Blue Whales Blue Skies
Brand Identity
The Story
A bold and fluid rebrand reflecting the dynamic nature of the mission. Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies is a voluntary Vessel Speed Reduction verification program that helps reduce the risk of ship strikes to endangered whales, lower underwater noise, and cut regional greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution.
Before
After
Cause
Climate & Sustainability
Wildlife & Animal Welfare
Services
Logo Design
Branding & Identity
Details
The Blue Whales Blue Skies (BWBS) team was making waves on the coast of California with their bold new mission and verification program. As the organization was gaining momentum, they saw the need for a logo and brand that better reflected the strength and credibility with which they were tackling the issue of whales strikes in the Pacific. Through a collaborative rebranding process, a look and feel was developed that would resonate both with more conservative shipping companies and the younger, politically engaged public, all while authentically telling the BWBS story.
At the heart of the brand is a unifying wake motif, inspired by the shared signature of ships and whale tails. This theme becomes a symbol of movement, and the impact of our choices on the ocean and atmosphere. The BWBS logo specifically references a boat that has quietly passed through the water, leaving only a gentle wake behind. The iconic blue whale tail emerges from the fluid lines, bringing together the two principal components of the BWBS mission. Wake shapes and lines embellish brand collateral as part of the wider brand system, paying homage to the geometry of the logo.
The universal appeal of the brand comes from the succinct typography and colour palette. A clean and credible type system balances gentle pops of personality with scientific neutrality, and a more conventional blue colour palette is given an unconventional tone-on-tone twist with shades that reference blue whales, blue skies and the blue of the Pacific.
Project created at Loop: Design for Social Good