Rooted in the Past, Designed for Tomorrow

This Is What Happens When You Mix Nostalgia with Vision…

By late 2023, the future of Robin Hill Country Park was uncertain. Once a cherished part of Isle of Wight family life, the 88-acre woodland retreat had delighted generations with its natural beauty and homespun charm. But the years hadn’t been kind. With tourism trends shifting, pandemic fallout lingering, and visible underinvestment, the park closed its gates, leaving behind a sense of loss and quiet nostalgia.

Then came the plot twist nobody saw coming:

Cue Lee Priddle and John Smith; two Isle of Wight locals with no background in visitor attractions, but a shared passion for their community and a bold entrepreneurial vision. They didn’t just aim to reopen Robin Hill. They set out to reimagine it.

By April 2025, Robin Hill was reborn—not as a preserved memory, but as a vibrant, contemporary adventure park. And its comeback is more than local lore, it’s a standout example of modern brand revival done right.

From Country Park to Adventure Destination: The Strategic Pivot

Priddle and Smith recognised a fundamental truth: nostalgia might draw initial attention, but it doesn’t drive long-term relevance.

Their insight?

If you want to attract today’s families, you don’t sell memories—you create experiences. Robin Hill’s new brand direction reflected this shift. Moving away from the passive “heritage park” identity, the park repositioned itself as a dynamic, year-round destination, designed for discovery, interactivity, and emotional connection.

Strategic Themes That Drove the Robin Hill Pivot:

• Adventure over observation: Hands-on, immersive experiences replaced passive attractions.
• Family-first focus: Multi-generational appeal anchored around school holidays and key life moments.
• Event-led traffic: Attendance tied to timely, culturally resonant events.
• Island identity: Deepened roots in local culture, economy, and community pride.

A Brand Reborn: Identity, Story, and Strategy

Robin Hill’s rebrand is a textbook example of how to evolve a visual identity without alienating legacy audiences. The design retained familiar notes while sharpening the story for a new era.

• Logo: A stylised peacock nods to the park’s natural heritage, reimagined with clean lines and modern flair.
• Colour palette: Rich Forest greens balance vitality and serenity, with wide emotional range.
• Typography: Friendly yet confident, appealing to children and adults alike.
• Messaging shift: From “country park” to “88 acres of adventure, exploration, and entertainment.”

Brand Insight: This wasn’t surface-level rebranding, it was a purposeful repositioning that clarified mission, audience, and value proposition.

Designed for Experience: What Modern Families Really Want

Robin Hill now delivers moments that are emotionally rich, physically engaging, and intentionally designed for storytelling. The focus isn’t on ticking boxes, it’s on building memory-making experiences.

Highlights include:

• Digger School: Mini-diggers, maximum joy- hands-on fun with real machinery.
• Crocodile Creek: An electric boat journey through animal-themed trails.
• Whispering Woods & Jumping Pillows: Open-ended physical play among natural beauty.
• Glides Synthetic Ice Rink: All-season skating, woodland disco-style.

Crucially, they didn’t erase the past, they honoured it. Classic attractions like the toboggan run and Jungle Heights net walk were lovingly restored, bridging generations.

Strategic Layering: The new Robin Hill doesn’t replace the old—it amplifies it, curating continuity in a way that feels both familiar and forward-thinking.

Events as Strategy: The Power of ‘What’s On’

Robin Hill’s reimagining wasn’t just about physical space—it was about tempo. The team created reasons to return through a seasonal calendar of high-impact, culturally aligned events.

2025 Highlights Include:

• Sausage & Cider Festival: Rustic, relaxed, and deeply “Island”- a celebration of local tastes.
• Summer in Nashville: A zeitgeist-savvy tribute to Americana, tapping into popular shows like Yellowstone with immersive live music and cowboy flair.
• Wight Isle White Party: Ibiza-style elegance reinterpreted for a millennial family audience.
• Ultimate Kidz Show: Entertainment that celebrates and energises the park’s youngest visitors.
• Fireworks Night: Tradition meets spectacle in an unforgettable autumn evening.
• Easter Hunt: A playful, inclusive take on a growing cultural holiday beyond its religious roots.

