This guide has been designed to help the Airstream marketing team, as well as any agencies, partners, and creators, communicate the unique position and perspective of the Airstream brand with consistency and personality.
Staying true to these guidelines helps us align our communications under a unified banner and reinforce our leadership position as an iconic brand. It takes all of us.
Airstream founder, Wally Byam, was born on July 4, 1896, in Baker City, Oregon. He spent his childhood in Oregon, surrounded by water and forests, developing a strong case of wanderlust. After graduating from Stanford University, he worked in publishing and often spent his free time camping with his first wife, Marion.
Marion, however, didn’t enjoy sleeping on the ground in a tent. Looking for a solution, Wally developed a tent contraption on top of a Model T chassis. It was an improvement, but didn’t provide much protection from the elements. From there, Wally built a tear-dropshaped structure on a platform with a sleeping area, stove, and ice chest. Wally’s friends and neighbors loved the travel trailer and soon he began selling kits so that others could build their own.
Deciding it was “a pretty good business to get into,” Wally opened a small travel trailer factory in 1931 in California. He christened his products “Airstreams” because they moved “like a stream of air” down the road.
To this day, Airstream is an icon of the American open road. Airstream’s headquarters is in Jackson Center, Ohio, where dedicated craftspeople have been honoring the Airstream credo for generations. Around the world, millions of Airstreamers have made a life of adventure their own, living out the creed Wally wrote in the very beginning.
Airstream Founder Wally Byam was an inventor, a creator, and most of all, a dreamer. While he’s since passed, his spirit of adventure lives on in each Airstreamer, and we all can take his creed as inspiration for a life well traveled and well lived.
“In the heart of these words is an entire life’s dream. To those of you who find in the promise of these words your promise, I bequeath this creed…my dream belongs to you.” – Wally Byam
The Creed:
To place the great wide world at your doorstep for you who yearn to travel with all the comforts of home.
To provide a more satisfying, meaningful way of travel that offers complete travel independence, wherever and whenever you choose to go or stay.
To keep alive and make real an enduring promise of high adventure and faraway lands…
of rediscovering old places and new interests.
To open a whole world of new experiences…a new dimension in enjoyment where travel adventure and good fellowship are your constant companions. To encourage clubs and rallies that provide an endless source of friendships, travel fun and personal expressions.
To lead caravans wherever the four winds blow…over twinkling boulevards, across trackless deserts…to the traveled and untraveled corners of the earth.
To play some part in promoting international goodwill and understanding among the peoples of the world through person-toperson contact.
To refine and perfect our product by continuous travel-testing over the highways and byways of the world.
To strive endlessly to stir the venturesome spirit that moves you to follow a rainbow to its end…and thus make your travel dreams come true.
At Airstream, we strive to stir the venturesome spirit by encouraging adventure lovers to embrace new experiences and connect with fellow travelers. By offering a more satisfying, independent, and meaningful way to travel – and by promoting good fellowship along the way – we aspire to make travel dreams come true.
Airstream helps people discover the world and themselves. So of course we cherish the sprawling, diverse outdoor ecosystem and understand our responsibility to the people and places that make up our world. We strive to create products that last not for years but for generations, and to uphold our promises to people and nature – at the factory, on the road, and at the campsite.
Many RV brands offer creature comforts, but only Airstream can offer road travel enthusiasts a truly iconic adventure experience. Since crafting some of the earliest known travel trailers –and the features inside them – we’ve continued to re-imagine one-of-a-kind design year after year. And beyond our products, the Airstream community is unlike any other.
We are constantly working to further minimize the environmental impact of the Airstream manufacturing process.
• In 2019, by using renewable energy, we offset 5,007 metric tons of CO2.
The Airstream experience is the heart and soul of our brand, symbolizing the many feelings and emotions associated with Airstreaming. The Airstream brand experience represents the opportunity to experience the freedom, exhilaration, fellowship, and adventure of the open road – all in absolute comfort and contentment.
• The vast majority of materials left over from production are recycled.
