CapEd388 From United States of America, joined Feb 2011, 217 posts, RR: 0 Posted (8 months 2 weeks 4 days 16 hours ago) and read 20380 times:
I am a huge fan of a website called Brand New ( http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/ ) where they discuss corporate rebrands and identity changes. Since I have always had a passion for logos and brand application, this website fascinates me. They frequently do articles on airline rebrands. They recently covered the Air New Zealand rebrand and the Island Air rebrand (I gave them the tip on that one).
Yesterday they had a post about three "fantasy" rebrands, which designers do just for the heck of it. One of them was for American Airlines. I thought it was a pretty interesting rebrand. Of course, I don't think AA would ever go for something like it, but I guess thats why they call them "fantasy".
Over all, I think the proposed brand change and applications are very classy, edgy yet retro. Although the proposed livery is awful and I know most of you will hate it, the over all rebrand is not bad.
Rwy04LGA From United States of America, joined Jul 2005, 2139 posts, RR: 7 Reply 1, posted (8 months 2 weeks 4 days 16 hours ago) and read 20392 times:
A little plain, but classy. I do hope they keep the metal and not paint them.
The early bird gets the worm, BUT...the second mouse gets the cheese!
PI4EVER From United States of America, joined May 2009, 599 posts, RR: 2 Reply 3, posted (8 months 2 weeks 4 days 15 hours ago) and read 20152 times:
Just what AA does not need...........blAAnd. Not a stroke of red, white or blue in any design elements? Let's just take a 747....which AA does not fly....paint it the beloved white, a small caps spelling of its name and the eagle meatball on the tail....that's a fantasy flight for sure. A waste of design talent.
There is sufficient design talent by members of this website that could "one day you're in the next day you're out" this outfit.
Let's create our own Project "Runway" group.
EA CO AS From United States of America, joined Nov 2001, 12556 posts, RR: 64 Reply 4, posted (8 months 2 weeks 4 days 15 hours ago) and read 20141 times:
Independence76 From United States of America, joined Jul 2007, 164 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (8 months 2 weeks 4 days 15 hours ago) and read 20116 times:
Classy, but I feel elements of it aren't vivid enough.
The all-white livery was terrible, honestly.
"In general, pride is at the bottom of all great mistakes." - John Ruskin
AA767400 From United States of America, joined Jan 2001, 2271 posts, RR: 25 Reply 6, posted (8 months 2 weeks 4 days 15 hours ago) and read 20092 times:
Love the website design, but not the livery. It screams JAL's new plain livery.
AS739BSI From United States of America, joined Jan 2012, 103 posts, RR: 0 Reply 7, posted (8 months 2 weeks 4 days 15 hours ago) and read 20091 times:
It looks too plain with the all-white. There needs to be simplicity but it needs to be distinguishable but you don't want it standing out like a sore eye.
migair54 From Spain, joined Jun 2007, 1273 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (8 months 2 weeks 4 days 15 hours ago) and read 19985 times:
it´s terribly simple and bad looking.... Are you sure someone ¨designed" that???
It looks like Air Atlanta planes but with the AA logo in the Tail... to do that is better to leave them in the green they have before painted.... hehehehehe
Current planes are awesome.... maybe just a modernisation could be very welcome but not a full new livery...
ebj1248650 From United States of America, joined Jun 2005, 1932 posts, RR: 2 Reply 10, posted (8 months 2 weeks 4 days 14 hours ago) and read 19817 times:
For lack of a better way to say it, the livery looks CHEAP! Come on guys. Put some color and elegant design in it. I know most A.netters will say passengers really don't care, but I'd be put off getting on an airplane that looks that bland. I'd wonder where else the airline cut corners to make a buck!
ordjoe From United States of America, joined Aug 2010, 581 posts, RR: 0 Reply 11, posted (8 months 2 weeks 4 days 14 hours ago) and read 19789 times:
No all white livery, I hate it on many planes that use it, such as the JL. The website and logo, while I like somewhat, are a bit too minimalist and look too European (not that that is a bad thing, but it is after all American Airlines).
