Creating Zaffra, a new sustainable aviation fuel brand

Sasol, the global chemicals and energy company, and Topsøe, leader in carbon emission reduction technologies, have announced the successful launch of their joint venture, Zaffra.

This new business is set to become a key global player in the aviation industry, focusing on the advancement and delivery of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production and technologies. With its headquarters in Amsterdam, Zaffra combines the best of science, technology, and nature for a brighter future for global aviation, with a purpose to accelerate the decarbonisation of the aviation sector.

We were appointed to work in partnership with Sasol and Topsoe joint venture brand teams to create the brand, from strategy through to naming and identity.

The name itself was inspired by blue; a dominant colour of our natural world, and one we need to protect whilst enabling more sustainable global mobility. A shade of blue (zaffre) was adapted to create a unique name for the brand.

The Zaffra identity reflects the design idea of ‘Powered By Nature’, creating a balance between sharp, confident attitude (‘Powered By’) and soft, organic, flowing forms and detailing (‘Nature’). It was created to ensure Zaffra stands out through a fresh, vibrant and bright approach, with softness and colour palette that’s unexpected in an industrial world of more corporate or green cliches.

There is confident minimalism at the brand identity’s core, with adaptive typography that always directs the reader positively forwards and upwards, set against the softly-flowing fluid graphics. The graphics themselves are evocative of curves in the natural world, bringing a calm energy.

The Zaffra logo distils this idea into a simple wordmark. Bold and assertive in uppercase, with a nod to the future-facing purpose, with a horizon line going throughout the letterforms. Subtle curves create an intrinsic forward-moving direction.

Ezena Reyneke, Brand and Communications Lead at Zaffra, said:  

“Creating a brand is more than creating just a logo – it is a science! That is why we chose an agency who shared our vision for the new company. We were entering a competitive market where we needed to stand out in the category. The team brought this brand to life, and we could not be prouder of Zaffra’s new brand. Hope you love what we have created!”

Becky King, Creative Director at Dragon Rouge, said:  

“It was a pleasure to work on this job from start to finish… it’s not often that you get to create something new and created to make a big, positive difference in the world, that both stands for something and stands out too. Brave, ambitious clients in an often clichéd world!”