Mercury Passport
Creating a Premium Mercury Experience for boaters purchasing in Boat Builder and Boat Dealer network
Client
Mercury
Industry
Marine
Year
2025
(Services)
Service Design (Concept, Research, Experience Design, Visual & Narrative Systems)
UX Design
Brand Identity
Problem
Mercury provides engines, not full boating experiences. How might we design a service that connects high-end users emotionally to the brand through their boating journey?
Some challenges Mercury faced were Streamline Communication, Customer Loyalty, Reflecting Values, Awareness Level & Customer Engagement
This raised a key question:
How might Mercury extend its relationship with customers beyond the engine — into their journeys, memories, and identity as explorers?
Research
Industry & Brand Research
Studied luxury brands that successfully moved beyond products into experiences (e.g. Michelin Guide, Amex Centurion, luxury hospitality).
Analyzed boating and yacht brands and identified a lack of structured post-purchase storytelling.
Observed how physical artifacts (passports, journals, stamps) create emotional attachment in travel.
User Research (Assumptions & Insights)
Mercury customers value effortless luxury, not gamification or competition.
They enjoy discovery but dislike over-planning.
They want recognition, exclusivity, and thoughtful surprises — not discounts alone.
Slow travel and quiet exploration align strongly with Mercury’s “silent power” positioning.
Psychological Insights
Endowment Effect: A personalized passport feels owned and valued.
Zeigarnik Effect: Unfilled pages motivate continued engagement.
Memory Encoding: Physical stamps and journaling create stronger emotional recall.
Identity Reinforcement: Being a “Mercury Explorer” becomes part of self-image.
Work Samples
The design process included:
Business Model Canvas to test feasibility, partners, costs, and revenue opportunities.
Customer Journey Map to understand emotional highs, friction points, and moments of delight.
Storyboard & Video Script to visualize the experience from signing the deal to repeat usage.
Physical–Digital Touchpoints such as:
Passport unboxing
Location & restaurant stamps
App-based journey planning
Loyalty perks and invitations
Immersive concepts like curated routes for silent cruising, water sports booking, and hotel partnerships.
Each artifact was used to evaluate whether the experience felt premium, calm, and meaningful
SOLUTION
The Mercury Explorer Passport is a curated journey program that includes:
A personalized physical passport delivered post-purchase.
A companion app for planning routes, booking experiences, and journaling.
Curated recommendations for:
Hidden coves
Scenic silent routes
Dockside restaurants
Cultural and nature-based activities
Exclusive partnerships with hotels, restaurants, and water activity providers.
Physical and digital stamps that mark experiences, not achievements.
Loyalty rewards framed as privileges, not points.
Insights
This project reframed Mercury’s role from a technical manufacturer to an experience orchestrator. By focusing on memory, meaning, and emotional continuity, the Mercury Passport demonstrates how service design and storytelling can elevate even the most performance-driven industries.
Premium experiences feel premium when they are quiet, thoughtful, and personal.
Brands gain longevity when they become curators of life moments, not just sellers of products.T
The strongest brand loyalty comes from making the customer feel seen, remembered, and cared for.
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