JET FORWARD

SEA

Brand Identity

Airports are much more than just air travel facilities. Worldwide they have become multifunctional commercial and hospitality centers. Customers and airlines increasingly choose destinations and transit hubs based on the perceived quality of the experience. Significant infrastructure development underway at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport provided a timely opportunity to signal a new era of customer-centered travel. Turnstyle, together with our strategy partners at Stoke, developed a new brand position, logo and visual identity system to carry the airport into the next decade and beyond.

Client

SEA

Disciplines

Strategy,

Identity,

Digital,

Print

Challenge

Like the region itself, the airport has undergone massive growth in the past decade. Now a top-ten U.S. airport with 30 airlines connecting to 91 domestic and 27 international destination, the airport served 51.8 million passengers in 2019 alone. But along with historic growth had come a bit of a brand identity crisis. While the name of the airport remains Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, it had been variously identified as the “Port of Seattle” operationally, as “Sea-Tac" locally, as “SEA” nationally, and sometimes as a more generic “Seattle” internationally.

Objective

The objective was to clarify the airport's identity and to facilitate a strong and consistent brand experience—to inspire travelers, to promote the beauty of the Pacific Northwest, to reflect the region’s civic pride as an international gateway and to provide a unifying customer service vision of excellence for employees. Success would mean distinguishing the airport as a celebrated destination and, ultimately, influencing travel choices for customers and the commensurate investments by airlines in the region.

Port of Seattle Seattle-Tacoma International Airport logo in full color.
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport SEA logo in full color.

SEA what we did there?

Travelers recognize three-letter airport codes on luggage tags and when booking online reservations. We embraced this industry standard by making S-E-A the simplified moniker for the brand. The stylized curving crossbar of the A, inspired by airline route maps, represents the arc of travel—a journey from here to there (or there to here).

The stylized letter 'A' from the new SEA logo.
Architectural rendering of SEA Airport's sky bridge connecting terminals, with a commercial aircraft at gate A12 and ground crew on the tarmac below a partly cloudy sky.
SEA branding featuring the text 'Every day. Elevate,' in white on a green background with a white arc starting at the bottom and curving up to the right.

Bridging the future

SEA will soon boast the longest aerial walkway over an active taxiway on the planet. It will connect the new International Arrivals Facility to the Main Terminal, offering stunning views and symbolizing SEA's position as a leading international gateway. A graphic arc or “ribbon of travel,” inspired by the bridge (and derived from the crossbar of the A in the logo) is used to symbolize the excitement, potential and promise of an elevated travel experience at SEA.

Aerial architectural rendering of SEA Airport showing the sky bridge connecting terminals, with aircraft at gates across multiple concourses and surrounding runways.
Slide reading "From the Emerald City to the Evergreen State, green is the number one visual association people have with the region," alongside close-up photos of lush green foliage and an aerial view of a dense forest canopy.
Animation of the text 'SEA Seattle-Tacoma International Airport' in various combinations of greens and white colors on alternating solid background colors.

It’s easy being green

Seattle and surrounding areas are filled with lush vegetation year-round due to prevalent rain and the proliferation of evergreen trees. This naturally influenced the color palette of the visual identity system.

Animation of the color palette for SEA showing each color swatch block being added one at a time.
SEA Airport large-format display mockup showing the "Green means go." brand campaign, featuring a green arc graphic and a sunlit rolling hillside with the SEA logo.
Aerial dusk view of downtown Seattle, with city lights illuminating the streets, Puget Sound along the waterline, and the Space Needle visible in the distance.
White text on a solid green background reading 'The new brand endeavors to reflect what people associate with our region, celebrate what they love about travel and provide what they value in airports.'

An eye on exploration

Seattle and Tacoma are poised at the edge of one of the world’s most vibrant natural, cultural and business ecosystem. The brand position calls for the airport to leverage these assets by engaging and guiding customers to the region’s rich possibilities—to provide an elevated travel experience inspired by the natural promise of the Pacific Northwest.

A view from street level of the Amazon spheres in downtown Seattle on a partly cloudy day.
SEA Airport large-format display mockup showing the 'Ready. Set. Explore.' brand campaign with a picture of the Space Needle, and a passenger walking in front.
An animation of the SEA typography guidelines of the Mont font, with the letters A through E displaying in large blocks of green one at a time.
SEA Airport elevator doors wrapped in the new brand identity, featuring the tagline "Every day. Elevate." with the SEA Seattle-Tacoma International Airport logo and green arc graphic.
SEA Airport single-screen marquee display featuring the "Music to your ears." campaign, with body copy referencing Northwest artists, the SEA logo, and the brand's signature green arc graphic.
SEA Airport water refill station branded with the "Reuse. Refill. Refresh." tagline, H₂O label, and the green arc graphic on a dark green background.
A wall of SEA Airport brand campaign posters showcasing multiple taglines — "Green means go," "Jet forward," "FlySEA.org," and "Less wondering. more wonderful." — featuring the SEA logo, green arc graphic, and brand color palette, with a taxi passing in the foreground.
Digital animation of the SEA Airport marquee display featuring the various brand campaign quotes and the SEA logo.
 
