New Cathay Pacific Livery Update?

SXDFC · Wed Oct 14, 2015 1:01 am

Hello All:

I maybe wrong, but I seem to recall sometimes ago the rumor of a new Cathay Pacific livery. Does anyone know what has or what will become of this? Will the new livery make its debut on the A350?

Qantas744er · Wed Oct 14, 2015 2:04 am

Rumored to be unveiled on the new A350.

No need to change the current livery if you ask me, its absolutely timeless. A real masterpiece.

audidudi · Wed Oct 14, 2015 3:53 am

Quoting Qantas744er (Reply 1):

Looks good when new, but the grey looks boring when the shine has gone! I much prefer this one:
View Large View Medium
Click here for bigger photo!

Photo © kung chia wei

CCA · Wed Oct 14, 2015 4:36 am

CX timeless? I'd say CXs currently livery is decidedly dated 90s!

hongkongflyer · Wed Oct 14, 2015 6:38 am

The one who incharged for CX's branding has confirmed that no livery change in the foreseeable future, although they have considered that.

Francoflier · Wed Oct 14, 2015 7:21 am

Quoting hongkongflyer (Reply 4):
The one who incharged for CX's branding has confirmed that no livery change in the foreseeable future,

Thank Zeus for that.
The rebranding is a bland over-simplification of the current scheme which, if translated onto an airplane, would result in a eurowhite disaster unseen since the China Eastern livery change...

777way · Wed Oct 14, 2015 7:32 am

I only liked current livery on 747, its not that great on others aircraft.

HKG212 · Wed Oct 14, 2015 10:37 am

Quoting Qantas744er (Reply 1):
No need to change the current livery if you ask me, its absolutely timeless. A real masterpiece.

You have got to be kidding. It's timeless only in the sense it was ugly from Day 1.

What's worse is that they bring that pale greenish blue color (azure?) inside the cabin...

TC957 · Wed Oct 14, 2015 10:43 am

If the A350 can make even AY's bland eurowhite look seem somehow acceptable, then I'm sure it'll look fab in full CX colours.

na · Wed Oct 14, 2015 10:54 am

Quoting 777way (Reply 6):
I only liked current livery on 747, its not that great on others aircraft.

I agree with that.
CX livery is unique, something that is positive in itself. Unique in its design, and unique in colours (one of my cars is painted dark green/pale green, looks stunning). I like it, somehow, though its not among my top favorites.

CX Flyboy · Wed Oct 14, 2015 10:54 am

Quoting CCA (Reply 3):
CX timeless? I'd say CXs currently livery is decidedly dated 90s!

Agree. Not long now till it is unveiled.

Quoting hongkongflyer (Reply 4):
The one who incharged for CX's branding has confirmed that no livery change in the foreseeable future, although they have considered that.

They will deny everything up to the point that they don't deny it!

I've seen the drawing from a reliable source. Don't expect a radical change but the new livery does look fresher although I am not sold on the tail yet. Expect no red anywhere except the Swire logo!

na · Wed Oct 14, 2015 10:59 am

Quoting CX Flyboy (Reply 10):
Expect no red anywhere except the Swire logo!

That doesnt sound good, as the red accents do the job!

NZ107 · Wed Oct 14, 2015 11:03 am

Quoting CX Flyboy (Reply 10):
I am not sold on the tail yet

I'll be extremely disappointed if the tail is white with a green swish/logo!

[Edited 2015-10-14 04:04:22]

hongkongflyer · Wed Oct 14, 2015 3:00 pm

Quoting CX Flyboy (Reply 10):
They will deny everything up to the point that they don't deny it!

I've seen the drawing from a reliable source. Don't expect a radical change but the new livery does look fresher although I am not sold on the tail yet. Expect no red anywhere except the Swire logo!

Well, as they have considered new / updated livery so it is reasonable to believe that they have drawing of such livery (which you have seen).

The article clearly stated that the branding manager (can't remember his actual title) has mentioned no update / change to the current livery.

CX's 1st 350 will soon be painted, it may provide some clues on whether the livery will be changed.