AA737-823 From United States of America, joined Mar 2000, 5333 posts, RR: 11 Reply 14, posted (8 months 2 weeks 4 days 14 hours ago) and read 19622 times:
I don't understand the woodgrain dot in the middle of everything.
"Oooh, look at the pretty beach scene.... overlaid by a round circle of fake wood, with nothing written on it."
?!?
The livery is, indeed, horrible, BUT I actually like the tail logo. Maybe if the circle was the current navy blue instead of black... with the same eagle on it.. I'd be a fan of that element.
CapEd388 From United States of America, joined Feb 2011, 217 posts, RR: 0 Reply 15, posted (8 months 2 weeks 4 days 14 hours ago) and read 19587 times:
Thanks for the links, I definitely see some liveries there that I like.
As for the original "fantasy" brand that I posted in the opening post, hate it or love it, I think we have to give credit to the designer for applying the brand in various mediums (website, livery, boarding pass etc.)
That is something that a lot of us forget, we just look at a livery and say "thats awful", I think we need to look at the entire brand package and all the applications to really make a good decision on whether we like the identity or not. After all, the livery on the aircraft is just part of the brand package.
Although I like some of the livery proposals in reply 13, I would love to see those brands applied to various mediums of the airline (ticket counter, signs, stationary, boarding pass, website, lounges etc.)
BlueLine From United States of America, joined Jun 2012, 72 posts, RR: 0 Reply 16, posted (8 months 2 weeks 4 days 14 hours ago) and read 19549 times:
I'm sure everyone who lives in Williamsburg, Bucktown, and Portland will now fly AA with this branding. That livery is one plain disinterested looking model in a sexually suggestive pose away from being an American Apparel ad.
EA CO AS From United States of America, joined Nov 2001, 12556 posts, RR: 64 Reply 19, posted (8 months 2 weeks 4 days 14 hours ago) and read 19442 times:
Quoting skycub (Reply 17): It made me think of furniture.
"In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem - government IS the problem." - Ronald Reagan
AeroWesty From United States of America, joined Oct 2004, 18800 posts, RR: 64 Reply 20, posted (8 months 2 weeks 4 days 13 hours ago) and read 19378 times:
futureualpilot From United States of America, joined May 2000, 2561 posts, RR: 9 Reply 21, posted (8 months 2 weeks 4 days 13 hours ago) and read 19302 times:
Airport From United States of America, joined Aug 2009, 1393 posts, RR: 9 Reply 22, posted (8 months 2 weeks 4 days 13 hours ago) and read 19261 times:
It's an interesting study for an airline brand and surely I think it would work for a niche Virgin America-esque airline, but it would be a miserable failure for AA. Nothing about it pays any respect to who AA is, what their history and heritage is. Nor is there anything "American" about this design -- it could be anybody, for any airline in any part of the world. Some might identify that as a positive, but ask British Airways how that went when they adopted a non-British-centric image in 1997.
Plus that livery is dreadful. It makes me of a shady third-world airline operating a few cheap used aircraft.
Quoting BlueLine (Reply 16):
I'm sure everyone who lives in Williamsburg, Bucktown, and Portland will now fly AA with this branding. That livery is one plain disinterested looking model in a sexually suggestive pose away from being an American Apparel ad.
Perfectly said. "Plain and disinterested" sums up what this brand study communicates to me.
AA94 From United States of America, joined Aug 2011, 356 posts, RR: 0 Reply 23, posted (8 months 2 weeks 4 days 13 hours ago) and read 19244 times:
Quoting BlueLine (Reply 16): That livery is one plain disinterested looking model in a sexually suggestive pose away from being an American Apparel ad.
AA has a very recognizable identity, and if they can find some way to elegantly update the current scheme while retaining the core red and blue elements, I think it will be perfect. The world does not need another Eurowhite paint scheme.
On a slightly unrelated note, I think that the "Oneworld" scheme could use some revision as well. It's not awful, but its just very bland. I think that SkyTeam has the best alliance livery by far. It's elegant and polished-looking, but still eye-catching.
