American Airlines Rebrand
Project Overview
American Airlines is one of the largest airlines with an iconic look designed by Massimo Vignelli. Dating back to the late 1960’s, his logotype captures the essence of American spirit and militaristic display of the freedom eagle. During a week workshop with Lippincott, I explored a series of brand and design strategies to develop a new approach for American Airlines. Within this process, I tried to recapture the swiftness in the eagle and youthfulness of its look as well as its audience.
About American
American Airlines began as a regional airline and then expanded into a functional international service. Their highly stylized eagle logo remained for years as well as its distinguishable livery plane treatment in leaving the fuselage unpainted.
The overall brand experience could use an update from the use of red, white, and blue pinstripes and mostly gray application. Both logotype and plane treatment feel very retro. Aside from that, the employee wardrobe and ads should carry a stronger presence against its competitors within our contemporary society.
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Domestic Competitors
Competitive Context
By viewing a selection of their competitors in a domestic and international context, I uncovered a greater understanding of overall brand experience.
Observing the domestic airline logos, there is a strong use of blue and red palettes to represent the American image. Though each treated in various ways, a pattern of type capitalization is prominent. AA uses all lowercase, centered typography.
International Competitors
Comparing American to its international competitors, there is an apparent fluidity in the treatment of their logotypes. Aside from Swiss Airlines, the others explore a gestural representation of flight and motion.
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Visual Context Map
Competitive Context
After viewing the competitor logotypes, it is important to closely review all other visual treatments. This includes looking at the plane exterior application, color palette, ads, website, etc.
Most airlines use a blue palette, sometime red, with a mustard yellow accent. In each distinct way, they capture a boldness which closely reflects their audiences.
Plane Interior Map
JetBlue
United
Delta American
Virgin
Southwest
Getting a closer look at the plane interiors, lighting, color, and advertising, there is strong consistency across applications. American’s interior feels more subdued, their lighting being neutral as well. Other airlines have began implementing the use of backseat screens.
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Refined
Airline Tail Study
Another crucial step to the competitor exploration is the study of tail application of other airlines. By looking at both of these treatments, refined and expressive, I had to choose how American liveries can be treated.
Expressive
There is a clear distinction between the corporate, refined tail studies where the logo remains fully visible on the tail. In the expressive studies, the artwork experiment with crops and more abstract tail art. The goal is to find a marriage between both studies but to focus on a common image in relation to an audience. 9
Mood Board – Target Audience
My next step during the strategy process was to create a mood board that framed the role of audience interests and how this would relate to the new vision of American Airlines.
The target audience of my rebrand appeals to the young professional seeking business opportunities on an international scale. This flyer may have a healthy, modern lifestyle with high ambitions.
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Brand positioning
Brand character
Who are we?
Dedicated and Enthusiastic
American Airlines
Our quality services provide an enjoyable and enthusiastic atmosphere for the young traveler.
Essence
What is our goal? Providing a globally authentic airline for young professionals who are enthusiastic about traveling and looking for business opportunities.
Collaborative We are active educators for global business, the professional community, and curious learners. We offer a sense of collaborative teamwork.
What is special about us? • Access to onboard technology so that the professional audience feels relaxed and connected to available networking services.
Current
• Optimism supported by facts – we provide a voice in conversation.
our audience relevantly informed.
• Devoted individuals who focus on personal experience and guide our audience to success on their business ventures.
Cultural and Diverse
• We are a global company that connects people from many different cultures and communities.
What do we provide our audiences? An individualized experience connecting travelers
We are constantly updating our innovative technology, trained on current affairs, and keep
Global airline for young professionals
Our services connect diverse travelers on a global scale, informing our audience on current culture.
Efficient Our airline provides fast, individualized service for a smooth sailing flight.
with global opportunities.
Positioning/Ideation
Once a target audience has been established, I created a brand positioning map that details how the new airline experience. This map also shares the uniqueness in service and qualities of the flying with American.
The five qualities of the new American can be described as dedicated, collaborative, current, cultural, efficient. With these characteristics they will set the airline apart from its competitors.
Connection
Sleek
Personal
A bridging from one community to another.
Connected to modern trends and technology
Developing an individualistic experience to fit individual need.
A connection to a sophisticated, modern way of American life.
