{"id":2869,"date":"2013-02-11T21:03:54","date_gmt":"2013-02-11T21:03:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/paulopedott.com\/paulo\/?p=2869"},"modified":"2013-02-11T21:03:54","modified_gmt":"2013-02-11T21:03:54","slug":"talking-about-the-new-american-airlines-logo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paulopedott.com\/paulo\/?p=2869","title":{"rendered":"Talking about the new American Airlines logo"},"content":{"rendered":"

Talking about the new American Airlines logo | Webdesigner Depot<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Intro: L\u00facida reflex\u00e3o sobre a mudan\u00e7a de uma marca que, n\u00e3o apenas foi desenhada por um \u00edcone das artes gr\u00e1ficas como “durou” 45 anos…<\/p>\n

Minha opini\u00e3o se alinha l\u00e1 no final, nos “contras”…<\/p>\n

Boa leitura!<\/p>\n

There was a time, not so long ago, when flying was considered a glamorous experience, something people aspire to do, a rite of passage, something you had to do before you die.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0American Airlines<\/span><\/a>\u00a0brand has taken an active role in helping to shape this image since the company\u2019s formation back in 1930, when it was know as American Airways. Popular belief had it, that in those golden days, working for the company was a privilege of a very few, having the American Airlines logo stamped on your uniform would make you feel on top of the world, especially for pilots, whom above all, were treated by the public as celebrities of the sky.<\/p>\n

But not anymore.<\/p>\n

In fact, some would argue, especially considering the recent quality of the airline customer service, that American Airlines is now purposely\u00a0working hard to create the exact opposite image.<\/span><\/p>\n

You only need an Internet connection, a search engine, some imagination, and a few keywords to find endless stories of dissatisfied customers complaining that flying AA has become synonymous with an unhappy experience, with filthy planes,\u00a0loose\u00a0seats<\/span><\/a>,\u00a0disgusting meals<\/span><\/a>,\u00a0and\u00a0poor customer service<\/span><\/a>, which is all pretty much expected, considering the morale of those who work for the company have never been\u00a0so low<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Things are just not going well for American Airlines these days.<\/p>\n

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Previous American Airlines logos that helped build a glamorous image for air travel.<\/p>\n

Actually, I also remember reading a story about a web designer\u00a0whom was fired<\/span><\/a>\u00a0from the company, simply because he was trying to improve the company website user experience. Certainly, this is the sort of attitude of an old fashion and disconnected management team. Oh, and if you think that is not already bad enough PR, they have been voted as the most hated air travel company by social media users over the measurement website\u00a0Amplicate<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

It seems things can\u2019t get worse, but wait, there\u2019s more\u2026<\/p>\n

I can\u2019t avoid mentioning that American Airlines has been in financial dire straits for a while, they filed for bankruptcy\u00a0back\u00a0in 2011<\/span><\/a>\u00a0and they still haven\u2019t found their way out of it. They had a loss of $1.9 billion in 2012 topping a pile of already $2 billion losses from previous years. US Airways, their biggest creditor, is strongly pushing for a merger, and it seems it\u2019s about to happen soon. I wonder, will the brand even survive this mess?<\/p>\n

Ok. That\u2019s it. The big picture has been painted, and happily, the bashing is over.<\/p>\n

With all of that in mind, the reasoning behind the\u00a0rebranding\u00a0of American Airlines becomes very obvious. To put it simply: they\u00a0need\u00a0to do it.<\/p>\n

Truth is that the big majority of corporate rebranding\u00a0exercises are motivated\u00a0by a plethora of problems that are entirely unrelated to the actual discipline of design. On most occasions, corporations are more interested in showing some sort of change to their customer base, their shareholders and\/or anyone who might have vested interests in the company.<\/p>\n

In short, American Airlines is giving itself a chance to start afresh, with a new American.<\/p>\n

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The new American Airlines logo.<\/p>\n

The new identity, created by\u00a0FutureBrand<\/span><\/a>, one of the most renowned brand agencies in the world, brings the airline brand to a whole new paradigm, adopting what is a somewhat current trending aesthetic in logo design: the use of negative space to create the eagle head; and another not so current: the use of gradients and shadows to add a sense of depth.<\/p>\n

\"American<\/div>\n
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The new American Airlines mark, entitled the Flight Symbol.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what FutureBrand has to say about the new logo:<\/p>\n

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Recognizing that it was time for a new look to better reflect the progress it had made in the ongoing modernization of the airline, American engaged FutureBrand to partner on the modernization of the logo, livery and overall look and feel of the customer experience.<\/p>\n

Our work is inspired by the company\u2019s heritage and incorporates colors and symbols universally associated with the American brand. A reimagined logo \u2014 called the Flight Symbol \u2014 evokes the star, \u201cA\u201d, and iconic eagle of American\u2019s past, all brought to life in refreshed shades of red, white and blue. Together, they reflect a more modern, vibrant and welcoming spirit.<\/p>\n

The logo debuts along with a boldly reimagined livery. With proud\u00a0stripes and a timeless silver body, the livery expresses American\u2019s origins but also the spirit of modern America: innovative, progressive and open to the world.<\/p>\n

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The Flight Symbol looks great. I can easily see a modernized version of\u00a0the American eagle, but I need to squint my eyes to be able to make a star, and the \u201cA\u201d, out it. These last elements seem great on a conceptual level, which are also extremely important from the historical point-of-view, but I wouldn\u2019t particularly bother publicizing those to the general public, chances are, it will only create confusion.<\/p>\n

What really surprise me though, is the complete omission that the flight symbol looks just like the tail of an airplane. That\u2019s actually the first thing I saw in it.<\/p>\n

The best part of this rebranding\u00a0exercise, at least from my point of view, comes out of the changes in the airplanes\u2019 exterior look-and-feel. The abstracted American flag over the tail of the new American fleet is a brilliantly graphical way to connect with those customers that chose American Airlines motivated by some sort\u00a0of nationalistic rationale.<\/p>\n

The tail flag would look cheap on any other airline, but fits American Airlines perfectly.<\/p>\n

\"American<\/div>\n
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The new American livery.<\/p>\n

Considering the current paradigm American Airlines is facing, this is in fact, a very welcome move, as it\u2019s going to help the company reset its relationship with its customers, even if only on a superficial level. Perhaps this change will bring just enough breathing space for the company to recuperate from its current situation.<\/p>\n

Breaking away from the old identity, was not only a design exercise, but also a PR stunt in itself, as it actually provides an outrageously amount of coverage from the media and an excellent opportunity to reconnect with dissatisfied customers that otherwise would never bother, even to consider, flying with American Airlines anymore.<\/p>\n

Watch the video below, it\u2019s not only about a new brand, it\u2019s a PR campaign, it\u2019s a marketing campaign,\u00a0it\u2019s an opportunity the company creates for itself, all because of a new identity.<\/p>\n