A New Spin on Urban Mobility
With the runaway success of ZipCar, car-share entrepreneurs stepped up the plate to establish competition in the space. One notable group had access to a huge number of city parking lots and a plan to offer non-traditional car options, including high-end luxury vehicles and the iconic Smart Car. Needing a start-up partner, they chose us for our ability to design charismatic, impactful brand identities and web platforms.
Identity Development
Following immersive discovery work that called for leadership interviews, branding exercises, and intensive business and market research, we synthesized a positioning statement. In true FreeAssociation style, we then conducted ‘anything-goes’ brainstorm sessions and measured name ideas against the positioning statement. We further checked against URL possibilities and conducted copyright and trademark audits. In the end, we decided on the name ‘Mint,’ which expresses a fresh and contemporary sensibility, passes the articulacy test, and makes reference to the ‘green business’ sector – appropriate for the collective-consumption business model.
Language Hijack
To create a compelling tagline, we needed to express the car-share concept as concisely as possible in a memorable phrase. To do this, we appropriated the term ‘on-demand’ from the cable business and applied it to the car-share, creating the tagline ‘Cars On-Demand.’ Frequently used in the technology space, ‘on-demand’ indicates a forward thinking business model, launched in the digital age. Additionally, the term speaks to the immediacy of the car-share concept.
Visual Identity
With the name nailed down, we immersed in the visual development process. For the logo, we customized a modern typeface and crafted a leaf icon with a road running down the middle. Custom web iconography added brand charisma to a clean and functional user interface. Expressive brand illustrations featuring the Smart Cars were used on the site and in print and digital touchpoints. The result: a look and feel that fully reflects the brand positioning — current, smart and earth friendly. With garages spanning Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens, you can spot Mint logos on cars all around the city.