Business Insight: Events don’t just generate footfall, they generate urgency, exclusivity, and emotional resonance. Themed experiences make visits feel like once-in-a-season moments worth planning for, and most importantly, returning to.

Community-Driven Branding: Robin Hill Loyalty Beyond the Ticket

Robin Hill’s renaissance didn’t just serve the community, it was built with it.

Economic Impact

With approximately 80 staff employed across hospitality, operations, and creative delivery, the park will become a vital year-round employer for the Isle of Wight.

Community Initiatives

• School Partnerships: Subsidised trips and nature-based education.
• Free Entry Schemes: Supporting low-income families.
• The Heron Smoke House Restaurant: Run in partnership with a respected local chef and open to the public- embedding Robin Hill into Island life beyond ticket holders.
• Preview Events: Exclusive local invitations before launch.
• Affordable Access: Early bird passes under £50.
• Local Produce Promotion: From retail to menus, Island businesses are not just featured, but celebrated.

Brand Insight: Robin Hill isn’t “giving back”- it’s succeeding because it’s part of the community fabric.

Marketing That Mattered: Story, Not Slogans

Robin Hill’s comeback marketing leaned on authenticity and narrative, not gimmicks.

• Narrative-first: The true story of “two local lads saving the park” gave the campaign instant credibility and warmth.
• Teasers & Reveals: Construction previews and countdown content built momentum.
• User-Generated Buzz: Visitors eagerly shared their experiences with #RobinHill.
• Local Press Features: Genuine storytelling earned widespread media attention.

Notably, the brand avoided the influencer-heavy playbook. Instead, it relied on grassroots, community-powered momentum.

Marketing Insight: When the story is powerful, your audience becomes the PR team.

The Results: Comeback Confirmed

By summer 2025, the signs were unmistakable:

• Visitor numbers surpassed projections.
• Season pass sales exceeded expectations.
• Key events sold out.
• Community sentiment turned proudly positive.

The brand transformed from nostalgic relic to contemporary cultural asset. From our observations, Robin Hill didn’t just reopen. It redefined what a destination brand can look like when vision, community, and strategy align.

Whether you’re managing a theme park, launching a new experience brand, or reimagining a legacy product, Robin Hill proves that with the right story, strategy, and soul, any brand can make a comeback.

At Hera Creative Design

This is exactly the kind of transformation we specialise in. From place branding to experience design, we help businesses turn vision into momentum, and momentum into loyal audiences.

We specialise in building bold, meaningful brands- from ambitious start-ups to legacy businesses ready for reinvention. Whether you need a fresh strategy or a full identity overhaul, we partner with you to define your purpose, elevate your presence, and create experiences people genuinely care about.

Because as Robin Hill demonstrates, when you lead with meaning and imagination, you don’t just relaunch—you return stronger than ever.

The Final Word: Reinvention Done Right

Let’s not forget, sometimes, the second act surpasses the original. Just ask The Godfather Part II (1974) or The Empire Strikes Back (1980). These iconic follow-ups didn’t just continue the story, they deepened it, redefined it, and became enduring classics in their own right.

The same goes for branding in business. Robin Hill, not so long ago, was a quiet memory. Now, it’s a bold comeback story built on vision, heart, and community. It’s proved that reinvention doesn’t mean always erasing the past; it means building on it with purpose.

The same goes for Netflix, which transformed from a humble DVD delivery service into a global streaming powerhouse by boldly embracing change before anyone else. Meanwhile, Blockbuster walked so Netflix could stream—then tripped over a VHS tape, refused to evolve, and got slapped with late fees by the future.

Then there’s Domino’s, which faced its critics head-on, reinvented its recipe, and re-emerged as a market leader. And the Old Spice fragrance, which shook off its musty image and reintroduced itself as a smart, culturally relevant brand through unexpected humour and bold storytelling.

Each of these brands proves that reinvention isn’t about starting over, it’s about starting stronger.

Ready to launch your next chapter?

Let Hera Creative Design transform your second act into your strongest legacy.

Get in touch today