Southern Trails

Backstory

Yusuf and Ganesh, founders of Southern Trails, were from the small town of Madurai handling big tourism in South India. Yusuf briefed me for a logo design in September of 2012. We spoke on the phone. I generally have some clarity by the end of a briefing call as to the design direction I need to take. But I was completely off that day. The loudspeakers were blaring in the background on account of some festival.

A distinctive characteristic of Southern India is the geometric patterns of Rangoli that are drawn traditionally with rice flour on a clean floor, specially during festivals.

So I live in Bangalore, and against the popular international belief that elephants roam the streets of India, they primarily roam the forest reserves of Bandipur and Nagarhole. But if you are a rich man in Kerala, you can roam the streets of Kerala with your pet elephant. I know this to be true, as I personally know someone who owns an elephant. Actually, two of them. Otherwise, one would get bored!

Google search confirmed that the Southern states of India were home to 44% of the elephants in the country.

I presented the design the next day. It was Ganesh Chaturthi, the homecoming of the Elephant Head Lord Ganesha. And the loudspeakers continued to belt Tumhi ho Bandhu Saka Tumhi Ho from Cocktail.