Grounding of the Concordes

Set to open in 2017 in the South West England city of Bristol, the Bristol Aerospace Centre will be a museum dedicated to "showcase and celebrate the region's continued world-class achievements in aerospace" which include the boast-worthy claim to fame of being home to the design, development, and port of departure and entry (for all maiden voyages) for the Concorde, developed in part by the Bristol Aeroplane Company. The museum will be built at Filton Airfield, using two "WWI Grade II listed hangars" and a new building, displaying over 8,000 aviation artifacts with the main attraction being the Bristol-built Concorde 216, which was the very last flight of the supersonic plane. Spearheaded by the Bristol Aero Collection Trust, formed in 1988, the new identity for the museum was introduced this past summer, designed by London-based Elmwood.

Elmwood brought to the life ethos of the Centre with a design that was not only modern but had longevity and a sense of dynamism, innovation and inspiration. Elmwood wanted to create an identity that celebrated the start of the aviation journey. The first airplane started as a sketch. The first engine was a pencil drawing. Concorde was once a scribble on a page. Elmwood's use of the paper plane in the logo highlights the possibilities and potential of an idea and the simplicity of a thought and the personal effort behind every feat of engineering.

Elmwood wanted to hero the Concorde in the new identity but was careful to avoid alienating the other key elements of aviation due to be shown in the museum. The paper airplane was the perfect design marque to envisage this, as it is the shorthand for any plane and the initial stage to any aviation idea.

Provided press release

While this isn't a crucial identity to review and there aren't grand repercussions like some of the other reviewed identities this week, I found this to be absolutely charming and a swell representation of what a good, simple logo can do. The starting concept of using a paper airplane to represent high-wattage aviation design like the Concorde is a playful approach that brings these big, bold ideas back to their basics. But the key move in this logo was using the paper airplane not sideways like we are used to but pointing upwards, like a rocket. A cute paper airplane with wannabe superpowers — like a lab puppy that thinks its a pit bull. The subtle shading is enough to convey volume and the condensed typography literally gives it a sturdy launchpad.

The colour ways — red, white and blue in the branding are a nod to the transatlantic nature of the museum, connecting UK, France and America. The bold use of colour and simple clear design not only signifies the museum as highly credible but gives the project an engaging, creative and industrious tone of voice whilst remaining thought-provoking and forward-looking.

Provided press release

In application there isn't much. Plenty of bold-colored, centered-typography layouts that are nice enough. The posters are cute, perhaps trying to work in far too many metaphors but they are striking and help convey the serious yet playful balance of the museum and its identity.