Aéropostale is an American specialty retailer of casual apparel and accessories, primarily targeting young consumers. The brand takes its name from the French airmail service Compagnie Générale Aéropostale, which operated in the 1920s and 1930s and whose pilots included Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. The first Aéropostale store was opened in 1987 by R.H. Macy & Co., Inc., with the first trademark application for the AEROPOSTALE name filed that same year. [1] [2]
Design and History
The Aéropostale wordmark has been modified only once since the brand’s founding, with the change coinciding with a change of ownership. [2]
The original logo, introduced in 1987, was an extra-bold serif logotype in uppercase letters with the first “A” significantly enlarged. The solid black letterforms featured slightly curved bars and sharp thin serifs. [2]
A later version of the logo used navy blue lettering instead of black, with elongated glyphs and a distinctive “S” whose curves appeared cut or pressed. The “R” and “O” also seemed compressed from both sides, and the accent above the “E” had a triangular shape. [2]
In 2017, following the retailer’s bankruptcy filing in May 2016 and its acquisition by a consortium that included Authentic Brands Group, Simon Property Group, and General Growth Properties, Aéropostale reopened more than 500 stores and introduced new branding. The marketing campaign for the spring 2017 collection was described as revealing the retailer’s transformation and highlighting its new branding. [3] [4]
The current logo features the brand name in black on a white background, set in a sans-serif typeface with average proportions and spacing. The most distinctive glyph is the “E” with its very short middle bar, and the acute accent above the first “E” remains a unique touch. [2]
Typography and Design
The current Aéropostale logotype is set in a geometric sans-serif typeface with medium-thick letter strokes. The lettering appears in black against a white background, a color scheme the brand has used consistently. [2]
Beyond the primary wordmark, Aéropostale has used additional graphic elements on its products. The women’s line has featured a small butterfly logo, while the men’s line has used a small standing bulldog and “A87” logos on shirts, polos, and woven shirts. [5]
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