A21 History: Evolving the Antarctica21 Brand

In 2023 Antarctica21 celebrates its 20th Anniversary. During our company’s 20th anniversary year, we want to celebrate our history with a review of the important milestones that have defined our journey. This is one of the notable moments in the company’s history. You can read more stories here.

Written by Monica Randriamialy, Antarctica21’s Marketing Specialist

In 2017, we underwent a comprehensive planning process, reviewing all strategic options for our company’s long-term vision and future. The process involved a careful analysis of the state of the business and the potential opportunities for future growth and development. Several critical decisions were made based on the insights that resulted from that process. One of those decisions was to embark on a complete rebranding of the company, including changing the name from ANTARCTICA XXI to Antarctica21. I was a privileged participant in that exciting process.

Why the Rebrand?

By 2017, we had operated under the original ANTARCTICA XXI brand for nearly 15 years. While we were an established name in the Antarctic expedition niche, as we traveled around the world to promote the company, we realized that some markets were unfamiliar with Roman numerals. Sometimes the “XXI” in the company name caused confusion. Also, the complex logo illustration caused difficulties in some applications. We realized that by simplifying the name to Antarctica21 and designing a sleek and modern visual presentation, we could communicate our brand more clearly and effectively.

The rebranding was much more than just a name change, of course. The process allowed us to define and select key strategic options for the business and then develop a new visual presentation to communicate our business identity with confidence and a fresh look.

The Brand Book

The creative process behind the new brand was inspiring, and I was very excited to take part in it. Working with an external consultant, we brought together our Board Members, the heads of different departments, and many team members to have deep conversations about the company and the future. The process created a space that defined a common dream for the organization’s future. We established corporate values and attributes to embody the spirit of Antarctica21. Riolab, an expert Chilean creative agency, was tasked to capture that vision in a new visual identity that reimagined our logo and all guidelines for presenting ourselves to the world. All those concepts were included in Antarctica21’s Brand Book.

The brand book includes all the necessary references so that different areas of the organization can represent the brand with clarity and consistency. Included are references for the tone of our communications, typography, and the corporate color palette. Riolab also developed a proprietary collection of iceberg iconography, a unique visual language that has come to define us in a powerful and visual way.

And as an extension of the brand book, an impressive collection of sample brand applications was developed, providing endless inspiration to everyone in the company.

Rolling out the New Brand

Once the brand book and identity were completely sketched out, the implementation phase began. This thorough process involved redesigning all corporate documents and branded assets while referencing the new visual guidelines. We started updating our customer-facing sales documents and communication channels, from brochures and the website to social media channels and business cards. We then proceeded to add a fresh look to the team clothing, signage, boarding passes, merchandising, and all trip-delivery elements in between.

We also extended the new visual identity to our Punta Arenas and Santiago Offices.

Antarctica21 Reimagined

While many people contributed to the process, the leading architects of the new Antarctica21 brand presentation were Francisco Arévalo, Owner of Riolab, and Felipe Arévalo, Art Director. Along with their team of branding specialists and designers, they successfully captured our company’s essence. For their work, in 2019, the team at Riolab was recognized by the prestigious “Premios Chile Diseño,” a national design award.

As a member of the Sales & Marketing team, I am proud of the part I played in the rebranding of Antarctica21. It was a challenging, exciting, and rewarding experience. Undoubtedly, it was a significant milestone in the company’s history and paved the way for future growth and success.