VCEflyboy · Wed Oct 14, 2015 3:15 pm

Why change the logo and keep the old logo and visuals on every plane? That doesn't make sense.

[Edited 2015-10-14 08:16:46]

Polot · Wed Oct 14, 2015 3:29 pm

Quoting hongkongflyer (Reply 13):
The article clearly stated that the branding manager (can't remember his actual title) has mentioned no update / change to the current livery.

People will lie about/deny immaterial things such livery changes up until the day they are ready to publicly announce it.

audidudi · Wed Oct 14, 2015 4:05 pm

Please CX paint all your aircraft like this:
View Large View Medium
Click here for bigger photo!

Photo © Larry Lu

kaitak · Wed Oct 14, 2015 4:09 pm

It's twenty years (slightly over) since the brushwing was introduced, so it's time for a refresher; I do like the current livery, but it is time for a refresh.

I would like to see them do a retro scheme on one of the aircraft.

Presumably no 744s (except freighters) will get the new livery?

Sooner787 · Wed Oct 14, 2015 8:12 pm

Quoting kaitak (Reply 17):
It's twenty years (slightly over) since the brushwing was introduced, so it's time for a refresher; I do like the current livery, but it is time for a refresh.

Perhaps a refresh like QANTAS would work

VC10er · Wed Oct 14, 2015 9:16 pm

Quoting HKG212 (Reply 7):

Perhaps, that while you personally don't like it, you could very well be wrong. That livery, since Day 1, until today has been lauded by design and branding professionals (written about over and over) and is shoulder-to-shoulder with a very small and elite group of aviation livery treasures like: The former British Airways, Pan Am, Singapore, Lufthansa and Qantas.

It may not suit your taste, and that is fair (it's why Baskin Robbin is famous for 31 flavors, not everyone likes Chocolate, Vanilla or Strawberry) but, Cathay Pacific's "Brush Wing" and ownership of a unique color scheme makes it an undeniable case effective branding. The global, quantitative research is very conclusive about that. (source: Y&R, BAV)

In fact, I know of a Harvard Business Professor who has include it and others as "best-in-class" examples of branding that represents a very powerful and differentiated brand.

Now, after a couple of decades, a tweak to secondary graphics might be needed. But to dispense with CX's current visual assets would be as crazy as Singapore giving up it's Crane. (it too looks dated, but it's HOW Singapore has used it that has kept it very relevant.

Sooner787 · Wed Oct 14, 2015 9:24 pm

Quoting Polot (Reply 15):
People will lie about/deny immaterial things such livery changes up until the day they are ready to publicly announce it.

No kidding, American and Southwest kept their re-branding a secret up until
the day they were unveiled.

It's amazing what a NDA will do to keep people quiet

SeaMeFly · Wed Oct 14, 2015 9:25 pm

I'd say don't fix things that aren't broken. Take a look at JAL and MAS... not long after they changed their liveries things started to go down the hill... it's feng shui...

qf71 · Thu Oct 15, 2015 4:13 am

Quoting SeaMeFly (Reply 21):
I'd say don't fix things that aren't broken. Take a look at JAL and MAS... not long after they changed their liveries things started to go down the hill... it's feng shui...

Haha, well said.

The same could be said of Qantas also in a way. When the livery changed things changed for the better and the worse. The current QF livery only looks good on selected aircraft.

As for Cathay, their existing livery looks great. As people have said in previous posts, it's a timeless masterpiece. It's simple, has colour and looks good.

Hopefully this new livery update is just simple and subtle, just like SQ's livery update several years ago.

777way · Thu Oct 15, 2015 7:38 am

Quoting VC10er (Reply 19):

BA Landor livery looked heavy and dark at times, perhaps if they chose white instead of grey it would have been better, my favourite was the Negis one. it could have still been around with the current font and highlights on the tail, the blue of the belly pulled down by a couple of feety and ofcourse engines painted.

As for CX livery tail logo is the great, mustache is a nice touch, but it all works only on the 747, when I first saw it on a 777 or A330 back when it came out my first reaction was looks like militar, that pale green looks grey always.

