Design Brief

Students were asked to select an organization in need of a re-brand from an instructor approved list. In the following weeks, students produced research on the organization, wrote a branding proposal and executed a re-brand including a new logo and various brand collateral.

Client: The Abbotsford International Airport (YXX) was started in 1943. It began as just 3 runways, and housed a Royal Canadian Air Force base. The past 60 years have seen this small airport grow into what we now know as Abbotsford International airport. It serves approximately 500,000 passengers each year and is “one of Canada’s busiest airports, in terms of take offs and landings.”

Rationale

Currently, YXX’s branding does not convey a busy, international airport. Nor is it an effective visual representation of the airport’s slogan, “Abbotsford to anywhere.” In addition, their current branding is not used consistently and can be confusing.

In working on the re-brand for YXX, I began by distilling YXX’s message into three words: connection, comfortable and modern.

The new logo takes advantage of the beautiful aerial view that travelers will see upon take off or descent at YXX: the unique triangular pattern formed by YXX’s runways. The triangles form arrows, seemingly pointing the viewer forward, asking “Where would you like to go next?”

This re-brand will help YXX stand out from the competition and reinforces the positioning statement, “Abbotsford to anywhere.” This will also help to draw the public’s attention to the airport’s main strength – the significant convenience and savings that can be gained by choosing YXX as the departure point for their next trip.

The re-brand included a full stationery suite, identification tags, and a 12-page investor brochure. You can take a closer look at the YXX investor brochure here.