Pentagram designers faced a unique challenge in branding Vertical, a company that produces an eVTOL—an electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle that most people have never seen much less heard of. But eVTOLs could soon be a very familiar site in urban areas as they literally fly over traffic and dramatically reduce the time needed for point-to-point travel.
From the Pentagram website: “Vertical had been a major player in the eVTOL space for several years and already possessed key elements of brand equity, particularly its distinctive hummingbird symbol which served as a metaphor for vertical take-off, hovering and flight—all qualities inherent in the vehicle itself…. The strategic direction focused on normalizing eVTOL as a mode of transport and creating a more democratic, accessible brand—essentially the ‘Uber of the skies.’”
The design team simplified and streamlined the hummingbird, using the shapes and angles found in the actual vehicle as inspiration. The use of Universal Sans nods to the use of bold sans serifs in the branding of other on-demand ride services (think Uber or Lyft). The clean, precise lines in both the logo and in the wordmark suggest safety and advanced technology. In addition, the designers also cleverly connected the “r” and “t” in “Vertical” to communicate smooth, ascending, point-to-point travel over the fray.
