United Polaris brand development
In 2016, United Airlines faced a pivotal moment, prompting a strategic move to redefine its business class experience. The competitive landscape with international airlines prompted a strategic decision to revamp the offering. Aware that business travelers often were required to fly in business class rather than first class, the airline saw a prime opportunity to create an upgraded experience that would resonate with this demographic.
The overarching goal was clear: transform the business class journey from the lounge to reclining laydown seats into a world-class premium experience. This endeavor went beyond mere enhancements; it necessitated a complete brand overhaul. United aimed to stand out, not merely as an airline but as a distinctive brand offering an unparalleled business class experience.
Design process
The journey kicked off with workshops to discover the perfect name. Active participation in these sessions, inclusive of focus groups and user testing, led to the selection of the name "Polaris." This name symbolized a guiding Northstar for United, becoming the lodestar for the airline's renewed commitment to excellence.
Guiding the transformative journey, I led the marketing brand design team to create a number of logo concepts.These concepts were presented to marketing leadership, accompanied by an assessment of each concept's strengths and weaknesses. Working collaboratively with marketing and brand team leadership, we narrowed down these logos and presented the selected options to the upper leadership of United Airlines, including the CEO, to secure buy-in on the recommended direction. The final logo was one that I personally created and then worked to create variations for the primary subbrand the lounge brand and versions with Asian language characters.
Outcomes
Fastly's presence at the NYSE was impressive, marked by a banner outside, consistent digital displays inside, and targeted email communications. This success heightened brand awareness and recognition, reflected in the IPO's positive reception, media coverage on CNN, and increased stock value. The design effort, particularly the motion graphics video, contributed to Fastly's portrayal as a promising and growing company, attracting investors. A notable outcome was the recognition of our design team's excellence, resulting in personal invitations for myself and the lead designer to attend the IPO event at the NYSE.