Bhutan: Happiness is a Place

  • April 15, 2011
Bhutan: Happiness is a Place
A new logo with the national flower, the blue poppy, blossoming above the text and tag line has been endorsed by TCB as what best reflects the essence of Bhutan and Gross National Happiness. The logo was commissioned by the TCB to Ogilvy & Mather Pvt, Ltd, India.

As the popularity of Bhutan keeps growing, TCB went through exhaustive research on finding the best way to showcase the nation as an exclusive high-end destination. The task at hand was to enhance the uniqueness of the nation, its culture, tradition, environment, architecture and religion together with the philosophy of Gross National Happiness and merge them seamlessly into one logo.

The team reached out to hundreds of respondents including tourism stakeholders for feedback on their impressions of Bhutan. Parameters were drawn and rankings made on the various unique selling points (USP) of the nation.

The logo of Bhutan had to accomplish multiple functions. Potential visitors had to grasp the essence of and experience Bhutan the moment they looked at the logo. To that end, various ventures were undertaken to determine the hierarchy of needs. Two pyramids -- Maslow's hierarchy and tourism motivations -- were compared. Maslow's theory of motivation was extended to the motivations for tourism; self-actualization and deep personal experiences were found to be at peak of both the pyramids. Furthermore, social needs and social experiences were at the base and were taken into consideration. An interesting feature is the Hofstede grid which provides an insightful review of Bhutan. Happiness has irrefutably been proven as the core and the true essence of Bhutan.

The process started with the insight that people are happiest with the simplest things in life. A rainbow, a child's laughter and a puppy dog can make people happier than material needs. Real happiness can be found in the simplest of things. That is when the blue poppy came to the fore as the true representation of happiness. It symbolizes the essence of Bhutan and reflects its true uniqueness in all its beauty. Among the other considerations, the blue poppy is the national flower of Bhutan, a flower evokes feelings of love and is associated with happiness in general, it suggests a non-materialistic pursuit of happiness, and a flower signifies harmony and endless peace. Thus, it signifies finding happiness in the simplest of things. Following continued consultation and discussions, the logo was unanimously selected. For more information, visit www.tourism.gov.bt.