Adventurous
• We’ve set our sights on a zero-waste-tolandfill goal and are continuing efforts to strengthen this already robust program that reduces waste across the business.
Authentic
Camaraderie Curious
Enduring Elevated Freedom-loving Iconic
For all new Airstreams made and purchased in 2021 and beyond, Airstream and the National Forest Foundation will plant enough trees to neutralize the estimated carbon emitted from driving/towing an Airstream during the first year of ownership. After that, customers can purchase a tax-deductible Carbon Reduction Kit to supplement the National Forest Foundation’s tree-planting efforts.
Independent Inspiring Intuitive Limitless
Meticulous Passionate Quality Timeless
15 Tons of styrofoam
20 Tons of plastic
10 Tons of Copper
10 Tons of steel
295 Tons of cardboard
215 Tons of pallets
1,169 Tons of aluminum
1,737 Tons of aluminum
Airstream helps people discover the world and themselves. So of course we cherish the sprawling, diverse outdoor ecosystem and understand our responsibility to the people and places that make up our world. We strive to create products that last not for years but for generations, and to uphold our promises to people and nature – at the factory, on the road, and at the campsite.
We are constantly working to further minimize the environmental impact of the Airstream manufacturing process.
• In 2019, by using renewable energy, we offset 5,007 metric tons of CO2.
• The vast majority of materials left over from production are recycled.
• We’ve set our sights on a zero-waste-tolandfill goal and are continuing efforts to strengthen this already robust program that reduces waste across the business.
For all new Airstreams made and purchased in 2021 and beyond, Airstream and the National Forest Foundation will plant enough trees to neutralize the estimated carbon emitted from driving/towing an Airstream during the first year of ownership. After that, customers can purchase a tax-deductible Carbon Reduction Kit to supplement the National Forest Foundation’s tree-planting efforts.
15 Tons of styrofoam
20 Tons of plastic
10 Tons of Copper
10 Tons of steel
295 Tons of cardboard
215 Tons of pallets
1,169 Tons of aluminum
1,737 Tons of aluminum
The dream of adventure and exploring the world is open to all, and we’re dedicated to making the outdoors an inclusive space for all ethnicities, genders, faiths, abilities, and walks of life. We carry out this promise in internal actions with each other and external-facing communications. Whenever possible, it is our duty to make the Airstream life more relatable, equitable, diverse, and accessible.
The image of an Airstream travel trailer is instantly iconic and evocative. Since the earliest days, the Airstream brand has been representative of Americana, great design, and adventure-filled life. The visual tone of Airstream communications should be clean, clear, informative, and confident.
Airstream messaging celebrates the joys of travel on the road. Our messages may evoke a sense of camaraderie, heritage, family, wisdom, warmth, and shared experience.
Our tone is:
Down-to-earth
Young-at-heart
Smart
Authentic
Confident
Our tone is not:
Pretentious
Naïve
Condescending
Superfluous
Arrogant
Buying an Airstream is like buying a home, but some of the terms are a little different. Over the years, we’ve borrowed terms from the boating and airplane worlds, as well as created a few affectionate nicknames for products and features. Examples of some of these terms are to the right.
Travel Trailer: The official name for any towable Airstream. There are several travel trailer model lines at any given time. Always use the full term “travel trailer” instead of “trailer.”
Touring Coach: The official name for any motorized Airstream. There are several touring coach model lines at any given time.
Lavvy: Our term for the stand-alone toilet and sink onboard an Airstream travel trailer or touring coach.
Galley: Our term for the kitchen onboard an Airstream travel trailer or touring coach.
Wet Bath: A specific way to talk about Airstream bathrooms in which the entire area is designed to get wet (for space efficiency).
Floor Plan: We spell it as two words with a space in between. Our floor plans are a great way for customers to visualize their future Airstream while shopping.
If you’ve scrolled through Airstream posts on social media, you’ve likely seen the phrase “Live Riveted” used freely. While it’s not a brand tagline, it is used as a rallying cry, particularly among the Airstream community. You can use Live Riveted in text as a call-to-action or as a hashtag (#LiveRiveted) on social media.
