01-20 designs The Webster’s brand on presence, wonder and connection

The Webster is a hotel brand by Masterworks with locations in New York and London. London-based agency 01-20 was commissioned to create its brand positioning, identity and content, along with a set of bespoke illustrations by Debora Szpilman. The brand spans two cities, with each property shaped by its neighbourhood while sharing a cohesive identity. The identity revolves around an idea 01-20 calls “the magic of presence.” “It emerged very early in the process,” explains Senior Partner Carla Pia Sutil. “We were observing a wider cultural tension: people are more connected than ever digitally, yet often less emotionally or socially present. Hospitality has become increasingly transactional or performative, particularly within luxury, and we wanted The Webster to push against that.” For the creative direction, the studio looked to Gabriel García Márquez, the Colombian writer associated with magical realism – the literary genre that takes a grounded, real setting and introduces subtle moments of wonder. Márquez stayed at the original Webster Hotel in New York, a biographical thread that gave 01-20 its creative anchor. Translating a literary genre into a visual system carried an obvious risk, and Pia is direct about how the studio held the line. “We never wanted magical realism to become a superficial visual gimmick or something overly theatrical. The approach was always rooted in reality first.” The team began with the actual buildings, their locations, their literary connections and architectural character, then layered subtle intrigue through colour, typography, art direction, illustration and tone. Márquez supplied the spirit of the work, with the world of Charles Dickens informing the brand’s more eccentric, English character.