Choose a challenge over competence / Eleanor Roosevelt
VC10er From United States of America, joined Feb 2007, 2416 posts, RR: 9 Reply 24, posted (8 months 2 weeks 4 days 13 hours ago) and read 19235 times:
This is not a fantasy: I know that an agency was already awarded a branding assignment, I do not know the scope but AA is doing something. My source is very reliable.
The world is missing love, let's use our flights to spread it!
25 iFlyLOTs: This is a fantasy. What the branding agency isn't a fantasy. But what this hipster did on the re-branding website is, and absolutely dreadful at that
26 infiniti329: The first and second liveries are my favorite they would just would have to be in red,white and blue. I personally think flying around the world with
27 Mcoov: Maybe American can bring back the orange lighting.
28 airproxx: Honestly, this will always be the same old matter of personal taste, but I must say, I love everything but the aircraft livery. I'm not against a sim
29 T8KE0FF: American doesn't really appeal to the hipsters of today with their current branding, the hipster market could be big money for them. On a serious not
30 EA CO AS: This is just way too generic; I know that's what the creators were obviously going for, but they overdid it, and not in a good way. It's like "Airlin
31 strangr: the one thing they have to change post ch11 - if and when they come out they need to be a new lean mean company, while many want to stick with the me
32 Yflyer: You know what it reminds me of (the boarding pass in particular)? New York subway signage. Just replace the eagle inside the circle with a blue letter
33 BlueJuice: Terrible IMHO. Like something you would see in a Design 101 class at the local community college for IKEAir.
34 airproxx: Actually, the real fantasy here to me is AA getting back some 747-200 SUD !!!
35 usair330: Although fantasy. Nothing on there presents American Airlines or America. Thank God it's fantasy.
36 SWALUV: Saw these a couple day's ago, have to say these are my favorite logo's by far! Anyway the website looks cool and the boarding passes and baggage tags
37 FI642: It makes the new JAL livery look amazing. (Tongue in cheek)- totally unacceptable. NO NO NO!
38 braniff722: I'm sorry, but this branding done by semi professionals lacks total creativity, design or beauty! In fact, I'd give any 10 year old with a MacBook bet
39 ghifty: It's not that bad, it's just not befitting for an airline.. let alone one that has decades of history (forgotten by this..). The whole design package
40 iFlyLOTs: I call the little things, the wood spot in the middle of everything hipster because I know no-one else that does that and its not mainstream at all.
41 idlewildchild: The black accents are absolutely awful and would never be part of an AA theme. Red, White and Blue has to play central to brand, with blue or red the
42 YYZAMS: it will go out and get old fast. Also stealing the perry ellis logo and putting aa in it isn't against some infringement?
43 Mcoov: Do I consider Apple hipster? No, but I consider those who use Apple more likely to be "hipsters," especially if they use exclusively Apple, or berate
44 cosyr: I love the black and the wood, the circle around the eagle really works, but I HATE when companies use lower case for their names. What are we little
45 lasairlinerenth: No, no, no. For those of us Americans who love the London Underground (but, perhaps, only because we don't live there and have to rely on it day in a
46 RyDawg82: The overall idea is nice, but as stated, the paint job is a total failure. This is the very first thing that popped in my head when I saw it: View Lar
47 Mcoov: But at least Iran Air has a nice tail design. This new one is just the stylized eagle in a black circle. No thought.
48 TWA772LR: What AA/US should do is just rename the new AA Trans World Airlines!! Thats my fantasy! All seriousness though, I applaud the author on his/her effort
49 EA CO AS: Interesting how all the people in the design industry fanboys and industry folks are falling all over themselves applauding it in the comments section
50 HNL-Jack: No character or personality to this design at all. At least they recognized the importance of keeping the Eagle, but then caged it in a circle...terri
51 questions: Seems like your focus group had lots to say... and that's what focus groups are for.
