmination of multiple re-branding efforts, including a new tagline, copy, advertising, and imagery approach that’s now infused throughout their marketing outreach.
The cumulative effect is a new company identity for Hornblower that lifts them out of “bridge and tunnel” misperceptions and focuses on the remarkable experience they provide. The effort shows that the “on board experience” is truly special, while still allowing for promotional messaging aimed at critical business goals like selling charters and driving dinner reservations every weekend.
The website is a great example of balancing between image and action, carried through from front end design through flash animation all the way to a streamlining of the reservation system which will continue with eCommerce and customer service portal functionality.