The red accents need to stay, infact CX livery would have looked fantastic with colours reversed, the mustache and tail and title red, with green accents, the logo in gold would have made it nicer.

Come to think of it the livery in red, gold and grey would have looked better from day one, no need for green in there.

[Edited 2015-10-15 00:43:12]

DocLightning · Thu Oct 15, 2015 7:59 am

Quoting HKG212 (Reply 7):
You have got to be kidding. It's timeless only in the sense it was ugly from Day 1.

What's worse is that they bring that pale greenish blue color (azure?) inside the cabin...

I disagree. I think it looked nice in the 1990s. Now it's starting to look a bit dated.

777way · Thu Oct 15, 2015 8:06 am

I dont know why they leave a big strip of leading edge on the tail unpainted, looks bad, no other 777 operator does that.

Kashmon · Thu Oct 15, 2015 10:44 am

Quoting DocLightning (Reply 24):

the most unique thing about their livery is the green

most people think of it as the green airline, as msot airlines do not use a green colour scheme

that being said, removing the red is sad, Red is also CX colour,

now only the FA's will have red
and KA...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwV4WNzWjQ4
current livery launch advert...

amazing on 747

Kashmon · Thu Oct 15, 2015 11:00 am

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mur0egfUiXE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTZT4q2g_9U
internal videos just after current livery launch

CX Flyboy · Thu Oct 15, 2015 3:39 pm

Quoting NZ107 (Reply 12):
I'll be extremely disappointed if the tail is white with a green swish/logo!

Right track, wrong colours.

yowza · Thu Oct 15, 2015 3:44 pm

Revert to the iconic if a little ugly:

YOWza

777way · Thu Oct 15, 2015 4:08 pm

Nice but it was never iconic.

CCA · Thu Oct 15, 2015 4:53 pm

It was iconic in Asia, and I imagine would have gone on to be much more iconic than the current scheme.

Many in Europe and the Americas wouldn't have a clue who CX is when they see the brushing taxiing or flying for that matter (seeing the font is tiny and poorly located).

While advertisers may see the current scheme as unique as a brand I really don't think it does that much on the aircraft, as said it suits the 747 much better than the other types.

CX is bigger than Singapore airlines yet no where near a as iconic, not helped by the total rebrand 20 odd years ago.

yowza · Thu Oct 15, 2015 5:09 pm

Quoting 777way (Reply 30):
Nice but it was never iconic.

I suppose that is subjective. For me personally whenever I hear Cathay Pacific I think of a roaring Tristars sporting the old green bands.

YOWza

HKG212 · Sun Oct 18, 2015 7:32 am

Quoting VC10er (Reply 19):
It may not suit your taste, and that is fair (it's why Baskin Robbin is famous for 31 flavors, not everyone likes Chocolate, Vanilla or Strawberry) but, Cathay Pacific's "Brush Wing" and ownership of a unique color scheme makes it an undeniable case effective branding. The global, quantitative research is very conclusive about that. (source: Y&R, BAV)

In fact, I know of a Harvard Business Professor who has include it and others as "best-in-class" examples of branding that represents a very powerful and differentiated brand.

The "brush wing" is fine, -- I'm sure that's what the "professionals" are referring to as successful branding. I was specifically referring to the awful color scheme.

Motorhussy · Sun Oct 18, 2015 9:00 am

I love the current CX livery. Classy, elegant east-meets-west; much like Hong Kong.

NZ107 · Sun Oct 18, 2015 9:49 am

Quoting CX Flyboy (Reply 28):

Interesting.. My fear is that the livery will be as drab as he new MU and CI liveries, which are eurowhite with something on the tail. I just hope they colour the fuselage. I personally like the current livery.

bunumuring · Sun Oct 18, 2015 11:23 am

Quoting VC10er (Reply 19):
Perhaps, that while you personally don't like it, you could very well be wrong. That livery, since Day 1, until today has been lauded by design and branding professionals (written about over and over) and is shoulder-to-shoulder with a very small and elite group of aviation livery treasures like: The former British Airways, Pan Am, Singapore, Lufthansa and Qantas.