One quirkier part of the Airstream brand culture is the pink flamingo lawn ornament. Since its creation in 1957, the pink flamingo has been a symbol for content community life. That’s why many Airstreamers travel the country with pink flamingos they display at every stop –as a way to say “welcome to our community.” While it’s not a main brand element, we welcome the inclusion of the pink flamingo in branded materials.
Use the following boilerplate at the bottom of press releases or to fulfill media requests for a summary of Airstream.
About Airstream: Airstream, manufacturer of the iconic “silver bullet” Airstream travel trailer, is the longest-tenured recreational manufacturer in the world. The company’s mission, as set forth by founder Wally Byam, is to create well-designed, high-quality products that allow people to follow their dreams and explore the world in home-like comfort. A steadfast commitment to Byam’s creed, “Let’s not make changes, let’s only make improvements,” has made the aluminum Airstream travel trailer a timeless classic. An unwavering focus on innovation keeps the company at the forefront of technology and customer experience in both the towable and motorized sectors. Airstream is based in Jackson Center, Ohio, where a team of skilled craftspeople hand builds each travel trailer and up fits every MercedesBenz® touring coach, adding daily to the brand’s reputation for quality and innovation. Learn more about Airstream, our dealers, and current travel trailer and touring coach models at airstream.com. For the latest news on Airstream, “like” us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Airstream, Inc. is a subsidiary of Elkhart, IN-based THOR Industries, Inc. (NYSE: THO). THOR is the sole owner of operating subsidiaries that, combined, represent the world’s largest manufacturer of recreational vehicles. For more information on THOR Industries and its products, please visit thorindustries.com.
Please use the following disclaimer whenever and wherever specific Airstream models or features are advertised or referenced.
All capacities are approximate and dimensions are nominal. Actual products may differ from the photographs, specifications, and product information in this brochure due to product changes. Prices and specifications are subject to change without notice. Photos may contain some features that are optional. Some features or options may be different or unavailable in Canada.
This information is intended as a guide only. Weights of individual recreational vehicles may vary. Consult the owner’s manual for complete loading, weighting, and towing instructions.
Dry weights are based on standard features; optional equipment is not included. The Net Carrying Capacity (NCC) is determined by subtracting Unit Base Weight (UBW) from the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), and is the capacity available for water, options, and cargo. Liquid capacities and weights are approximations only.
The recreational vehicle weight must remain within the manufacturer’s specified chassis weight limit. Do not overload the recreational vehicle through the addition of water, options, cargo, or otherwise.
At the Airstream brand’s core is our ever-growing community of Airstreamers. In the following pages, we’ll dive into Airstreamers as people and as four distinct customer personas. When creating marketing for Airstream customers or potential customers, consider these personas and the different motivations associated with them.
All Airstreamers are:
In a continued pursuit of adventure, Charmed by wanderlust, Land travel enthusiasts, Financially comfortable
Airstreamers Listen To: Classical, Country, Jazz, Classic Rock, Oldies
Airstreamers Read: Food & Wine Magazine, Town & Country Magazine, The Economist, National Geographic Magazine, Newspapers
Airstreamers Enjoy: Hiking, Reading, Golfing, Boating, Exploring, Relaxing, Gardening, Learning, Woodworking, Photography, Family, Pets
Airstreamers Watch: Travel Channel, HGTV, Discovery Channel, History Channel
Traveling in a less destination-oriented way.
These people don’t need to cannonball through a place on a mountain bike to fully appreciate it. To them, being outdoors with a wonderful view, great food, and a bottle of wine is as close to heaven-onearth as you can get. They consider the open road and all the beautiful places it can take them as a uniquely romantic notion. While they aren’t fueled by adrenaline sports, their hobbies – like antiquing, woodworking, or collecting vinyl – can take them far and wide. They love how traveling by land allows them to more intimately experience a place and are always in search of something that reaches beyond the guidebook. They are constantly exploring, heading down more roads, and chatting up locals and fellow travelers in an effort to make their experiences more unique and genuine. They especially love that their Airstream allows them to do all these things in absolute comfort and privacy.
