Starting Thursday, September 17, in the economy section of “Il Cittadino di Monza e Brianza” (local newspaper), you’ll be able to see the Columbus Logistics giraffe. It is an image designed for the 2015 press campaigns.

In this post we asked Benedetta Colombo, graphic designer at Columbus Logistics, to tell us about the history and development of the project.

1) Hello Benedetta. How did the idea of the Columbus giraffe come about and where did it come from?

The idea came from a brainstorming session with Andrea Bianconi, director of IT and marketing at Columbus. We started from the existing claim, which at the time was “simply effective logistics solutions” (now changed into the more direct “simply effective”), with the idea to synthesize it in an image.

The message we wanted to emphasize was the flexibility that we guarantee customers and our ability to mold to their needs and characteristics. We tried to think outside the box, an attitude that characterizes our company, by trying to differentiate ourselves from our competitors’ advertisements that often focus on transportation and the work environment. The result is that boxes, which are emblems of transportation and logistics, are decontextualized and therefore loaded with added values. In our view, the “Columbus giraffe” manages to stand out in magazines and promote the company’s colors: gray and green.

2) Why did you choose the giraffe?

The first answer lies in the appearance of the animal, whose form combines feet anchored to the ground and a “high” view, metaphorically projected to the future. The symbolism that distinguishes it comes from these characteristics. It is believed that the giraffe has an expanded view of reality: it can see what stretches beyond the horizon, while always maintaining a solid connection to the land. This is the link with our mission.

There is a more playful motivation: would you be able to pack an object shaped like a giraffe?

3) You have a degree in Graphic design and art direction. Can you describe your style in two words?

Minimal and unconventional.

4) Does working in a company that deals with logistics allow you to express your creativity?

Although one would think that logistics offers little room for creativity, my job gives me great satisfaction. I am convinced that every message is potentially a valuable means of communication, and thus the appearance of any media asset circulating in or outside the company conveys our corporate image. This is why reviewing these is valuable and can be applied at different levels. For example, we recently redesigned the tape that we use for packaging, which may seem trivial, but given the amount of packages shipped, it is an important business card for us. In addition, the internet sets the imagination free: we recently put our new website online, to which I have given and continue to give my contribution.

Thanks for the chat and good job!