aviation branding: exceptional by design.
The recent business aviation NBAA Show in Orlando, Florida was the first official outing for Bombardier Business Aircraft Division’s (BBAD) rebranding. Integrated agency, Design Incorporated has been supporting the implementation of the aviation branding originally devised by a leading international branding consultancy. A process that has taken the best part of two years.
Market research showed a significant potential business opportunity in a separate brand for BBAD – differentiated from the rest of Bombardier aircraft and rail transportation group. A ‘brand-gap’ was widening due to the ‘design and craft’ driven approach of BBAD not being truly reflected in the more ‘corporate’ engineering/technology feel of the main Bombardier brand. The task being to leverage the niche and boutique positioning of BBAD and the bespoke process of the creation of each individual one of these iconic business aircraft. The resulting positioning also creates a strong point of difference within business aircraft manufacturing as a whole.
One of the key changes of he aviation branding, along with a new muted colour palette and serif font family, is the introduction of heroic people imagery to reflect the ‘craftsmen and artisans’ behind the creation of the aircraft’s sensory experience – supported by the positioning statement ‘Exceptional by Design’.
Our development work has included the following brand assets:
Specboards
Business cards
Stationery letterhead, continuation paper, compliments slips & envelopes
eDM
Sales intro mailers
E-invites
HTML newsletter template
Icons for print and online
As is often the case with such aviation branding projects – a relatively tactical item can provide the first ‘medium of opportunity’ on which the new assets appear. And, at the same time, inspire a key point of brand cut-through. In this case it was in the development of the print specification for the new business cards. Historically the company’s cards have been unremarkable, inconsistent across international markets and unrepresentative of the BBAD product quality and design flair. Sensing an opportunity, Design Inc proposed that the new ‘Exceptional by design’ mantra could be fulfilled from the very first brand touchpoint by featuring letterpress printing on the business cards. The combination of the texture/tactility of the selected paper stock and the letterpress technique producing a truly ‘crafted’ card. What better way to demonstrate attention to detail than in the personal ‘handing over’ of an example of how the BBAD approach applies to everything.
Find out more about how we can help you create or implement an aviation branding project or brand makeover please contact Frank Norman on 01784 683000
View our aerospace and aviation portfolio
View our ‘The Incorporated Brand‘ document
