Guggenheim Aviation Partners (GAP), an aircraft investment and management business belonging to Guggenheim Partners, LLC, recently purchased the commercial aviation division to operate as a separate entity. During its tenure as a Guggenheim joint venture, GAP successfully managed two funds for Guggenheim’s clients, completing over $8 billion in commercial aircraft lease transactions — with 40 customers in 27 countries representing over 200 individual Boeing and Airbus aircraft, including direct orders from the manufacturers and 17 freighter conversions. Due to GAP’s long-standing and successful history, they required a strong new brand to present to the market.
In their transition to a singular company, GAP sought the help of V2Works to create a new name and identity for their business, with the primary goal being to maintain its position as a premier global commercial aircraft leasing, financing, and management company.
“We are especially honored to have been selected by GAP to develop an identity for their new business as it represents not only good graphic styling, but pin-pointed Brandgineering by Design™, which integrates both targeted brand strategy and innovative design,” said Troy Turner, Creative Director of V2Works.
In a rapid six-week sprint, V2Works worked hand-in-hand with the GAP team to determine a clear differentiator and branding strategy to help guide their internal principles and behaviors moving forward. V2Works then used that strategy to develop a bold identity, using a process of collaboration and iteration, to ultimately land on the their final expression.
To catapult GAP’s new company, V2Works’ main objective was to create a strong, iconic name and mark that would be highly recognizable throughout the aviation finance industry and build a foundation for further long-term success. V2Works conducted mass amounts of research to better understand GAP’s target audience and market position. The result is the name Altavair, which acknowledges the brand’s legacy while also allowing the company to tell a much larger story about their distinct advantages — the significant role their people play in the organization, along with the unique and innovative ways their people make connections with and for their customers.
We chose to make the center ‘AV’ the focal point of the Altavair identity, as it represents the pass in which many things converge to make amazing things happen. The design is also reflective of various opportunities that take place within the business itself. Collectively, the bold red and gray colors work together to celebrate the different disciplines that Altavair endeavors to deliver. During their launch and in the immediate future, the new name will be supported by the descriptor “Air Finance,” to further educate the market.
To help crystallize and position the Altavair brand for the next chapter of development and growth, V2Works established both the strategy and guidelines that reflect who they are, where they came from, and where they are headed.
“Strategically, we looked at how to express Altavair’s brand story in a broader, more aspirational way. The necessity to convey their one-of-a-kind innovation and exceptional integrity was clear, so an extreme focus was placed on their promise and tone of voice. All aspects of their brand were continually weighed against their key pillars to ensure consistency with our outlined strategy as well as the brand’s values,” stated Brandee Borror, V2Works Senior Art Director.
In close consultation with the Altavair team, V2Works Brandgineers developed the main themes for the new brand, along with copywriting, artistic design, and key supporting pieces, which includes a brand manual, identity system, data sheet, promotional materials, photo-journalistic photography, and ultimately a new website. Throughout the entire process, V2Works’ guiding aim was to elevate and connect Altavair to the same standard of innovation as reflected in each of their own transactions — visionary, exceptional, and meaningful. This trend will continue as Altavair’s global audience gets acquainted with their thoughtful leadership and creative opportunities that aim to connect the world.
“We were looking to rebrand during a recent company restructuring and V2Works proved to be the perfect partner. From developing a new name, developing logos, creating a brand book and ultimately developing an entirely new website from the ground up, V2Works exceeded our expectations at each step,” said Tim O’Hara, Head of Operations at Altavair. “Not only did they stay on the agreed project timeline, but they also stayed within budget. The entire team at V2Works did an amazing job and kept us fully informed at each point during the process. We simply could not be happier with the end result.”
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About V2Works
V2Works is a full-service collaborative design and branding firm located along the northern shores of Lake Washington in downtown Kenmore, WA. In business for over 23 years, V2Works approaches all projects with purposeful research and conceptual rigor that is an integral part of our process. We help transform organizations, revitalize brands, and grow businesses in many different fields — from large multinational corporations to the small and independent. Our clients come to us for innovative and effective design solutions in any medium; print, digital, and environmental. V2Works believes that building meaningful, working relationships with our clients creates powerful solutions. That’s Brandgineering by Design™. For more information contact us at 425-398-1710 or https://www.v2works.com.
