Salut to LeShuttle

Folkstone to Calais. England to France. Day in, day out. For 30 years.

In the simplicity of LeShuttle’s story, we found an opportunity – a freedom you don’t get from a ferry, plane or passenger train. The freedom to go at your pace, straight to any place. To pack your way. Even snack your way. To drive up, LeShuttle, and journey on.

We wanted to re-establish the brand as a relevant and unique form of low-carbon transport. Simultaneously, we wanted to remove the hassle that many people associate with travelling. Typography would be a key tool in this rebrand, communicating those qualities, while echoing a refreshed visual and verbal identity.

The freedom to go

The Eurotunnel is a feat of engineering: a global icon, a beacon of heritage pride for the UK and France alike, helping travellers cross the channel since 1994.

The time had come to spotlight its service brand, now known to the world as LeShuttle.

But there were lots of competitors on the journey.

LeShuttle needed to beat other modes of transport on critical factors: time, sustainability, and convenience. It also needed to distinct from Eurostar, taking place front of mind, especially for younger audiences.

Proudly promoting speed, ease and care, the new LeShuttle brand had to bring modernity and personality to the well-loved service. This competitive context would shape our typographic approach.

A new type of travel

‘Your way’ became the core of our strategy, shaping our creative idea. Our own bespoke typeface allows users to express themselves however they choose.

Our logo went against travel industry conventions, which pair icon and wordmark. Instead, we create a typographic image that imagined the journey of the traveller. The new mark captures the varied nature and free spirit of the LeShuttle trip.

Shuttle Sans incorporates details from our logo, like elongated letterforms, rounded corners and linear movements. Ligatures reflect the ease of connections, while the eyes of both ‘E’s represent entering and leaving the tunnel. Rounded bowls communicate care and sharp corners emphasise speed.

A set of personality-filled emojis that are part of the typeface, lets users type out certain glyphs to tell their story. These include the classic heart and thumbs up, but also a French poodle, English bulldog, and the ever-essential croissant.