TAROM has always carried something deeper than passengers—it carries Romanian pride across every sky it crosses. As the airline initiated its fleet renewal, inner*pride was brought in to design a special-edition livery that translates this national identity into a modern visual statement. Conceived as a visual catalyst for the airline’s modern era, the project demonstrates how heritage and forward-looking aviation design can seamlessly coexist.

What changed — and what didn’t

The brief was precise: the TAROM identity — logo, wordmark, brand colors — stays untouched. What inner*pride redesigned is everything around it: the livery architecture and, at its heart, an entirely new pattern system for the tailfin.

Drawing on traditional Romanian textile motifs, the team reinterpreted a classic geometric pattern — the kind found in folk embroidery and winter craftsmanship — and rebuilt it in a contemporary key, rendered crisp and white against TAROM’s deep navy blue. The result is a tailfin that reads instantly as Romanian, but unmistakably modern: heritage without nostalgia, national identity in a form built to travel.

It’s a livery that roots TAROM in the soul of Romanian heritage — national, proud, uncompromising — while positioning the airline visually where it’s heading: toward a more contemporary, more competitive presence across European skies.

“TAROM has always carried something deeper than passengers: it carries Romanian pride across every sky it crosses. In 2026 the ascent starts with a livery that roots TAROM in the soul of Romanian heritage. National. Proud. Uncompromising. The kind of airline Romania deserves — and Europe is about to notice. We’re just getting started.”
— George Nisioiu – founder & partner

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The First Year. Or: Everything University Can’t Teach You

The first year wasn’t easy, and it shouldn’t have been. It was a process of accelerated recovery — a sudden break between the academic world, where time is elastic and feedback is gentle, and the reality of a branding studio, where decisions have consequences, deadlines don’t negotiate, and no one explains the same thing to you twice. That’s when I discovered things no university curriculum can truly teach you: the weight of creative responsibility, the discipline of execution, the fundamental difference between a good idea and a solution that actually works. University shapes the eye. Practice shapes the judgment.

The First Major Projects: Responsibility and Recognition

The major involvements came quickly. The project that marked the beginning of my career was Vector, working both on the corporate brand and on the premium stationery retail chain Autograf, where I was introduced to the secrets of retail branding — an area where inner*pride excels. Seven Hills — a Cambridge-accredited school — was my first project with direct responsibility, with everything that entails: decisions owned, high standards, real deliverables. BrightWater Landing followed, perhaps the most significant project from an aesthetic and professional standpoint during that period. A system built on a coherent ecosystem of icons that received international recognition through selection in LogoLounge 10 — the first confirmation that our work went beyond local borders. That’s not a small thing. It’s the kind of moment that calibrates your standards for everything that follows.

Professional Evolution and National Projects

In 2015, the collaboration with the IULIUS group — one of Romania’s most important real estate developers — marked a new level of complexity and scale. What followed were projects built together that are today visual landmarks in the national landscape and across Eastern Europe: Iulius Town and RIVUS, each with its own distinct identity, each held to a standard matching the client’s ambitions. These projects aren’t just portfolio pieces. They’re proof that a studio from Romania can produce branding at international standards, without compromise.

Projects That Mature a Team

Some projects push you beyond your comfort zone. ASIROM was one of them — a thorough, demanding project that transformed a still-forming team into a genuinely mature one, with the reflexes of an international studio. Musette brought something different: refinement, obsessive attention to detail, the courage to make visual choices that aren’t justified by rational arguments but by cultivated intuition. And then Blue Air — the launchpad into aviation branding, a field in which inner*pride remains, to this day, the only Romanian agency with a consistent and credible portfolio. Each of these projects left a mark not just on the portfolio, but on the way we think and work. Iași Airport — a project that set new standards in aesthetics, branding, and, not least, in national-level wayfinding and information signage. A truly trailblazing project.

Our Metaphor: “Diamond Cutters”

At the 10-year mark alongside inner*pride, George showed me that he still keeps the email I sent him at the end of my probation period. In it, I wrote that I hoped, together with them, to become “diamond cutters” — a metaphor for how I saw branding: patience, precision, and the desire to bring out the authentic value hidden in every brand.
From Junior to Partner: More Than Titles
From junior to senior, from art director to partner — my path within inner*pride was never linear, and it couldn’t have been. It was a succession of contexts that forced me to grow, of people who held me accountable, and of projects that never let you stay the same. Beyond titles, what remains is the team. Engaged, demanding of itself, oriented toward evolution. A team that hasn’t just built brands, but people too. And for that, my gratitude is sincere and without reservation.

16 Years Later. And Still Branding.

There’s a thought you often hear in spontaneous conversations among those who’ve spent years in this studio: if we started over, we’d do exactly the same thing. Not out of inertia, but out of conviction.
Branding isn’t a profession you choose once. It’s one you reconfirm in every project, in every decision, in every iteration that isn’t good enough yet. After 16 years, I know I’d still end up here.
Happy anniversary to me, at inner*pride.

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It’s a partnership we’re honoured to be part of, one that took a strategic and artistic journey to shape a future-focused visual identity. But this project was never just about a new look. It’s meant to be a source of inspiration — for the airport’s own team, for the local community, and for the wider region the airport now connects to Europe.

A symbol built from a name

At the heart of the new identity is a symbol born from a literal transliteration of the word “IAȘI,” where the letters compose an upward, fluid movement — echoing the redefined passenger experience. It’s a timeless construction, versatile enough to carry a multitude of meanings across every application, physical and digital.

Inspired by the airport’s setting at the edge of a forest, the color palette breaks from category convention. A vivid green speaks to optimism, growth and renewal, balanced by a deep blue that brings refinement and elegance.