Sense of Adventure:
Communing with nature
Unearthing the unique
Cultural pursuits
Life-changing experiences
Not knowing where the day will take you
Liberation from the status quo
Visual Direction:
Intimate moments
Roadside specials
People relaxing
Picturesque destinations
Scenic backgrounds
Images that engage the senses
Key Messages:
Airstream enables discovery
Just you, your family, the four directions, and 4 million miles of open road
History/Wally’s story
Built by hand by people, Americana
Tone: Soft/subtle
Soulful
Interested
Taking relaxation as seriously as work.
These people buy an Airstream as a means to have more fun. They are constantly in motion – whether they’re going hiking, kayaking, climbing trees, or just heading out to sit by a fire under the stars. Casual acquaintances of these people will hear their stories or see their posts online and think they are somehow lackadaisical or aloof because they’re always “out there, having fun.” This couldn’t be more off-base. They just happen to treat their leisure with the same seriousness as they treat their work. It takes effort to get off the beaten path. It’s so much easier to make excuses and to stay home, but these people have a voice inside of them that drives them farther down the road, farther out of doors, and farther afield than others. Because they value simplicity and are turned off by excess, they spend differently than most in their income bracket – favoring experiences over material goods and tasteful, well-crafted items over things that are flashy.
Sense of Adventure:
Outdoor sports and play
Personal accomplishments
Taking risks
Spontaneity
Gear transport
Visual Direction:
Outdoor activities
Friends having a good time
Further out locations
Key Messages:
Access to fun
Versatility
Durability
Community
Tone: Fun Friendly
High energy
Nothing but the best. Always.
From material goods to travel experiences, these people appreciate the finer things in life and have absolutely no problem demanding the very best. They take expensive vacations, drive luxury vehicles, and dress accordingly. They spend their time golfing, boating, and shopping. There may be a cigar or two along the way. Airstream is the only way they can imagine traveling by land. Not only is it an extension of their personal style, it’s how they ensure that luxury is always close at hand no matter where they go. They are likely conservative in their political views but keep an open mind and don’t shout their beliefs from the mountaintops. In spite of all the finer things they surround themselves with, they are typically fun-loving people who have a good sense of humor about themselves and life in general.
Sense of Adventure:
Glamping
Bragging rights
Self-fulfillment
Offline and off grid
Key Messages: High standards
Nothing but the best
A category of its own Design pedigree
Visual Direction:
Luxury-styled product shoots
Celebrity relationships/brand partnerships
Entertaining
Finer details
Tone:
Confident/humble
Tasteful
Upscale
The primary Airstream logo consists of the Airstream name and its registration mark.
If you’re creating a piece of communication that focuses on the Airstream brand as a whole, use the primary logo. Isolation area guidance and approved colors are illustrated here.
Minimum Size 1.4 inches
Approved Colors
White logo may be used over the colors below: Jump to Airstream color palette
If you’re creating a piece of communication that focuses on either Airstream travel trailers or touring coaches, use the corresponding secondary logo and follow the isolation area guidance and examples of minimum size here.
Examples of unacceptable usage of Aistream logos are shown to the right.
Do not place Airstream logos over photos or patterns with low contrast
Do not skew or distort Airstream logos
Do not change the color of the logo to a non-approved color
Do not add a drop shadow or other effect to Airstream logos
Do not tilt the Aistream logos or display them vertically
Do not add a stroke to any part of Airstream logos
A subsidiary of Thor Industries, Inc.
Do not add text to Airstream logos Do not offset or re-arrange logo lockups Do not layer logo elements
Do not use supplementary logos as primary logos
Do not use a logo shown on a product as a substitute for the brand logo in layout.
Do not use travel trailer logos on touring coach materials, and vice versa.
