In June 1905, four driving enthusiasts banded together in London to form The AA. Almost 100 years later, the organisation they founded has become synonymous with motoring – a true piece of British heritage. But behind its dependable legacy, it has also been a great innovator, from pioneering roadside pumps, to piloting the first connected cars. The next 10 years will see more change in the driving world than we’ve seen in the last 50. A rapidly evolving age of innovation where new ownership models, tech models and a huge uptake in EV ownership are transforming the industry as we know it. Now more than ever, people need a champion and a guide, someone who has got their back no matter the road ahead. Our help was enlisted to develop a new-era brand identity for The AA, future-proofing its brand and expanding its focus beyond roadside assistance to include the entirety of the driving life cycle.
The Tension
A new driving world required a new kind of confidence. But there was a sense that the brand itself had lost some of its confidence. The AA is at once a heritage brand holding a category leading position, and a progressive innovator leading the charge into a brave new driving world of electric vehicles and driverless cars. We needed to move it from something every dad had in the boot to something the next generation of drivers would want to have as their co-driver, no matter the journey - dialling into the timeless sense of trust and solidity but with a bit more contemporary swagger.