Crafting the most emotionally connected brand in private aviation
What happens when an industry leader’s awareness begins to lag behind a key competitor’s? With over 50 years as an iconic business aircraft brand, Bombardier and their Learjet offering pioneered the category. And with the introduction of their next-gen Global 7000 aircraft, the company was poised to redefine what is possible in luxury business flight. Yet, in the battle for awareness, the brand had given ground to Gulfstream. The rival aggressively marketed their luxury products, earning popular culture “cred.” Complicating the battle for luxury, Bombardier had to also navigate image associations with their own commercial rail and plane units.
Bombardier leadership saw the need to elevate the brand. They called on Lippincott to partner with them on a single goal: craft an undeniable luxury brand strong enough to fuel Bombardier’s next leg of growth.
Lippincott followed an integrated strategy to transforming Bombardier’s brand story and experience. We consciously mirrored their dual focus on art and science, with our own signature approach of analytical insights and creative excellence.
Early positioning research identified a consistent theme: Bombardier’s ability to fuse craftsmanship with business efficiency and timeless luxury. This insight set in motion a new brand purpose rooted in masterfully designing both private jets and signature moments. Refining the brand concept with additional market insights, we developed “Exceptional by Design” as a succinct articulation of their meticulous craftsmanship and visionary heritage.
Building on the differentiating positioning, Lippincott created the visual and verbal systems to elevate Bombardier’s image. We started by developing the brand’s voice persona — the Conductor — a person with a deep knowledge of details and a focus on unified experiences. And then crafted a visual system on premium, aspirational sensibilities that balanced human imagery and product ingenuity. The curated system tells the story of Bombardier while developing signature patterns and color cues, including Bombardier’s distinctive gold.
Internal activation started with a cascade campaign to build brand understanding and encourage brand-aligned behaviors, such as thinking creatively, upholding craft and creating lasting partnerships. For external audiences, we developed a playbook that highlighted key messages versioned by audience and brand. Lippincott also hosted collaborative experience innovation sessions, helping Bombardier to create, prioritize and refine the signature customer moments and experiences essential to achieving our goal.
Bombardier successfully launched the new brand focused on “Exceptional by Design” at NBAA, a leading industry event followed by the test flight for the Global 7000, Bombardier’s next generation flagship aircraft that reimagines comfort and performance. Working together with Bombardier and NetJets, a key partner, Lippincott helped author a marketing campaign themed on “A World Above” that emphasized Bombardier’s elevated signature experience. The campaign exceeded industry performance benchmarks and supported a 14% increase in site visits following launch. Bombardier continues to express the brand concept and is committed to leading the industry forward with an unmatched brand experience.