We inspire movement

That’s the idea driving every visual and verbal element of the brand — and the airport’s core purpose. The team set out to move past industry clichés, building the brand instead around the fluid, frictionless transit experience passengers deserve.

The identity system extends well beyond the logo — into a full signage and wayfinding program built with the same rigor as landmark systems like Schiphol or Charles de Gaulle. Clarity came first: a signage system only succeeds if it communicates instantly to everyone who needs it, which is far harder than it sounds. The result sets a new benchmark for airport signage design in Romania.

“The new Iași Airport terminal is, in many ways, a rebirth. We’re moving from a regional, local airport to the most important one in the region — one that will connect Iași to key destinations across Europe. We wanted this shift matched by an identity worthy of the investment: one that makes Iași Airport the most modern and representative air hub in the region.”
— Romeo Vatră, General Director, Iași Airport

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inner*pride was brought on to translate that vision into a full identity system: one that would blend symbiotically with the architecture and become an emblem for what is set to become the beating heart of Cluj.

The symbol at the heart of RIVUS

The visual language starts with a symbol that merges two elements — the meandering river and the letter R — into a memorable, versatile mark. The logotype built alongside it is classical at its core, with just enough personality to stand on its own. Logotype and symbol were designed to work independently or together, giving the identity real flexibility across every touchpoint.

Beyond the primary symbol, the team developed a family of sub-symbols for each component of the project — office, live, arts, mall — and worked closely with the architects to bring the visual language into the architecture itself, shaping iconography and signage hierarchy at the scale the project demands.

Together with the IULIUS team, inner*pride also built the layouts and graphic principles behind RIVUS’ visual communication, laying the foundation for a premium, community-centred identity from day one.

“What a privilege to redefine, once again, Romania’s place branding scene. The same curiosity, the same eagerness to explore, and the amazement of discovering that solution you know is the right one. A great team and great partners are prone to result in greatness.”
— Viorel Nedelcu, creative director & partner, innerpride

RIVUS is already earning strong reviews from the community and industry alike — slowly becoming what it was always meant to be: a part of Cluj. And there’s a lot more still to unpack, from identity to environmental graphics, as the project comes to life.

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With a well-balanced jury made up of professionals from the industry but also clients from prestigious companies – from Virgin Atlantic to Channel 4 — Adidas to Decathlon and Whitbread — Even the head of brand for The London Fire Brigade, Transform Awards manages to stand out among the swathe of award schemes available.

After winning 4 accolades last year in Transform Awards North America, inner*pride is once again honored to receive 3 more distinctions in the European edition of the awards from 2023.

Silver – BlueAir | Best visual identity by sector: transport and logistics
Silver – Caretta | Best naming strategy – system
Highly Commended – Mons Medius | Best localization of an international brand

We thank our clients who pushed us creatively and to our amazing team who always finds new and creative ways to deliver business proof solution to real-world problems.

Keep an eye out for the case studies soon to come.

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Gateway Foundation is the leader in evidence-based treatment for addiction disorders in the United States. They have partnered with us to develop a digital-first brand that communicates the full breadth and experience of its parent company while establishing a new perspective on recovery.

Early sketches and logo tests for Gateway Connect began as an exploration of ‘leading connectivity’. We took their identity symbol, the circle, and tried to incorporate within it the idea of digitization and connectivity. After long trial and error tests and hours of sketches, research and brainstorming, we came up with the final winning idea: to portray the circle as the gesture of swiping – a hand movement that has become a staple in digital interaction.

The chromatic studies focused on interaction, sparking interest, feelings incorporated in aesthetics, and how we could bring delight and impact to small actions. This led to another winning decision: the chromatic expression of the brand. We dared to go against the status quo of the industry and chose purple as the main color, creating a vibrant brand that is ready to connect with a younger generation.

The Gateway Connect visual identity builds a system in which human and digital easily come together to help overcoming addiction and staying on track.

“From rapid sprint sessions to long, deep conversations about the design, experience, we discover what the brand and system should become. It’s lots of little moments of intuition and insight that build towards something much bigger.”

“The bright chromatic focused on intent, interaction and narrative.”

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For its first presence in this competition, innerpride has won decisively with both its two submitted projects – 2 silvers and 2 highly commended. Our total of 4 prizes make us Romania’s only branding consultancy to take home as many titles at once at a global level.

Gateway Connect and StarStorage were the stars of Tuesday night’s show. Thank you to our clients, to our exceptional team and the judges.

Check out our case study and behind the scenes for Gateway Connect below.

Keep an eye out for the Starlogy case study soon to come.

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Set in an environment of tournaments with remarkable visual identities, organizers appointed inner*pride to create a brand not just for a sporting event but for a larger festival experience that aims to encompass Iași each year.

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We opted for the named CHAPTERS, a multidimensional metaphor for an unique endeavor meant to inspire and celebrate women’s success.

We developed a vibrant new identity and a versatile visual language implemented over a multitude of on-line and offline experiences.

Today CHAPTERS launches in an event that brings together professionals and entrepreneurs to share their success stories and help young women entrepreneurs begin their new chapter of success.

More about this project in our upcoming case-study.

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inner*pride was commissioned to develop a brand identity and a digital visual language capable of communicating the technical innovation as well as the social interaction paradigm it means.

We’ve placed an emphasis on two important visual elements: color and type. The new color scheme is bold and memorable but the type is the true hero here.

We’ve chosen New Atten Round, a new and fresh typeface developed by our long time friend and design hero Miles Newly. For making the type the true hero of the identity, Miles has been kind enough to make a few custom fine tunes in order to have a visual coherence between the communication typeface and the lettering of the wordmark.

More about this project in our upcoming study-case.

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