Adelaide Airport: ABD Signage

Branding a company is one thing.
But how do you brand an entire business district?

Overview

One of the key strategic considerations in developing the new Adelaide Airport brand identity was to move away from its position as a transitory space where planes took off and landed and to reposition it as an “Airport Business Centre” where people visit for business and leisure. Keeping this objective in mind, the Airport Business District (ABD) was created as a sub-brand of Adelaide Airport.

Envisioned as the destination of choice for multinational corporations and the top companies in Australia and within the State, the ABD required a comprehensive strategy that would position it as a business district. Whilst a website and various collateral items had been developed promoting the ABD, a comprehensive signage strategy was required which would brand the district on ground and create a branded sense of place.

To this end a signage strategy was developed which would not only aid business visitors in finding their way around the ABD, but which would also demarcate the boundaries of Adelaide Airport; something that was not obvious to the public at large with the existing signage on site.

The signage strategy took into account the use of GPS technology by first-time or infrequent visitors, which helped simplify the number of sign types required:

• LANDMARK SIGNS would let visitors know that they were entering the ABD;
• STREET NAME SIGNS would let them know whether they were on the right street;
• STREET NUMBER SIGNS would let them know how far they were from their destination.

Thus the signage strategy was devised to give visitors confidence while navigating to destinations within the ABD. It also tied in perfectly with the three brand pillars of Ease, Seamlessness and Connectivity.

Armed with this strategy, Nicknack then set about developing design concepts for a signage suite based on the new Adelaide Airport brand identity in the palette for corporate audiences. Hence the smooth and curved, yet angular aesthetic, which was a reflection of the new logo.

Once the design concepts were finalised, Nicknack created a tender pack for Adelaide Airport which fully detailed the materials and finishes for each sign. The studio also worked closely with the final tenderer to deliver and install the complete signage suite that can be seen at the Airport Business District.