SEA Airport horizontal billboard mockup showing the "Green means go." and "Green means greener." brand campaign, featuring a light green arc graphic and a closeup of a sandwich and aerial view of green treetops.
Passengers walking through a SEA Airport jetway lined with brand campaign panels, including "Ready. Set. Explore." with an image of the Space Needle and "Visit the future." alongside the SEA logo and green arc graphic.
A traveler poses with luggage in front of SEA Airport's branded wave pattern backdrop in green and white.
Two travelers at SEA Airport: one walking past a large green branded wall displaying the SEA logo, and another smiling in front of the green arc backdrop wearing an "Upper Left, USA" sweatshirt.
A hand holds a smartphone displaying the SEA Airport "Green means go." mobile screen, featuring the SEA logo and green arc graphic.
Two SEA Airport brand touchpoints: a parking garage exterior with the SEA branded green "P" parking icon, and a smartwatch displaying a SEA flight status notification with gate and departure time.
SEA Airport parking payment kiosks in the brand's signature green, featuring the dollar sign icon and "Pay parking here." text.
Grid of circular SEA icons with bright green backgrounds and dark solid iconography.
A tablet displaying the SEA Airport website homepage featuring the "Green means go." headline, flight information, and quick links for traveler updates, maps, and lost and found.

DOT icon style

Long before emojis there was a standardized iconographic language developed through a collaboration between AIGA and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to help guide travelers on their way. This universal icon system is still in use and is easily recognizable by travelers the world over. As pictured in this signage concept, it is the basis for the SEA approach to icons—emphasizing function and familiarity.

SEA Airport wayfinding monument sign using DOT-style icons to direct travelers to all gates, ticketing, baggage claim, international arrivals, public transit buses, and rental cars, with the SEA logo at the base.
Three SEA Airport flags flying against a cloudy sky, two in bright green with the SEA logo and one in dark green with the brand's wave pattern.
A speaker at a SEA Airport branded podium displaying the "Every day. Elevate." tagline in the brand's green and white color scheme.
SEA Airport staff credentials: an employee ID badge on a green lanyard and a dark green polo shirt, both featuring the SEA logo and brand's green arc graphic.
SEA sign in their signature green with extruded lettering.
SEA Airport staff business cards the back featuring dark green background with the brand's green arc graphic and the SEA logo, the front with the contact details in dark lettering on a white background.
SEA Airport "Airfolio" branded publication cover featuring the headline "Prepare for take-off," a black-and-white aerial photo of the Seattle skyline, and the SEA logo with green arc graphic.
SEA Airport "Airfolio" branded publication cover featuring 'SEA Facilities Report V.01' and an image of a plane in flight.
SEA Airport "Airfolio" branded publication featuring the headlines "Building to serve you." and "Happening now."
Three views of web pages featuring SEA's Newsletter with various construction and concourse updates.
A smiling traveler with luggage walks past a SEA Seattle-Tacoma International Airport step-and-repeat backdrop featuring the repeating SEA logo in green and white.
A smiling traveler standing in front of a SEA Seattle-Tacoma International Airport step-and-repeat backdrop featuring the repeating SEA logo in white on a green background.
SEA Airport construction barrier graphic featuring a masked traveler with luggage alongside the "Green means grow." headline and copy about airport renovation plans, with a FlySEA.org callout and green arc graphic.
SEA Airport construction barrier graphic featuring a traveler with luggage in front of the "Jet forward." headline and copy about airport renovation plans, with a green arc graphic.
Six blocks of SEA branding patterns in a variety of green and white backgrounds with various wave and arc patterns overlayed.
SEA Airport branded stationery including a bright green "Jet forward." journal, a dark green notebook with the SEA logo and arc graphic, a green pen, and a small "Every day. Elevate." pocket notebook.
SEA Airport branded luggage tags in dark green featuring the SEA logo and green arc graphic, with a striped tag on the reverse side.
Animation of an SEA branded tote bag switching green and white color themes each featuring one of the letters 'SEA'.
Seven different renderings of SEA logo buttons in a variety of greens with solid green backgrounds and arc and wave backgrounds
A dark green beanie with the SEA logo letters on the front, shown on a green background.
Layout of 12 pages from the SEA brand guidelines including color, typography and design element guides.
Framed poster next to an escalator with "Every day. Elevate." in green over a picture of the parking garage structure.

The brand mantra

We endeavored to raise the airport’s sights above and beyond aviation infrastructure. To position the brand to cater to the well-being of the traveler. To elevate the customer experience and set a higher standard for customer service. To be empathetic, efficient and proactive.

SEA Seattle-Tacoma International Airport flag in bright green with the SEA logo and white arc graphic.

“The SEA brand was conceptualized and launched pre-pandemic to help us manage the customer experience at one of the nation’s fastest growing airports. And now, under dramatically different circumstances, it is still guiding our work. The brand focus on demonstrating a passion for the well-being of customers has provided a true-north for our work in the very uncertain early days of the COVID-19 crisis.”

Julie Collins
Director, Customer Experience & Brand Strategy
Aviation Customer Service
SEA (Seattle-Tacoma International Airport)

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