A fair question, and one we are asked a lot.
If you run a hotel, a resort or a brand and you have been thinking about putting your own artwork on a beach towel, here is how it comes together.
It starts with the story, not the logo
A logo on a plain towel reads as merchandise. An artwork that belongs to the place reads as a gift.
So the first conversation is never about placement or sizing. It is about the brand. The colour of the lobby at six in the evening. The tilework nobody puts in the brochure. The thing guests photograph without being asked.
We hand all of that to an artist, and they come back with one image that holds it. The logo then sits quietly in the corner, because by that point it has already been said.
Three things you can make yours
The artwork. An original illustration running the full length of the towel, drawn for the brand.
The branding. Printed into the corner of the cloth, onto the paper sleeve, and embroidered into the drawstring bag.
The packaging. A sleeve, a bag and a printed card. For gifting, this is usually the part people remember.
Take all three, or just one.
The cloth matters more than you would think
The artwork gets the attention. The fabric decides whether the towel is still in use two summers later.
Ours is a fine weave of recycled polyester and nylon, so sand falls off and it dries in the air rather than soaking through. It is light enough to carry in one hand, and larger than most beach towels, so it works on a lounger as happily as on sand.
88% recycled polyester, spun from plastic bottles, and 12% nylon. A zip pocket hidden underneath. Side snaps that turn it into a poncho or a sarong for the walk back, metal free and certified Oeko-Tex Standard 100 Class I.
A real one: W Dubai - Mina Seyahi
They asked Tanya Hayek for something more ambitious than a motif.
She gathered the hotel's art pieces, the ones guests walk past all week, and brought them together into a single watercolour. Mystical Bazaar runs the full length of the towel, with the hotel's mark resting in the corner beside ours.
It arrives folded in a co-branded sleeve, inside a drawstring bag embroidered with the hotel's name, with a card inside explaining the artwork.
Guests take it home. That is the whole point.
Five things worth deciding early
- Who is the towel for: guests in rooms, a shelf in the boutique, or a gift to clients and partners?
- Will it be sold, or given?
- Should the artwork hold all year, or is it tied to a season or an opening?
- Is there artwork to draw from already, or should an artist start from the brand itself?
- Who signs off on the final illustration?
Answer those five and the rest moves quickly.
Hotels, and plenty else besides
Resorts and beach clubs are the obvious fit. The same thinking works for a fashion label, a restaurant group, a members' club, a yacht or a villa.
As a corporate gift in the UAE it has one unusual quality. It is useful nine months of the year, and it is seen by people who were never on the gift list.
So, how do you start?
Tell us about the brand and what you would like it to say. We will come back with an artist and a direction.
See examples on our custom branded beach towels page, or have a look at the eight towels we make with artists to get a feel for the work.
Or write to info@narraetowels.com.
