Nothing made that young Catalan graphic designer who, newly married, traveled to Asturias for the first time in 1977 during one of the stops on his honeymoon, predict that something in his life would happen. professional, years later, would end up unfailingly uniting him to this corner of the peninsula battered by the Cantabrian Sea.
Eight years after this first meeting, which was love at first sight, Arcadi Moradell (Barcelona, 1949) was in charge, in 1985, of designing the logo of the campaign that would end up transcending advertising to become the identity seal of Asturias: Asturias Natural Paradise.
Today, forty years after a work whose validity continues to be that of the first day, we speak with its creator, who kindly answers our call. About half past six in the afternoon, he is still in his studio in Palamós, in the Baix Empordà, where he settled after leaving Barcelona, when he decided that the time had come to dedicate himself only to the projects he likes.
Moradell smiles on the other end of the phone “they should almost consider this campaign as the heritage of Asturias,” he says, and it is no wonder, since it has penetrated to such a point that it is strange that whoever hears “Asturias” does not come to mind “natural paradise”.
And so, with extensive research, the logo was born that would later complete the famous slogan. It is not its longest-running brand, despite the 40 candles it blows this year, as Moradell has two others before it, so he knows a lot about what needs to be done for a corporate image to last over time, and it’s all a matter of technique.
This Catalan graphic designer, who has been in love with Asturias for almost half a century, explains that “this is not a question of divine inspiration, it is a question of method.” You have to carefully analyze the attributes, who you are going to target and be able to update them from time to time, that is the key to success for him.
In the 80s, when national tourism was dominated by the sun and beach model, in Asturias we had the courage to look towards our mountains, our valleys and our sea to tell the world that we are a natural paradise.
The brand Asturias Natural Paradise It was created in 1985 to develop the image of a new and unknown destination that aspired to open a gap among the regions with tourist relevance, since at that time Asturias was outside the focus of attention of the tourism industry.
They were the years of sun and beach tourism, and there the region could not compete, but the Government of the Principality, chaired by Pedro de Silva, decided to bet on the promotion of a new tourism model that was pioneering in Spain up to that time, and more attached to the values of the land, more linked to the social, cultural and environmental environment.
In a burst of courage, in the words of the Vice President of the Principality and Minister of Tourism, Gimena Llamedo, Asturias decided to look towards its mountains and valleys, but also towards its sea, to tell the entire world that it was and is a natural paradise.
Another key to Arcadi Moradell’s success, when facing a new job, is being clear that this image was not intended to promote any man (or woman), but rather the tourist representation of a region.
And so it was when designing the logo for the Asturian campaign, a work whose basic concept was the image, representative of everything that the Principality was and could offer at that time: culture, nature and landscapes. A region in which coal from the mine was still an identifying feature, so its image could not be colorful and bright, hence the choice of black to dye the background.
The original 1985 logo has been modified up to five times throughout these four decades, by Moradell himself, who explains that, when the location of Asturias was already well defined in the mind of the recipient, elements could be incorporated. brighter and brighter, such as, for example, the blue in the background of the image. An evolution of the initial concept, he assures, with changes that are practically imperceptible, since they are small adjustments.
It is precisely this evolution, adapting the image over the years and to the demand and tastes of new consumers, which guarantees the survival of a brand, “this is what has allowed this campaign to last forty years, and can last another forty more.”

The second oldest tourist brand in the country
What started as an icon for tourism ended up being a regional country brand identity. The essence of the brand Asturias Natural Paradise It is built on the values of the territory, reflected in the pre-Romanesque arches of Arcadi Moradell and the motto promoted by the team of Pedro Piñera, advisor to the Government of Pedro de Silva “who had Asturias in his head.” A year earlier, Miró had introduced the Turespaña logo, and no other tourism brand in Spain has survived since.
Its survival over the years has shown that the logo was a success from a conceptualization point of view, since it says everything about Asturias and its people, with just a few strokes and five colors. A reference to the mountains and the sea, to rural and coastal Asturias, to heritage and nature, to culture and history, with a finishing touch that is the Asturian pre-Romanesque arches.
Thus was born the Asturias Natural Paradise that immediately managed to generate an emotional bond with the local population, who soon began to consider it something of identity, something genuine, that went beyond marketing and promotion. It is also the oldest national tourism brand, no other has remained in force for four decades, aligned with the values and attributes of the destination. And over time it has become a country brand, as it enjoys an emotional connection with the local population that has made it worthy of such recognition.
Asturias Natural Paradise It happens to be the dean of the tourist brands of the Spanish autonomous communities, the oldest and has enviable health. A status achieved not only because of the success of its design and conception, but also because it has been able to become a symbol and reference of identity in which Asturian society itself is fully recognized. This fact means that its status as a tourist brand has transcended to become a benchmark for Asturias.

In these 40 years, the Asturias that the initial logo reflected has changed a lot in every sense. A solid tourism sector has been built, attracting more than two and a half million people. If in those 80s, everything was yet to be built, today tourism products have been developed around nature and culture, cycle tourism, hiking, ecotourism, gastronomic tourism, industrial tourism or even the Camino de Santiago, which are helping to improve the tourist experience and bring it closer to the natural essence of the Principality.
However, there is something that has remained intact, for the moment, throughout these four decades, and that is the commitment to sustainability.
An anniversary in style
Within the commemorative program of the anniversary, in which a special logo has been presented for this anniversary, created by Moradell himself, the development, during the spring, of interactive activities in Madrid, Valladolid or Bilbao is included; a photography contest, aimed at tourists and residents; a gala dedicated to entrepreneurs, companies and essential professionals in the history of Asturian tourism; and commemorative activities that, in autumn, will be distributed throughout all corners of the autonomous community.
Asturias is celebrating its anniversary, an opportunity to look back with pride, says Vice President Llamedo, and to project itself into the future with renewed strength that will allow the Principality to continue leading sustainable tourism, keeping intact the values that have defined it during these forty years. . If Asturias manages to remain faithful to these principles, the Natural Paradise will never die.
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