VC10er, you truly are one of my favourite posters here on a.net and I enjoy every post you make! Thank you once again for your insight.

As for the topic at hand, I have liked the Cathay livery since it was launched but agree it could do with a Qantas-style refresh. I love the brushwing and the colours, but feel a little tweek could do wonders. The titles do need attention, as I have always considered them to be a little too small (as one poster above stated) with a slightly dated-feeling font. The fuselage colouring could be a little more 'stronger' to make the airline more distinguishable.
Fingers crossed!

And while on the topic of Cathay Pacific, any discussion lately of a potential merging-in of Dragonair into the mothership? There was a thread ages ago I seem to remember...

Cheers,
Bunumuring.

TheFlyingDisk · Sun Oct 18, 2015 11:36 am

CX's current livery is fine as it is right now. Why mess with perfection?

CX Flyboy · Sun Oct 18, 2015 1:39 pm

I do think the livery is a little dull and in need of a spruce up. This new livery is actually a small enhancement. The titles are repositioned and the tail is green. The grey stripe remains down the fuselage.

skipness1E · Mon Oct 19, 2015 12:08 am

Sounds like an airfrance like tweak then? So much less painful than the full on mixed bag of a rebrand.

LAX772LR · Mon Oct 19, 2015 12:11 am

Quoting TC957 (Reply 8):
If the A350 can make even AY's bland eurowhite look seem somehow acceptable, then I'm sure it'll look fab in full CX colours.

Agreed. Amazing how well the A350 brings out such a boring livery.

Quoting Sooner787 (Reply 20):
No kidding, American and Southwest kept their re-branding a secret up until
the day they were unveiled.

Secret from who?

Aviation communities were talking about AA's rebranding for months before it was instituted. WN's had much less lead-time, but still no secret.

Quoting motorhussy (Reply 34):
I love the current CX livery. Classy, elegant east-meets-west; much like Hong Kong.

PlanesNTrains · Mon Oct 19, 2015 12:13 am

I thought someone posted a rendition of the proposed CX livery tweak a while back? Maybe it was ticket stock or something else? Can't remember, but the revisions (no red, green tail) sound familiar.

-Dave

777way · Mon Oct 19, 2015 7:36 am

Quoting CX Flyboy (Reply 38):

Sounds even worse/

Quoting LAX772LR (Reply 40):
Aviation communities were talking about AA's rebranding for months before it was instituted. WN's had much less lead-time, but still no secret.

UA and Thai as well, both designs were leaked out and rendered here.

Max Q · Mon Oct 19, 2015 7:56 am

It's a very boring livery.

Bring back the 'lettuce sandwich' and Barry White's love theme !

777way · Mon Oct 19, 2015 8:01 am

^ Thank you, was looking for that theme all these years, remember it fondly from a CX ad back in 1978.

Enjoy kids, picture a CX Tristar doing all the moves http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xxx...-orchestra-love-s-theme-1973_music

[Edited 2015-10-19 01:09:01]

Miami · Mon Oct 19, 2015 10:40 am

CX is expected to unveil the new livery on a 777-300ER on November 1st.

jacobchoi · Mon Oct 19, 2015 12:33 pm

I know this is a bit off topic, but I just read that CX is discontinuing DOH, and there will be no more CX code on QR flights from DOH onwards. So I suppose the JV is going to be ended? Anybody know why especially when QR was doing pretty well on its own with 2x daily not long ago?

http://www.businesstraveller.com/new...acific-to-discontinue-doha-service

http://www.swirepacific.com/en/media/presseach.php?f=p151019.htm

BestWestern · Mon Oct 19, 2015 12:40 pm

The QR fares to HK were impossibly low, and no doubt CX didn't want to share the losses.

shuttle9juliet · Mon Oct 19, 2015 1:06 pm

Quoting 777way (Reply 25):

United do this with 767 and 777, but not all.
It's something to do with the antenna up there.

777way · Mon Oct 19, 2015 1:41 pm

Quoting Miami (Reply 45):
CX is expected to unveil the new livery on a 777-300ER on November 1st.

What is your source? makes more sense on A350.

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