The Downsview Aerospace Innovation and Research (DAIR) hub approached us to help them refresh their brand, with an aim to appeal to both industry and an ambitious student demographic and to communicate their innovative initiatives.
They wanted a look that appealed to a new generation of aerospace professionals, with an aesthetic that communicates DAIR as a hub that brings together aerospace innovators through boundary-pushing thinking.
We dug into the archives, and got inspired by the golden age of the Canadian aerospace industry: retro airplane culture, nostalgic posters and typography, as well as military and commercial designs—as a nod to Downsview’s history as a military airbase. The logo combined movement and graphic elements with an instantly recognizable and nostalgic aesthetic that rooted DAIR in its rich culture, but with a nod to the future. We created a new identity, logo, font system, colourways, as well as photography and merch design direction. Combining the human and tech elements that makeup DAIR’s DNA, we were able to tell stories of not just the innovation, but the people behind it.
With the identity complete, we helped DAIR revamp the look and feel of their website, adding new copy, imagery and movement, to help the brand take off. Their PR campaign for launch—in which the new brand played a key role—set out to engage mainstream media, and motivate investment and participation by industry, academic and government stakeholder groups. The campaign reach exceeded its goal by 20x and landed coverage in the popular press, including Toronto Star, BNN Bloomberg, CBC, the National Post and The Globe and Mail.
