Designed by Airside

In fact it immediately reminds me of Animal Planet logo. But this one on the other hand has a great concept and consists on a perfect example of a well executed non-conventional identity system.

Instantly suggesting the idea of patches of field, this project has to do with Greenpeace opposing the use of fields in the expansion of the Heathrow Airport.

I also love agencies that willingly open up and share public insights on the design processes that got them to the end result. It definitively helps the design community overall, educating designers, students and clients as well.

“BRIEF
In 2008 Greenpeace launched a campaign opposing the construction of a third runway at London’s Heathrow Airport. A major element of their protest involved the clandestine purchase of land within the airport’s proposed expansion zone and then inviting Greenpeace supporters to become beneficial owners of this property. The project was named Airplot.
Under strict terms of non-disclosure, Greenpeace approached Airside to develop an identity for Airplot. Once the project went public, Greenpeace would need to attract support for their cause as well as defend itself against detractors. It would unquestionably be a highly controversial and fast moving news story, so instant communication of the principal idea was paramount.”

Air, airplanes and fields. Since it was about the land itself, the abstract representation of the patchwork rural fields as viewed from the sky makes perfect sense.
Sometimes the relation between symbols and type isn’t that harmonious. This is not the case at all.
Hand-printed letters scanned back into the computer lead to an original alphabet of blocks that perfectly blends with the patchwork fields.

This work is brilliant in two different ways:
1 – It delivers a modular and flexible logo whose readability and size isn’t totally constrained by the medium.
2 – It can transform itself into different and more complex forms, incorporating within itself core messages such as “Stop Heathrow Expansion” or “Join the Plot”.

“Fantastic news! Climate-wrecking plans for a third runway at Heathrow airport have been axed. In a huge victory in the fight for genuine action against catastrophic climate change, the new government has recognized the impact aviation is having on our climate and cancelled the project.
Which means that Airplot, the piece of land slap bang in the middle of the proposed third runway site at Heathrow, collectively owned by thousands of people from around the world, probably won’t now be needed.”

What could be better than effective results? An happy client I’d say.

David Mendes
Ideas on Design

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Greenpeace Airplot | Website
Airside

All images are intellectual property of Airside