Reviving a Classic Sri Lankan Beach Resort Through Experience-Led Content

Club Bentota partnered with Zephra Digital to reimagine how a long-standing beach resort could show up in the modern digital landscape, without losing the nostalgia and charm that define it.

The objective was not reinvention, but reframing: translating Club Bentota’s laid-back, retro beach culture into a contemporary content presence that felt vibrant, playful, and unmistakably Sri Lankan.

THE CONTEXT

A Resort Built on Memory, Leisure, and Escape

Club Bentota has always been about slow mornings, sunlit afternoons, river cruises, and easy evenings by the bar. The challenge was ensuring that its digital presence reflected that rhythm, rather than feeling static or outdated.

The content needed to:

• Capture the feeling of a carefree beach holiday

• Appeal to modern travellers discovering resorts through social media

• Balance nostalgia with freshness

• Feel experiential, not promotional

This required a content approach rooted in atmosphere rather than advertising.

CONTENT DIRECTION

Where Retro Beach Culture Meets Modern Visual Language

Our creative direction leaned into Club Bentota’s dual personality:

• A relaxed tropical escape

• A resort with playful, social, holiday energy

We built a visual language inspired by:

• Warm, film-inspired colour grading reminiscent of 90s beach postcards

• Sunlit textures, water reflections, and natural motion

• Bold but restrained typography to add character without overpowering imagery

• Moments that feel lived-in rather than staged

The result was a content identity that felt carefree, nostalgic, and alive.

EXPERIENCE-LED STORYTELLING

Letting the Resort Speak Through Moments

Rather than focusing on facilities, the content revolved around experiences:

• River cruises

• Seaside breakfasts

• Cocktails at sunset

• Beach walks

• Quiet in-between moments

Short-form videos and stills were designed to feel spontaneous, as though discovered rather than directed.

This allowed audiences to imagine themselves inside the experience, rather than being sold to.

CONTENT SYSTEM & CONSISTENCY

A Social Presence That Feels Cohesive, Not Repetitive

While the tone remained relaxed, the content system was tightly considered.

We maintained:

• Consistent visual mood across posts

• A balance between video and still imagery

• Variety in subject matter without breaking aesthetic cohesion

• A rhythm that mirrored resort life, slow, sunny, unforced

The goal was to make the feed feel like an ongoing holiday, not a sequence of promotions.

THE RESULT

A Refreshed Digital Presence Rooted in Place and Personality

The content strategy repositioned Club Bentota as more than a resort, it became a mood, a memory, and a feeling.

The refreshed presence delivered:

• A stronger emotional connection with audiences

• A visual identity aligned with the on-site experience

• Increased relevance among modern travellers

• A clear evolution from traditional hotel marketing

Most importantly, the brand felt true to itself, just more visible.