Turkish Airlines
A country of rich history and strong culture.
With its first settlement built 8,800 yeasr ago, Turkey has a long and storied history. They’ve been inhabited by the Assyrians, Greeks, Thracians, Phrygians, Urartians and Armenians. Turkey has been home to many famous rulers and the location of many famous events.
From the fabled King Midas to Alexander the Great, and from Mt Ararat where Noah landed his ark to the ruined city of Troy, Turkey hold much history. And because of this history, Turkey has a rich and diverse culture, housing both Christian and Muslim holy places. The people of Turkey have made it a warm, welcoming place to visit.
A flagship carrier with a confused identity
Turkish Airlines was a brand struggling with an identity crisis. They weren’t sure where they fit amongst competitors like Etihad, Emirates, and Lufthansa, if they were luxury or economy, business or adventure.
A solution to really tell the story
When we started our first mission was to distill who exactly Turkish Airlines was. They are international, flying to 107 different countries, more than any other airline in the world. They are reliable, having been voted “Europe’s Best Airline” five times. They are luxury, offering decadent amenities in both business and economy class.
But most importantly they are Turkish, being the flagship carrier they retain strong ties to Turkey’s culture and heritage through cuisine, style, and hospitality. What they needed was a logo that embodied all of that.
A mark to last through the ages
With those qualities in mind, we researched Turkey’s history and culture. They are deeply rooted in two key elements, their architecture and their flora. The tulip is Turkey’s national flower, being the first place it was recorded to exist. The geometric mosaic is one of Turkey’s most recognized architectural elements.
Turkish Airlines
Turkish Airlines
The two were a natural fit for the brand. Taking the traditional navy and turquoise of the mosaics and the classic red of the tulips, the mark was born. It was then refined until it was iconic enough to be recognized in any country, sturdy enough to be reliable on any application, and elegant enough to stand out amongst Turkish Airlines’ luxury competitors.
Tulip Red
Tile Turquoise
Traditional Navy
AaBbCc Begum Regular
A serif typeface designed with sharp serifs and elegant curves, Begum embodies the character of traditional Turkish architecture. The name itself, Begum, comes from the Turkish “bigim” meaning “princess”.
AaBbCc Quasimoda
Quasimoda is a sans serif type family with geometric shapes and classical proportions. It combines modern and classic styles, the perfect fit for a country that does the same.
Turkish Airlines
This is the general lock up. To be used in most circumstances. The outermost points of the mark line up with the left of the “s” in Turkish and the right of the “r” in Airlines.
Turkish Airlines
This is the exception lock up. To be used in circumstances where a horizontal shape is most appropriate, such as on a navigation bar or the side of a plane.
Sarah LaGrasta Fall 2016 MassArt