MAMAIA Resort – currently undergoing a rebranding process
Impact, originality, brand expression, and versatility. These are the four ingredients that earned finalist Andrei Pașa the honor of winning the competition for the Mamaia resort logo. His logo proposal received the highest score following the jury’s vote on the three finalist entries. After a close competition, the Mamaia resort will soon have a new visual identity.
According to the contest rules, which were publicly announced at the start of the competition, the winning proposal will receive additional compensation for the creation of the brand manual. The final results regarding the three finalist proposals will be announced today on the website www.concurslogomamaia.ro.
Andrei Pașa – winning logo design –“I was thrilled to hear the big news—my concept will be part of the identity of Romania’s most famous resort! This contest has become a unique opportunity, serving as a platform to showcase talent in the field of graphic design. I am proud to be able to contribute creatively to building a success story in Romanian tourism. Thank you for your trust!”
Among those participating in the discussion of the jury’s winning proposal were Mihai Coliban – Creative and Design Director at Hey Punk! (UK), Alex Icodin – Brand Designer and Professor of Design and Visual Arts, Mihai Bârsan – Marketing Expert, President of the National Tourism Brand Council, Founder of Destination of the Year, and Felix Tătaru – Communications Expert, President of the Institute for Visionary Cities, Member of the National Tourism Brand Council, and George Măndilă – President, OMD Mamaia Constanța.
“Together with the jury members, we chose an identity that perfectly captures what Mamaia is today and what it will be decades from now. Forever young yet gracefully aged, with a story at every corner of the terrace, with plenty of skirts but luxury shoes, with raunchy jokes—but told with a Cărtărescu in your purse. Whether you love her to death or hate her with a passion, she leaves no one indifferent. Mamaia is not St. Tropez, nor Cannes, nor Ibiza. It is a place with soul, with vibrancy, with many layers and nuances, where everyone—whether they come with a girlfriend, a group of friends, or the whole family—finds a little corner just for themselves. “The winning designer couldn’t capture everything that Mamaia is in a logo, but he nailed its essence: a place full of zest for life and a riot of colors, with intrigue and plenty of heartbeats per minute,”said Mihai Coliban—Creative and Design Director at Hey Punk! (UK).
Representatives of the Mamaia-Constanța Destination Management Organization say there was a fairly lengthy and detailed discussion regarding the three proposals.
“We’re kicking off the season with a fresh, colorful image that captures the resort’s avant-garde spirit—an explosion of youth and fun. It’s no coincidence that we’re the entertainment hub of the Romanian coast! In the coming days, following the latest feedback, the creator of the winning proposal will refine this version in detail, develop a slogan, and create the visual identity manual, which will include numerous variations and adaptations. “In a future public announcement, we will present the entire manual, the final version of the logo, and the slogan,” stated George Măndilă, President of the Mamaia Constanța Destination Management Organization.
The jury selected the MAMA!A concept as the winner based on the criteria outlined in the brief: impact (40%) – how much attention it attracts and how original it is; brand expression (40%) – how well it conveys the brand’s positioning and how well it captures the lively yet elegant personality that Mamaia deserves; adaptability (20%) – how easily it can be adapted to various materials and how timeless it is.
“We had three excellent finalists. It’s no coincidence that, out of the many proposals we received throughout the process, three stood out—all from experienced professionals with impressive portfolios. In the end, professionalism speaks for itself.”
The final round of deliberations to select the winner was perhaps the most difficult, as the proposals all scored highly across the three criteria (impact, alignment with strategy, and versatility). Ultimately, the proposal we chose was the one we collectively felt was the boldest and had the greatest potential impact. “The exclamation mark, the key element of the proposal, is a powerful symbol of the ‘state of fun’ that Mamaia offers to tourists of all ages,” said Mihai Bârsan—Marketing Expert, President of the National Tourism Brand Council, and Founder of Destination of the Year.
As a key factor in determining the winner, the MAMA!A logo used the exclamation mark as a brand icon, along with an unconventional arrangement of letters, font choice, and color palette—all of which lend it a surprising, fresh look that immediately catches the eye.
“Personally, I believe the winning entry won over the client first and foremost, but also the organizer, thanks to its adherence to the brief, its youthful, fun vibe, and its ability to stand out from the rest through the bold choice of a simple yet interesting and playful typeface, without any additional symbols. Taking a single letter and creating a world out of it requires both courage and simplification. Everyone proved that design can be done even under tougher conditions: a tight deadline, a broad brief, and skepticism. The debate about the logo continues, both for a wider audience and among industry professionals who have a say in the matter. “The process naturally continues with the development of the logo and the brand manual focused on the touchpoints of the Mamaia resort; I will offer my support to the organizers and the winning designer in this endeavor,” said Alex Icodin, brand designer and professor of design and visual arts at the National School of Political and Administrative Studies in Bucharest.
Members of the jury say that all the finalist proposals focused on entertainment for all ages, and the final choice reflected an authentic and modern vision of the Mamaia resort. Work will continue with the winner as part of the brand manual. All finalist proposals will become the property of the Mamaia Constanța Destination Management Organization.
The winner of the contest—Andrei Pașa—was born in Târgu-Mureș and is 49 years old.
He began his career at a small advertising agency in the city, then moved to Agora Media, an IT publishing house (publisher of PC Magazine and NET Report). Since 2005, he has been working as a freelancer, active in both Western and domestic markets. Most of the projects he has been involved in are in the field of branding and visual identity, with the usual applications across various media—web, print, or social media. He is interested in all things visual, a passionate digital photographer, a curious traveler at every opportunity, and a weekend cyclist.
The Mamaia-Constanța Destination Management Organization was established through a partnership between the Constanța City Hall and three tourism associations, with the aim of managing tourism promotion and management activities for the Mamaia resort and the city of Constanța. During the 2023 summer season, the association organized and supported several events, which were attended by tens of thousands of tourists and residents of Constanța.
OMD Mamaia Constanța
President – George Măndilă
Oana Silviana Crăciun
Communications & Public Relations Department
Email: omd.mamaia.constanta.comunicare@gmail.com