Antares in Greek means “against Ares”. Ares being the god of war. So Antares can be interpreted as “against war” or protective shield which is what this maritime security company based in Greece specializes in. Protection of sea vessels against piracy and terrorism. Antares’ value proposition initially called for a visual concept that communicates strength and protection, however the client had other ideas. They wanted just the opposite, to stress the corporate and business-like brand personality. They wanted to stay away from conveying the use of force, a controversial issue in the industry. They were set on a seahorse concept, a delicate but sophisticated sea creature.
JRDG job was to turn the seahorse direction into a slick iconic, corporate friendly brand identity. The first step was to distill the seahorse to its unique visual differentiators: spiky chest and crest, beak, wings and spirally tail. A shield frame was tried but deemed too literal and a circle was added to stress the company’s global reach. At the end as it usually happens, the “less is more” approach won. A brand new symbol against terrorism and piracy is now sailing the world.