52 steex: The fantasy rebrand has a pair of horn rimmed glasses right in the middle of it for absolutely no reason! How could that not be interpreted as hipste
53 777way: Metrojet livery would have been good for AA, be it with the flag logo and American written using US Airways fonts or even with current American title
54 YankeesFan: Well the livery is OK. Whoever designed it could have added more.
55 DarkSnowyNight: And Finnair. I think it's good. The overall simplicity/minimalism is a good projection for a company like AA. I like those from a personal point of v
57 cmhflyguy: I too am a fan and have been a fan of Brand New pretty much since its beginning. When I saw this on Friday favorites I have to admit I thought "how aw
58 aerokiwi: Absolutely. I follow this design website too and the font would be ridiculed, let alone the lower case everything and "shove it in a circle" style. T
59 garpd: I like the apparel, the tickets, counters, etc. The livery however is far too "Finnair" for me. Too bland, too emotionless, no life, no sense of ident
60 JetBlueGuy2006: Love the first two. Sleek and yet very simplistic and eye catching I like the redesign of the website a bit better. As many others said, the livery i
61 Oshkosh1: Keep the metal. Go with Red/White/Blue...you know...the "American" part. Keep it simple and classy. More paint=more money...and adds weight.
62 garpd: That's all well and good, but very short sighted. AA will HAVE to use paint sooner or later. The 787 and A350 do not have metal skins. Future all-new
63 KaiTak747: Just out of interest, how long have AA had their current livery for? They must be going for the record of the longest ever unchanged airline livery. B
64 GARUDAROD: What nobody here fails to mention, the designer is from Cyprus and probably has no idea on the historical value of the red, white, and blue for Americ
65 LostSound: This issue here is that graphic designers have this new love for white space. It creates a modern and seek look on many applications, and I agree with
66 Mcoov: Since 1969. That's 43 years. There are other business that have had their logos unchanged even longer. My favorite is the now defunct Rock Island Rai
67 united319: It was unveiled in 1967 and I beleive it started to phase in 1968. AA Buffs, correct me if I am wrong please.
68 flybyguy: I do like the new website concept. The aesthetic seems to fall in line with that of their new interiors, particularly their 777-300ER international p
69 CapEd388: As someone mentioned before, a lot of design people seemed to like and praise this fantasy re-brand while the majority of actual aviation people seem
70 klmflighter: Hi everyone, I have been working on this new livery for American Airlines for awhile, please check it out and give me your input, thank you. ULUdesign
71 4engines4lnghll: I found this livery, and i love it! Very hipster and modern id defiantly know this was AA if i saw this plane from a distance! http://www.cardatabase.
72 4engines4lnghll: Out of all the designs here id have to agree this is the best livery concept yet. http://www.cardatabase.net/modifieda...inerphotos/photos/big/0001431
73 CapEd388: I like this livery. The only problem I have with it is the tail, the blue on blue doesnt really work. The blue "A" and the eagle might not be that vi
74 ckfred: Here's my take, and I'm not a good enough artist or computer geek to design something visual. Since the 787s must be painted, bite the bullet and go t
75 CIDFlyer: I think I like this one the best...keeps the same basic's from the current livery and tweaks it a bit without losing too much of the brand identity.
76 us330: If AA does get rebranded, it needs to be a simple, timeless, classic look--something that doesn't scream a particular era. None of the proposed rebran
77 4engines4lnghll: I don't think AA wants a boring/bland livery like all the other airlines.
78 AA94: No, they certainly don't. But I don't think that's what US330 is saying. A livery can be simple without being bland. Just look at their current color
79 SANAV8R: The fantasy portfolio - the branding looks good...for a ready-to-assemble furniture company or a trendy hotel. Not an airline. It's too earthy. The wo
80 klmflighter: Here's another design with the famous stripe:
81 rj777: I thought I read somewhere that they were going to roll out something new with their first B773.
82 CapEd388: I really like the first one, that would be a nice and subtle upgrade for AA. Great job!
83 infinit: Its experimental and a radical change. I doubt AA would go that way although it might do well. If they do, it would be a very costly rebranding campai
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