After the FIAT case., the stories of “10X55” continue – The 55 years of SAC Screen Printing in 10 cases!
Today we are talking about another symbol of Italy’s history, an institution capable of making every Italian’s heart flutter: the Frecce Tricolori!
What do the Air Force General Staff, a graphic designer flying small planes-code name “Brugar”-and an (at the time) unknown screen printing company have in common?
No, this is not the plot of a spy movie; rather, it is the story of a wonderful branding operation. The one that led to the creation of the Tricolored Arrows as we know them today.
But let’s go step by step.
The beginning of the story is told to us by Paolo Santi, vice president of SAC Serigrafia:
“This is the late 1970s. The General Staff of the Air Force wanted to increase the connection with the population with a view to common values and identity. To do so, it chose to focus on the historic flight department that brings together Italy’s best fighter pilots. We are talking about the National Aerobatic Patrol (PAN), known to all as the Tricolored Arrows. “
The creation of a brand
The Aeronautica’s winning idea is to make a spokesman for the excellence of the Italian air force a symbol that can tell the value of its pilots.
To do so, pilots themselves are asked to put their skills to use in creating aerial choreography, starring our colors: green, white and red.
The relaunch of the Arrows coincides with the creation of a new graphic style for its logo.
For the undertaking, a graphic designer with a passion for flying, who had previously worked with SAC Serigrafia, that very “Brugar” we mentioned at the beginning, is called in.
Thus the first sketches are created until the official frieze is created.
At the first events, however, one realizes a detail, as Paul Santi tells us:
“We made initial labels with the official logo to be distributed at events with the goal of communicating the Tricolored Arrows brand from the ground as well. We noticed right away that they sold out!”
And it is immediately cult!
In just a few years, not only did the Frecce Tricolori become even more established as one of the most beloved icons among Italians, but everything related to their image became cult, starting with the original labels made by SAC Serigrafia!
Until the late 1990s, almost in conjunction with each event, new labels are made that become true collector’s items.
Paolo Santi tells what the Frecce Tricolori project has meant for SAC Serigrafia:
“Whenever customers or students come to visit, it is always a pleasure to see them get excited in front of the Arrows’ labels, a source of national pride. For us, it has been more than an honor to have contributed in our own small way to their fame.”
He concludes:
“SAC Serigraphy for me is being able to turn ideas and dreams into color indeed color force. To have linked the” force “of screen printing to such a strong symbol was definitely a privilege.”
Did you enjoy the story of the experience with the Tricolor Arrows?
You can also read about the FIAT case or wait for the next installment of “10X55” – The 55 Years of SAC Screen Printing in 10 Cases!
