ameriCan’S revolution

The iconic airline shakes up its brand identity

By Jonathan Vatner

2013

1968

Graphic designers updating a brand image must decide

between “evolution” and “revolution.” Freshen up the original lines and colors or build something bold and original from scratch? In the case of American Airlines’ new corporate identity, unveiled this January, creative agency FutureBrand and the airline chose revolution. It was a smart choice: The rebranding won a Clio award, the highest honor in advertising. The decision wasn’t easy, says John Malozzi, Advertising Design ’96, associate creative director of FutureBrand, who also helped redesign Paul Rand’s iconic 1961 UPS logo, and for more than two years has co-directed American’s redesign team of about 20. After all, Massimo Vignelli’s classic 1968 logo incorporating a stylized eagle and Helvetica typeface was possibly the most recognizable airline logo in the world. But times have changed—American’s parent company filed for bankruptcy in 2011—and the airline, once hailed as an innovator, wanted to win that reputation again. Because of the airline’s size (this year’s merger with U.S. Airways makes it the world’s largest carrier and one of the hundred largest companies in the country) and its name, the designers believed the logo should reflect America’s values. Research by FutureBrand showed that Americans want to be portrayed on the world stage as a people who lead in technology and value diversity, a far cry from the message that the old logo was sending. “The polished metal planes; the red, white, and blue stripes; the illustrative eagle; the Helvetica typeface were all simple visual equities that showed off America’s might,” Malozzi explains. “The airline wanted to move from ‘America’s might’ to ‘America’s spirit.’” The design process was exhaustive. The era of Mad Men, in which a Don Draper type would aggressively sell one idea, is long dead. FutureBrand brainstormed hundreds of possibilities and worked with American to winnow them down. Malozzi calls the final logo a “flight symbol,” an abstraction of an eagle that conveys movement and progress. “It’s not the old, heavy, mighty American look and feel,” he says. He learned at FIT that good logo design should contain a memorable “moment.” The flight symbol is that moment. Its modern, weightless feeling became a touchstone in the brand’s redesign, down to the business cards. FutureBrand also reworked the font. The company thought that Helvetica, beloved by graphic designers everywhere, didn’t complement the new flight symbol. Malozzi helped create a typeface called American Sans, with a fresher and more approachable personality. “Helvetica can feel mechanical,” he says. “The typeface we designed has a bit more humanity to it. Its subtle rounded corners play into the characteristics of the symbol as well.”

Almost two decades out of school, Malozzi still feels Associate Professor Eli Kince’s influence. “My classmates joke that all of us who paid attention to Eli are doing great things. When you look at the new American Airlines logo, he’s in there somewhere.” Incorporating the new design has been a herculean task, especially because American has committed to renovating or refurbishing all its terminals, starting with its headquarters at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Malozzi co-directs the team overseeing these renovations, ensuring consistent application of the new identity, from signage to airport lounges. “When we’re choosing furniture for a lounge, does it feel light and airy? Does it feel like American craftsmanship? Does it fit in seamlessly with the aircraft and all the other elements?” Malozzi also leads the team for livery, the design on the aircraft exterior. This requires visiting hangars nationwide to oversee painting of the planes. The polished metal exteriors that American is known for were painted over with white for a practical reason: new planes are often made with a composite material that doesn’t shine like aluminum. In addition to the Clio, FutureBrand received stellar marks from the airline, and Malozzi has heard raves from passengers as the newly painted planes taxi past the gates. More important, he stresses, the redesign communicates American’s renewed dedication to its customers. “This is not just picking a new typeface and swapping out a logo,” he says. “It’s an experiential as well as a physical shift. The airline really wanted to let everyone know that they are thinking about their customers and the future.”