Sambar Runs in Our Blood
For over 75 years, Taj Mahal Hotel has been part of Hyderabad’s everyday life. The brief was to refresh its identity, establish TMH as a more recognisable name, and communicate its pure vegetarian offering to newer audiences without losing the familiarity and trust built over generations.
Evolving a legacy without losing what made it beloved.
For generations of Hyderabadis, Taj Mahal Hotel represented dependable vegetarian food, purity and familiarity. But newer audiences often associated the name with something entirely different.
We needed to bridge this gap while preserving the relationships that had made TMH an institution.
The Approach
Listening to the people who made TMH.
Through conversations with customers and staff across generations, we uncovered the depth of TMH’s relationship with its community.
One sentiment captured it perfectly: “Sambar runs in our blood.”
Our research and audience surveys consistently revealed associations with legacy, heritage, purity and trust. These became the guiding principles for the new identity.
Observing the relationships beyond the plate.
We saw customers from different cultures and backgrounds sharing tables, and regulars greeted by staff who already knew their orders.
TMH’s appeal crossed generations, religions and communities. The common thread was not who its customers were, but how welcome they felt.
Finding the perfect host.
TMH had hosted generations through everyday meals, family celebrations, hotel stays and milestones. It was more than a restaurant and hotel. We realised the Brand perception it could fit into was The Perfect Host.
The Solve
A new identity, chosen by its extended family.
We developed two identity directions and took them back to TMH’s customers. The chosen direction reflected the qualities they valued most: legacy, heritage, purity and trust.
Rather than pursue novelty for its own sake, we built on the familiarity that had earned TMH its place in the city.
Building clarity around TMH.
The refreshed identity established TMH as a more distinctive name while making its pure vegetarian offering clearer. We extended the visual language across packaging and physical and digital communication.
The perfect host, for generations to come.
TMH’s legacy lives in its relationships between customers and staff, families and their favourite tables, and people from different worlds sharing a familiar meal.
The new identity gives these relationships a clearer expression and a foundation for the future.
A brand that has spent 75 years making people feel at home, now ready to welcome the generations to come.
Project Credits:
Vydika Rao, Jyoti Prakash, Akhil KT, MuhammedJaseem, Hamdi Roshan, Vishal Raja