In addition to the primary, secondary, and supplementary Airstream logos, there are a series of sub-brand logos available for use when applicable. This section details those logos and when and how to use them.
Airstream Supply Company is Airstream’s e-commerce and editorial website. The Airstream Supply Company should be used in e-commerce-specific communications.
The Airstream Heritage Center is located at Airstream headquarters in Jackson Center, Ohio. The Heritage Center has its own logo, which should be used in Heritage Center communications.
Airstream dealers who meet certain standards for customer education, service, and support can earn the Five Rivet distinction and may display the Five Rivet Dealer logo in their communications.
Each Airstream product line has its own badge, which is displayed on the travel trailer or touring coach itself. These subbrand logos are to be featured sparingly in marketing communications, i.e., on product pages on the Airstream website.
Each and every Airstream Touring Coach is built upon a MercedesBenz chassis. We choose Mercedes-Benz because they’re the absolute best in safety, comfort, and driving experience. As such, we use the Mercedes-Benz name prominently in touring coach communications to add to consumer confidence and interest. When used in type, the Mercedes-Benz name should feature a registered trademark symbol (®) on first reference. Use of the Mercedes-Benz tagline – Roll with the best™ – is also permitted, and should be trademarked on first reference.
When creating communications that involve a product collaboration between Airstream and another brand, refer to that brand’s guidelines and trademark rules for their name and logo.
For more information and guidance on brand partnerships and activations, see our Partner Guide.
Airstream has defined Adobe ® Helvetica Neue as its typeface for design applications. Consistent use is key in creating the Airstream visual architecture and building brand equity for Airstream.
In cases when Helvetica Neue is not available, such as in PowerPoint® and Microsoft® Word documents, Helvetica and Arial may be used as substitutes.
Flush left alignment is preferred. Make sure typography is always legible, especially when combined with other design elements. When printing text in black smaller than 16 pt., the color build should be c:0, m:0, y:0, k:100 for maximum legibility.
Consistent and accurate reproduction of our color palette makes our brand more immediately recognizable to our audience.
The Airstream color palette is divided between travel trailers, touring coaches, and shared colors between the two. Horizon is the primary color for the corporate Airstream brand, as well as for travel trailers. Neutrals are shared among both product lines.
Airstream iconography is used to add visual clarifications when images aren’t feasible and applicable. Icons should not replace the use of photography and should be used sparingly.
Airstream uses a combination of studio and lifestyle photography and videography across different applications.
Studio photography and videography shows the exterior and interior of our products in detail. Lifestyle photography and videography shows the products out in the world. In all lifestyle photography and videography, our goal is to capture authentic, inspiring, and diverse imagery our audience can relate to.
Photo/Video Guide
Our Photo/Video Guide goes into extensive detail about how and where to shoot Airstream products, what to avoid, and what style to emulate. Get a copy of the Photo/Video guide here.
The Airstream website is a global communication tool and the central location of all product information, resources, shopping tools, and company information. When creating for our website, maintain consistent styling to the pages that are live today, so that users never have an interrupted brand experience.
The Airstream website is built on WordPress using a custom template. Do not create new page templates, navigation, or tools without express permission from Airstream marketing.
Airstream dealers may use the Airstream corporate logo in their online communications and websites. Five Rivet Dealers earn a dedicated website where product information, content, and dealership information are accurate and branded.
Use the same color palette as referenced in the Color Palette section of this guide. Use primary colors and neutrals prominently, and save accent colors for buttons and callsto-action. Alternate between neutral background colors for visual interest on each page.
The Airstream name is a registered trademark and is displayed as such in the website masthead. Do not remove or alter the masthead without express permission from Airstream marketing.
Inspired by the iconic rounded corners of an Airstream travel trailer’s aluminum window frames, images with rounded corners are a distinctive visual accent within the Airstream brand system. You’ll find rounded corners on isolated images within the Airstream template. We also use banner-width images where applicable. Mirror the style of existing pages and alternate between full-width and isolated imagery for visual interest.
