Arriving at the Brand New Junction of Express Yourself!
Client - Airtel India
Requirements - Rebranding Design
The Brief
The history of the foundation of Airtel is nothing short of a rollercoaster ride, a much inspiring uphill battle of an entrepreneur who laid primitive confidence in the mobile telecom business in India.
What started as a push-button phone, 'Mitbrau', in the early 90s came to become AirTel (later rebranded as Airtel), a cellular services brand hitting 2 million subscribers of cellular customers making it the first telecom company to ever achieve this milestone!
Airtel is the godchild of Bharti Enterprises, formed by Sunil Bharti Mittal and well accommodated under Bharti Cellular Limited (BCL), thus giving it the name, Bharti Airtel.
Unlike how mysteriously the universe works, the journey of the Airtel brand across India reveals a man with a clear vision, pure manifestation, and indomitable courage to take the road not taken before.
Among many landmarks, Bharti changed the course of the cellular chitchatting experience for Indian customers by introducing 'India One'. Under the brand, 'India One, the call rates for STD and ISD calls were reduced in India.
Not just that, Airtel is the first cellular operator ever to launch CRBT (Caller Ring Back Tone) service. You might remember the popular Hello Tunes composed by none other than legendary A.R. Rahman.
Today, Airtel holds the second position as the largest mobile service provider in India, with services including broadband and DTH subscription via Airtel Digital TV.
Retaining the Cool Dad Genes - The Backdrop
Unlike the cringe-fest of dad jokes, there is an underlying definition of a cool dad which is often misinterpreted.
A Cool Dad has learned to raise the bar through challenges, but also never misses a shot at experiencing the new thrilling channels of adrenaline with you.
Airtel is much like the cool dad of cellular brands. Throughout its branding journey, since its formative years, it has never shied away from rebranding and makeover projects.
Conscious of its popularity among the youth (referring to the nostalgic iconic ad, Har Ek Friend Zaroori Hota Hain), it is inevitable that a revamping trip would be brewing to accommodate the ever-changing interest and likability of Airtel's key demographic.
The creative aficionados at Animal prophesied and curated the makeover of Airtel by holding on to its branding nerve with an intellectual reconstruction without diffusing away from its original sentiment.
Key Elements from the Animal's Design Inventory
1. Adaptability Factor
One of the key elements of Airtel's digital rebranding is to play on adaptive charms.
Having been living in the golden era of visual designs and creative advertisement, brands across the globe are on the witch hunt to stir the latest trends' pot and grill a marketing strategy that is suitable for their customers.
Animal shares that the flexibility of Airtel's rebranding design is of top priority in its brainstorming list. The makeover centers around creating a visual impact that strengthens the reliability of the brand to its customers while also exuding a feeling of fresh candour.
The rebranded visuals rely on easy and quick conformity to different digital mediums. From lined illustration to Airtel Blob, the design is set to provide a finely customised look in both offline and online modes.
2. Accentuating the Airtel Accent
The Animal has given particular attention to the colour Red, being the core of Airtel's branding identity. Treating it as a dynamic asset, the colour Red is embroidered throughout the design as a definitive accent.
Paired with All White and Total Black, the visual remodeling of People Red is carved out by Animal's creative team to fit the People of Airtel checkboxes - candid, chipper, and contemporary.
3. The Perfect Altruism
A quick walkthrough of Airtel's rebranded version reveals its gravity towards desi folks. This freshly woven version of Airtel is set by the principle of storytelling and exuberant characters taken from real life.
The concept of reshaping Airtel as a People's brand is implemented by the ingenious design team at Animal, distinctly featured in two categories, Illustration, and Photography.
Instead of going for typical artificial portraiture of visual capture, Animal has derived Airtel's revamp with spontaneity and fluidity both in animation as well as in snapshots.
The Design Playground
Airtel rebranding project by Animal is a synchronised design coexisting of both veteran motifs and juvenile hi-tech fantasy. The implementation of the design is broadly categorised into two fields - The Digital Vista and The Desi Chaperone.
1. The Digital Vista
Accommodating the uber hi-tech fantasy, the rebranded Airtel is tailored to fit through different channels of online media and offer an ease of visual accessibility to its users.
The familiar typographical play along with clear ad terminology, such as 'extendable, ownable, and contemporary', resounds with today's aesthetic generation.
The Airtel Blob is a characteristic element of this digital renovation. Instead of gatekeeping the creative strut, Animal has customised the signature blob to fit different rotation angles with each facet having its distinct shape.
These creative shapes, Oblate, Mushroom, Pik, Cloud and Pebble, adjust to required size to allow proper visual interpretation.
The blob also has definitive visual editions in both online and offline mode.
Keeping up with a sophisticated interaction outline, the new Airtel brand perfectly vibe checks the need of modern digital connoisseurs from Boomers to Generation Z.
2. The Desi Chaperone
a. Illustrative Atlas
In refurbishing Airtel's vista, Animal has carefully preserved the perky desi hearts and their tech-benevolence.
Facilitating the theme inspired by the daily lives of Indian people, Airtel's rebranding is an interactive fresco of immaculate illustration.
These illustrations are uncluttered and renders a sense of homeliness without having to introduce facial features.
The character design of Airtel's brand illustration, both static and animated, is displayed by activities like plugging in headphones while playing video games, scrolling through your screen while waiting for your flight at the airport, a group study with your homies at the cafe or the disruptive melody of a loud uncle who does not shy away from expressing himself in piercing decibels.
b. Flipping through Airtel Album
Through the camera lens, the visual landscape of the Airtel brand is painted with real-life photography rather than conventional stock images.
Setting the spotlight on desis-in-action, whether hustling and grooving or just relaxing, from blessed mess to mundane recess, the characters starring in Animal's makeover project are lively protagonists contemplating and empowering themselves digitally through regular days.
And, to give them the company, we have Airtel, accelerating their digital vitality.
The Design Decree
The rebranding project of Airtel is a prime example of new-age digital renovation, with articulated mind maps reflecting the final output. Situated within simple sketching and authentic identification, the Airtel brand, designed by Animal, regards modern challenges and adapts effortlessly to visual transcendence.
Thus, it remains to be the most reliable network and, in a true sense, India's endearing telecom network.
