In November 2023, Taicang Alps Resort, the largest indoor ski resort in Eastern China, about an hour’s drive from Shanghai, opened its doors. It officially welcomed visitors to enjoy its world-class attractions, which include a Club Med Urban Oasis.

Club Med Urban Oasis Taicang Resort is part of Club Med, one of the world’s leading resort chains, a brand that specialises in premium all-inclusive family holidays.

To create an even more memorable experience for its guests, Club Med has invited The Orangeblowfish to design elements for different products in its Taicang merchandising collection. The designs are needed to evoke their tradition of premium and to reflect the unique experiences guests can enjoy at their Taicang resort.

Mascot Design
“Cang Cang” (苍苍), the resort’s mascot, is a Taicang Hound. We created this character to guide all guests around the resort’s snowy terrains and facilities.

Cang Cang is a cool dog, wearing goggles, donning a skiing suit, and always ready to venture onto the snowy slopes.

The word “Cang” (苍) not only sounds similar to “Cang” (仓) but also means blue, symbolising both pure snow and Club Med’s signature colour.

Logo Design
As a city in Jiangsu Province, Taicang inherits the charm of Suzhou culture. Therefore, we drew further inspiration from the famous Song Brocade, originating from Suzhou, to create our illustrations. We incorporated brocade patterns as geometric shapes to form the framework of the logo, enhancing it with elegant colours. We also added snowflakes, pine trees, ski gear, and Cang Cang to the logo to evoke the essence of Club Med Urban Oasis Taicang Resort.

To ensure versatility, we conceived each element of the logo to work independently when incorporated into other designs.

Mug Design
As previously mentioned, Cang Cang is a stylish and characterful mascot. To decorate a mug for Club Med Urban Oasis Taicang Resort, we created an illustration of Cang Cang holding a cup of hot drink while leisurely skiing down a slope. We gave our mascot a scarf and incorporated the steam from the drink into the scene, in a way that it transforms into a backdrop of snowy mountains. The curvilinear design enhances the sense of dynamism.

Children’s Tableware Design
We also had the task of designing the art for a children’s dinnerware set. We did it in a blend of styles, with each compartment showcasing a specific element to ignite children’s imaginations and invite impromptu storytelling. Cang Cang makes a cameo, of course, and we also scattered snowflakes here and there to add a sense of movement and dynamism to the pieces.

For another set, we illustrated skiing tracks around the edges of the plates, adding a sophisticated touch. We combined this feature with other delicate elements that give some colour to the plates.

The senior director from Fosun Tourism Group for Taicang project pre-opening and the associate director from Club Med Operations China region together elaborated: “The Orangeblowfish team ingeniously incorporated the features of our resort into the graphic design. They created patterns that are simultaneously classic and playful and possess an innocent appeal. The designs align perfectly with our family-oriented positioning. ”