Curating travel experiences across the African continent

Kilometre 51 is a travel company focused on immersive Pan African road trips, aiming to inspire and empower young individuals to explore Africa’s hidden gems. Recognizing that many young travelers overlook Africa in favor of other continents, Kilometre 51 seeks to change this perception by showcasing the continent’s incredible diversity, rich cultural heritage, and stunning landscapes. Through carefully curated itineraries, they highlight Africa as a captivating and untapped destination for young explorers. I was tasked with creating a brand identity that aligns with their mission to encourage borderless travel experiences for the youth across Africa.

Research on the travel habits of young Africans revealed that 63% haven’t visited any country, 36% have visited 1-5 countries, and only 1% have explored 6-10. While many young people perceive road trips as boring, they are eager to learn more about other African countries but see travel as too expensive. However, safety and feeling unwelcome are not major concerns. This highlights a significant opportunity for Kilometre 51 to offer affordable, curated travel experiences that cater to young Africans’ interests and remove barriers to exploring the continent.

Understanding Travel to African Countries Amongst Youths

Source: Statista

I drew inspiration from the brand’s use of road transport to create a logo mark that conveys a seamless and enjoyable journey from point A to B. The vibrant African sunsets inspired the colour palette, using warm, earthy tones like oranges, yellows, and complemented by charcoal black. This design evoked warmth, vibrancy, and energy, perfectly aligning with the brand’s mission and values, resulting in a visually striking and memorable logo.

The logo mark was crafted by blending two key elements: a road symbolizing transportation and movement from point A to B, and the number “51.” The thoughtful combination of these elements resulted in a distinctive and meaningful logo that captures the essence of the brand’s mission.

We utilised two critical points in the journey of customers; the origin and destination to curate a brand pattern which was deployed across various touch points. It helps to create a consistent and cohesive brand image across various touch points.

The brand’s color palette was inspired by the radiant hues of the African sunset, capturing the warm, vibrant shades of the sun as it sets across the continent. These colors not only reflect the beauty of the sunsets travelers often experience on their journeys but also evoke a sense of warmth, adventure, and the rich natural beauty of Africa.

Understanding the importance of a thorough identity application, especially for a brand like Kilometre51 was crucial to ensure that the brand identity is applied consistently across various medium.

A website brought the brand concept to live through a clear design language, the bold colours brought key text and information to life, and getting users to take decisive action in booking a trip.

It's amazing to see how quickly Kilometre51 was able to resonate with the young African population within its first year of operation. The idea of exploring the rich culture of the continent clearly struck a chord with the target audience, driving their curiosity and interest in the brand. It was able to record a number of key successes;

• In the first year of operation, a total of 40 tours with an estimated participation of 65 people per tour, which exceeded expectations and projected revenue. The average revenue after a year of operation was $150k.

• 86.1% of the travelling demography were young people between the ages of 21-32 years, which clearly showed an interest in the idea by a younger population.

• Although operations initially started in Nigeria, Kilometre51 has received a consistent stream of enquiries from young people across the continent who are interested in bringing the brand to their respective countries.

What did I learn in the process?

Creating on the brand identity for Kilometre51, a travel company specialising in immersive Pan-African road trips, was actually a journey filled with lots of invaluable insights. Here are few;

• Cultural diversity; Africa is beyond blessed with various cultures which should be appreciated but also posed a challenge creating something that was relevant beyond any specific culture.

• Storytelling was essential to create a connection; In order to create a connection to the target audience it was crucial to tell a story about the wonders and experiences that lies in wait for them. We focused on weaving narratives that evoke a sense of curiosity, wanderlust, and empowerment, ensuring the brand communicates a compelling story that aligns with the aspirations of the target audience.

• A balance between adventure and professionalism; The brand needed to strike a delicate balance between conveying the thrill of adventure and wonders and maintaining a professional perception. The design elements and visual language were carefully curated to reflect the excitement of road trips while ensuring a polished and trustworthy brand perception.