Eventer brands Virgin spin-off

Virgin Holidays is expanding into the European package holidays market with the launch of Virgin Sun, its new European arm. This will be the first time Virgin Holidays has offered branded package tours in the region.

Brighton consultancy Eventer Design Group has created the name, identity and aircraft livery, to be unveiled when the venture is officially announced on 20 April. The group is also working on a 186-page brochure to accompany the launch.

Eventer managing director David Ward-Streeter confirms the new operation will offer a range of holidays in at least 20 destinations. He says the products will add value to the standard package holiday.

Virgin Sun will operate a fleet of its own aircraft, alongside a fleet of Virgin Express planes. “The [Virgin Sun] fleet will work as a charter, offering a full service for Virgin package customers. Holidaymakers to other destinations will fly by Virgin Express. It depends on the product,” says Ward-Streeter. He cannot confirm the size of the Virgin Sun fleet.

Ward-Streeter says the new identity is in keeping with the branding for Virgin Territory, the brochure arm of Virgin Holidays. Eventer has designed Virgin Territory’s brochures for the last seven years.

“The leaders within the Mediterranean summer market have tended to produce safe boxy layouts, so we decided to support Virgin’s expansion into Europe by using its more radical [Territory] designs. These reinforce the idea of quality, added value and service,” says Ward-Streeter.

Virgin Sun is the client’s first foray into turnkey European package holidays and will supplement its portfolio outside Europe.