InternationalVisual identity

Reimagining an American Icon

In addition to its long history of groundbreaking innovation, International has historically differentiated itself from the competition through high-quality design.

In the recent past, however, the brand had taken a backseat as focus shifted to other areas of the business. The new strategic shift and return of International to masterbrand created both a tremendous opportunity and responsibility — the chance to revitalize and breathe new life into this American icon.

While paying homage to the historic brand, we also needed to develop an identity fit for today and tomorrow, a brand optimized for the environments and surfaces an industry-wide transformation requires.

From websites and apps to vehicles, headquarters, and a sprawling dealership network, the cohesion of touchpoints necessitates a true 360-degree experience.

The Language of the Road is the unifying force of the visual identity, tying together all of the visual elements, drawing inspiration from the colors, shapes, symbols and patterns along the iconic roads of North America.

Strand by strand, the visual DNA seemingly writes itself: A road becomes a symbol. A landscape, a palette. Roadside signage inspires a typeface. The motion and dynamics of a vehicle shape the primitives of our animations and interactions.

A point of pride, the logo was a chance to breathe new life into an icon. Distilling its form, we created a contemporary, future-facing expression worthy of the brand’s ultimate stamp of approval.

“Other agencies would have come in determined to start fresh. But Kurppa Hosk grasped the value of our history right away, our heartbeat, and used it as a core driver to reinvigorate the brand.”

Chris Chakonas, Enterprise Brand Lead, Communications

The brand identity is, of course, built on more than just visual DNA, relying on a set of foundational design principles to inform and inspire all of our work.

Essentialism and versatility serve as the backbone of our design, but perhaps most importantly, we've focused on creating a brand that feels true not only to who International was, but to who it’s going to be.

In this pursuit of authenticity, photography and film are key, especially the subjects of their focus. International has always been about more than the vehicles; it's about the people behind them. To show that dichotomy, we struck a careful balance, creating an aesthetic that seemed to blur the focus between man and machine.