Expat has key role in airline rebranding

Masterton's Brad Stevens worked on the project of a lifetime in helping rebrand Fiji Airways.

Mr Stevens, a Sydney-based design director, was born and raised in Masterton before his work took him overseas to places such as London, New York and Paris.

He was hired by agency FutureBrand specifically to work on the project.

"Designing an airline identity has always been a dream of mine, so when the opportunity came along I jumped at it," Mr Stevens said.

Fijian national carrier Air Pacific will be officially renamed Fiji Airways in June and the Airbus A330 is the first of three to carry the new branding.

In conjunction with another designer, he led the project including the name change, designing the logo, exterior and internal aircraft interiors, in-flight brochures and even staff uniforms.

"I was responsible for ensuring the concept was brought to life through to the design application."

Mr Stevens said that the inspiration for the designs had come from traditional Fijian Masi art and unique Fijian culture.

"We worked with a Fijian artist named Makereta to create a traditional Fijian Masi," he said.

"The logo icon, which is made up of four crosses, represents the interconnection of the people and the islands.

"The diamond inside the logo reflects the Fijians' friendly and welcoming nature to all visitors."

In addition to the main icon, a series of motifs carried individual messages about the Fijian islands' stunning beauty.

Mr Stevens said it had been their mission to create a proud symbol that would stand out at some of the world's busiest international airports, and he believed they had achieved that.

"It is an honour to see my work displayed on an international stage."