Enhancing visitor experiences with a breath of new life in The Ultimate Guide Taupo, Rotorua & Coastal Bay of Plenty
CLIENT
In print since 1994, The Ultimate Guide is a premium in-room visitor magazine promoting all there is do see, do, taste, shop and experience throughout Taupo, Rotorua, Ruapehu, Waitomo, Tauranga, and Whakatane.
Designed to give both locals and visitors to the region a complete overview of the must see and do activities, the guide also provides tourism operators a unique opportunity to advertise. The challenge with the refresh was to balance the display ads with engaging content.
SOLUTION
In 2022, the guide had a full refresh – a fresh colour palette, incorporating colours not often used in print, cleaner layouts, and an appreciation for white space. We introduced editorial-style itineraries to give visitors more inspiration on how to fill a day or two. This also gave advertisers a novel option for talking about their experiences.
2023 saw us building on this theme with overlapping photos spaced with white borders and magenta headings.
DESIGN ELEMENTS
Found in 5,573 motel rooms (266 locations), it grabs the visitor’s attention as soon as they’ve checked in, throughout Rotorua, Taupo, Volcanic Loop and Coastal Bay of Plenty. Plus, a selection of holiday homes and cafes in each main centre.
The content is engaging and loaded with cultural and historical information on the districts, and includes visitor must see and do experiences and points of interests. The editorial refresh required breaking down previously lengthy content into easily absorbed chunks of info, focusing on top spots, must-do’s, and local gems.
Itineraries for each region provide full day or weekend ideas for getaways and staycations across a range of themes.

