Airtime is a UK-based telecom company founded in 2015. It has carved out a niche by collaborating with well-known retail companies to provide a special rewards-based app for the mobile generation. By switching their purchases to Airtime’s platform, users can earn up to £50 each month, with the credit going directly towards paying their cell bills. With over 200 retail partners and 3.5 million members, Airtime has emerged as the UK’s fastest-growing rewards program. The company has revamped its visual identity, brand standards, and brand strategy in collaboration with ODA, a design agency based in London.
The earlier version of Airtime’s logo was simple, featuring lowercase lettering, green hues reminiscent of hospital scrubs, and an expansive website layout. These elements created an outdated appearance that lacked visual appeal and memorability despite aiming for a clean, modern style. Small typography, sparse photos, and an expansive design contributed to an overall void that hindered the development of a compelling brand identity.
In contrast, the new logo introduces a far more sophisticated typographic approach. The first “A” is rendered in an amiable, rounded corner sans serif, making it stand out and providing an eye-catching lead-in. The two-color style of the logo is intended to set “Air” and “time” apart. The sudden color shift may seem startling initially, but it makes the merged word easier to read. The new logo is much better executed, feeling balanced and dynamic. For a business that primarily operates in the digital arena, its thicker, mono-stroke design offers superior performance in the constrained space of mobile and smartphone apps.
Uplifting Sans is a bespoke typeface that pairs well with the new logo. The alphabet set in this all-caps sans-serif design has noticeably sharper corners than the logo but still shares the same general spirit. The basic set is simple, but according to ODA, it has mixed-case special characters meant to add bursts of happiness to the voice. The purpose of these unusual characters is to inject humor into brand communications. This attempt at playfulness is not without its difficulties, though.
The uneven spacing that special characters produce can throw off the reading flow. Word spacing becomes irregular due to the significant horizontal space used by characters like “T” and “P.” Readability can also be made more difficult using mixed-case characters in the same typeface. The lowercase letters “h,” “y,” and “i,” for instance, don’t seem essential or appropriate. Adding the “A” from the logo as a special character in the typeface is another source of disagreement. Although the intention is to create a secondary typeface based on the “A” in the logo, it could have been more efficient to keep this special “A” for the logo alone.
Despite these issues, the special characters frequently succeed in their mission, bringing levity and fun to otherwise heavy text passages. Even though they don’t quite nail every use case, they successfully produce a more dynamic and engaging visual identity.
With this makeover, Airtime’s entire visual identity has been greatly enhanced. The new design components, such as the typeface and logo, produce a consistent and modern aesthetic, which complements the brand’s objective of offering a fulfilling and user-friendly mobile experience. In a crowded market, Airtime stands out thanks to vivid colors, playful font, and current design ideas that appeal to a younger, tech-savvy audience.
To sum up, Airtime’s rebranding initiative, led by ODA, is a bold move towards updating its visual identity and increasing its appeal. Even though the special characters in the new typeface aren’t perfect, they help create a vibrant and interesting brand appearance. With its approachable and friendly look, the updated logo sets the tone for a more memorable and powerful brand. This new look will be essential to Airtime’s continued growth and expansion of its membership base as it maintains its standing as the UK’s top rewards-based telecom provider.
