Sullenberger Aviation Museum Unveils Luquire-Developed Brand Identity, Logo 

Logo represents museum’s reimagined mission to inspire the next generation and create STEM opportunities for all

Longtime agency client Sullenberger Aviation Museum unveiled its brand-new logo and visual identity. The debut marks the final step in the brand’s evolution from the former Carolinas Aviation Museum to a reimagined transformational exploration of the power of flight with a mission to inspire, educate and elevate the next generation.  

The logo – developed by Luquire’s creative team after an intensive brand strategy and development process – signifies not only a visual representation of the new brand, but an inspiring new vision for the 31-year-old organization. While the new facility – set to open in summer 2024 – will continue to exhibit historical aircraft, it will also serve as an elevated educational resource and innovation center to help shape the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) workforce development pipeline throughout the region. 

The logo mimics the shape of a pilot’s wings, and the tri-color visual is indicative of the museum’s varied and multidimensional experiences that support its new promise of “expanding horizons,” which was created in the brand development process. Our strategy team engaged local and national stakeholders across multiple sectors through interviews, focus groups and surveys, drawing upon these insights to develop the museum’s brand platform and visual identity. 

“The perspectives we gathered from all the stakeholders were really valuable in ensuring that the new branding aligned with supporters’ desires for the Museum to serve as both an ode to the wonder of flight and also as a community catalyst,” said Luquire Chief Creative Officer Glen Hilzinger. “Capt. Sullenberger is an American hero, so we felt privileged to develop a visual identity that would honor his legacy while representing the museum’s new, elevated mission.” 

Comprised of shades of blue, green and yellow, the logo is equal parts a celebration of aviation and an introduction to the new, inclusive space where the next generation of innovators and ambitious changemakers can learn about the wonder of flight. The logo’s bright colors were selected to represent the playfulness and interactivity of the museum and parallel its three distinct locational experiences – the welcome center, a main exhibit hall and a preserved historic hangar complemented by an outdoor plaza – in addition to its three thematic areas.  

The largest area is a themed exhibition zone in the new Main Gallery known as Innovation Nation that presents the history of aviation as a testament to humankind’s capacity for creativity and imagination of possibilities beyond the known. The space will include stories of design, competition and safety while also offering interactive experiences for visitors including vertical wind tunnels, flight simulators, cockpits that visitors can get inside, games, and make-and-take activities. Innovation Nation will also house the Airbus A320 Capt. Sullenberger piloted in what became known as the “Miracle on the Hudson,” along with a corresponding educational exhibit.  

The museum will also include a makerspace where visitors can learn about aviation via interactive, hands-on activities, and a Flight Forward Catalog that will serve as a vital resource to help students and adults connect to careers in STEM-based industries.