Viper by Iconic Whitsunday Adventures
logo design | brand identity | vessel wrap design | graphic design
Iconic Whitsunday Adventures is an Airlie Beach-based tour business operating three vessels and a tour bus. When they came to Evocative they were in the process of adding a third vessel—Viper—to their existing Lady Enid sailing yacht and purpose-built Sundowner catamaran.
While the average vessel in the area typically cruises at 25 knots, the new vessel being built was to become The Whitsundays' fastest—powered by Rolls Royce jets with average cruising speeds of 37 knots and a top speed of 40 knots. Thanks to this incredible speed, Viper had a unique point-of-difference: being the only tour in The Whitsundays to offer snorkelling at the Outer Great Barrier Reef, plus time exploring both Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet ... all in one day.
We
started the process with a supplied initial logo concept, some tech drawing of the boat, some mood boards, and some background information
about the local market. Starting with the logo, we felt the logomark (Viper head) was quite okay, but the logotype (the word) and the
effects put on it weren't going to serve such a high-performance vessel.
We worked through new logotype options, initially starting with snake tail style swashes on the 'V' and 'R'. Although it was good from a meaning point-of-view—with the snake tails also representing the waves—it was evolved further to make it feel less wavy and more sharp and powerful. The final set of concepts integrated the shape of the viper's fang into the swashes, creating a tigher and more sporty-looking design. The logotype went through various iterations in the design software before a final version was created using custom designed lettering. Special attention was then paid to how the logotype interacted with the logomark, creating versions with two colours that overlap, plus single-colour versions that make use of a subtle break to distinguish the logotype from the mark.
A collection of versions were then created, allowing the logo to be used on light, dark and green backgrounds, along with single colour applications. The version for dark backgrounds can also be used over the top of photographs, further expanding the flexibility of the brand design.
Once the logo suite was exported, we turned attention to the design of the vessel wrap. This was a multifaceted approach, creating a mini brand identity style for Viper, while also taking into consideration how the design would showcase the boat's speed and prowess across the water. The final design created a range of dynamic shapes that sybolise water and velocity, while also creating a spikey, Viper-like feel. We also created a custom 'snake scales' pattern that subtly bends along with the shapes of the hull. A very subtle large Viper logomark sits towards the front, while the logotype sits large and proud towards the bow. At the rear there's a full logo and an outlined version of the logomark, plus some Rolls Royce badging to help tell the story of the boat's jet-powered advantage.
To complement the vessel brand design, Evocative have worked with Iconic to produce a number of graphic design items to help promote and market the brand. These include designs for a luggage trailer wrap, a tour bus wrap, roadside billboard, various in-venue signage, external A-frame, tradeshow panels, and a tour brochure design.
The brand design that informed the Viper brochure was then expanded to encompass the other three sub-brands that run under the parent Iconic Whitsunday Adventures. Each sub-brand has its own name, logo and colour scheme, so we adapted the Viper style to suit each one while allowing the four sub-brands to appear related in style.
We also continued the photomerge style on the cover of each brochure, generating a unique layout to tell the story of each sub-brand. The outcome included a brochure for Viper, Lady Enid, Sundowner, and the Coastal Explorer.
The short promotional video below shows Viper in action. Created by a local production company, the video makes use of various versions of the logo—including the white watermark in the top right, and also the YouTube channel avatar which makes use of the version designed for use on a green background.
You can visit Iconic Whitsunday Adventure's website and Viper tour page here: iconicwhitsunday.com.au/viper
