Football star Cristiano Ronaldo liked the livery of his newly purchased Global Express XRS so much that he kept the paint job designed by Happy Design Studio and added just his initials and silhouette to next to the cabin door to personalize the unusual paint job.

“He chose that one because it’s ultra-visible,” said Didier Wolff, founder of Happy Design Studio. “I assume he wants to share an aspect of his personality and doesn’t want to hide his travel on his private jet.”

With a focus on design and creation of custom liveries for private, commercial, and military aircraft, Happy Design Studio also oversees paint work of its clients’ aircraft in the shops that they select, “always with the goal of achieving bespoke, premium aesthetics,” the company said. “Each project is conceived as a unique work of art, combining visual harmony, modernity, and meticulous detail.”

At MEBAA 2024, Wolff is highlighting the Ronaldo livery, as well as a unique concept based on the famous GM Futurliner, described as “an avante-garde bus,” for which General Motors designer Harley Earl was the project director. Earl later became the father of the iconic Corvette.

Wolff’s concept, adapted to a Bombardier Global 7500, pays tribute to the art deco exterior styling of the Futurliner, conceived by designer Robert E. Bingman and featuring streamlining inspired by the Airstream trailer from the 1930s. “The designers were also inspired by the Boeing Flying Fortress bomber, introduced in 1935, and included a Plexiglas dome for the cabin,” he said. 

“The design fits well [on the global 7500],” Wolff said. “This is a design concept and is a way to attract customers. This is a red-and-white bait. I think if it’s a beautiful livery design, it will be first to sell. Some owners don’t vote for discretion; they want to be visible.”