Working to re-brand one of the most iconic aircraft ever to fly was a humbling and remarkable opportunity. Working with a senior Sikorsky executives and United States Army officials, we were given access to virtually all aspects that make the Blackhawk a Blackhawk, from the platform engineers who continually evolved the aircraft to meet its ever-changing mission profile to the Army aviators who fly it and service it. We also met survivors who credit the Blackhawk with saving their life, and we learned that these individuals shared this experience with thousands of other individuals around the world, whether they were combat soldiers evac'd from a "hot zone" or citizens rescued during a natural disaster. To all these people, the Blackhawk was legendary and despite having flown for the Army for over 40 years, it was also modern. For us, Modern Legend perfectly captured the capability and the deeper meaning of this helicopter to all that knew it.

The Modern Legend program was part of a larger branding initiative for Sikorsky. Wanting to create a stand alone brand unit that would support Blackhawk aircraft sales, MRO services, pilot and crew training and access to Sikorsky technologies, Sikorsky asked for branding that could be used across the entire program spectrum, and Hawk HQ was the result. Featuring a simple animated hawk shape, we added downturned wingtips, a nod to the actual rotor profiles on the Blackhawk. The detail was minor, but to anyone related to vertical flight, it was relevant and their eyes and minds were our primary targets.

These programs were commissioned by Sikorsky Aircraft Company when it was owned by United Technologies Corporation (UTC). The Hawk HQ program and Modern Legend campaign were discontinued when Sikorsky was acquired from UTC by Lockheed Martin.