Spaceport Sweden is a pioneering initiative to make the town of Kiruna in Swedish Lapland the primary port for commercial space tourism and Europe’s gateway to space.

Ohlsonsmith won the public bid to develop the new Spaceport Sweden brand.

Our challenge was to create a brand identity that captures all aspects of this unique project, from the extreme location in the far north of Sweden to the culture of space exploration. To unite these very different elements, we began by researching two themes: technology and nature. For inspiration we looked to the very special nature of northern Sweden, the arts and crafts traditions of the native Sami people, the history of space exploration and modern Swedish design.

We decided on a contemporary identity with a strong visual expression and chose to use a visual symbol of the actual “port” in the word “Spaceport” – the port to space and the port to the adventure of a lifetime. When the logotype is used on paper, signage, a wall or building, the “port” becomes a hole through which one can see out to space.

To maximise the opportunity to market this new brand in an entirely new industry, we incorporated the brand promise – ”Your Next Adventure” – with the logotype.