Operail brand shortlisted for Estonian Design Awards finals

The finalists for the 2018 Estonian Design Awards were announced during the last week, with Operail included among the best in the company graphics category.

The team behind the Operail brand, which was unveiled two day before Midsummer Day, is Identity, a well-known and respected concept and design agency. According to the agency’s creative director, Ionel Lehari, the original task was very clear and they knew exactly what had to be done. “The organisation is no longer associated with its former parent company and has significantly expanded its area of activities, and thus it needed a new identity,” he says.

The biggest success of Operail’s rebranding, according to Identity’s brand strategist Ants Lusti, is the short name, which hints at great value. “Through its name, Operail tells you exactly what it does: it actively operates in the railway industry,” explains Lusti. Regarding the brand’s visuals, creative director Lehari comments: “Illustrations that interpret visions of the future play a very important role in the brand’s visual identity, and we have placed a lot of emphasis on them.”

According to the client, the company’s new logo, an ever-turning wheel, represents the organisation’s 150 years of experience on the railways as well as the continued pursuit for excellence, says the chairman of the Operail board Raul Toomsalu. Toomsalu adds: “Our motto is: “Operail, more than a railway,” which means that we are focused on prompt, customer-centric, whole-chain service and the continuous development thereof.”

The winners of the 2018 Estonian Design Awards will be announced on 12 September.