Provides a sense of clean, smooth service.
A link to new worlds, new business opportunities.
The notion of a person becoming a focal point within a significantly larger audience.
Brand on a broader scale, the collaboration of business.
Route
Elegant
Swift
A mapped path that is efficient in service, fluid moving.
Sophisticated belonging. Individualized great service.
Exposure to diverse communities that influence modern thinking.
Journeys become intertwined with iteration of transportation.
A key moment where customer connects with a personal event.
Forward - moving/progressive service.
Leads from beginning to an end.
Tasteful in design that is simple yet effective.
Constant movement from one location to the next.
The next step in strategy was to develop concept ideations for the overall look. I presented six gestural iterations on the possibilities of where this look can branch from. While the brand subtly retains each of these new characteristics, I wanted to was to merge qualities of sophistication with fast moving swiftness. 13
Logo Studies
After brand positioning, I chose to simply refresh the existing logo by keeping the eagle. However, I redrew the eagle in a way that relates to more of a forward-moving quality.
Beginning with gestural marks, I used charcoal and micron brush pens. I then explored how the eagle’s features move in flight, fueled by research.
Picked
Choosing one of my first charcoal studies, I began drawing multiple iterations of how the right wing can be represented. From there I crafted the bird digitally, further refining and also experimenting with color.
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Placement Studies
Type Studies
American
American AMERICAN
Type/Final logo Study
Once the logo was chosen, I began setting and placing the logo with typefaces. My goal was to find a font that held a consistent weight correlating to the logo in organic form.
American
While refining the eagle, the navy blue and gold combination was most successful in portraying sophisticated characteristics of my audience. I added a slight gradient to the gold wing to represent motion and depth into space.
When I thoroughly explored many typefaces paired with my eagle rendering, Frutiger Bold held the humanist quality I was searching for.
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Manipulated/Final Logotype
Now that my logotype had an elegant organic quality, I pursued the typography a bit further. I made slight manipulation on the legs of the letterforms to reach a connectedness between an font and my drawn eagle.
The position of the eagle represents expansion, flight, and unpredictable opportunities. After trying slanted and arched forms within the type, I found that slightly blunted feet complimented the swift curvatures of the wing.
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American
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Concept One
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Concept Two
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Concept Three
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Bleed of eagle wing shows expressiveness
Placement of large logotype improves readability and interacts with windows.
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Curved blue belly to correlate to expressive treatment of tail.
Plane Application
I explored three different directions of the airplane treatment, ranging from refined, expressive, to highly expressive. While abstracting the wing completely was interesting, the slightly cropped wing best represented the notion of sleekness.
Following the look of the logotype, the livery then translated into a unique application that signifies the concept of the brand.
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Kiosk Application
My next stage in the livery process was to apply the American brand to kiosk. I began placing the wing with multiple cropping and color combinations. Specifically, I looked at the relationship of kiosk and screen against the backdrop of blue artwork.
After experimenting with color palettes, I decided that the deeper blue paired with gold had a strong look and feel that compliments the former applications. I used the wing as a form of texture instead of treating it exactly the same as the plane application.
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Credit Card Application
Another form of application exploration I pursued is credit card (signature, gold and platinum members).
GOOD THRU
Looking at the placement of the wing and how it bleeds into the card was important to stay consistent with other applications. The use of the wing as texture like the kiosk application, had strong visual impact and harmony.
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Mobile Application
After designing for print, I applied my American brand to a mobile platform. Within this app, I envisioned what the cover page (and also wallpaper) might look like if this were applied to screen.
GOOD THRU
When placing the abstract wing as the cover screen, this felt a bit flat in terms in comparison to previous art. I then laid out images of abstracted horizons to then represent opportunity. The final application screens display a rich color palette corresponding to the rest of the American brand.
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Poster/Billboard Application
To make this brand feel more real, I applied the same imagery from mobile to poster and billboard. My intention was to draw inspiration from the warm hues of my mood board rather than sticking just to the standard blue and gold.
GOOD THRU
By having the promotional material illustrate essence of opportunity through imagery, the message of the brand begins to come to life. The taglines I chose reflect the idea of this airline being a bridge for all professional ventures.
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Marisa Bohlmann Lippincott Workshop Spring 2012 University of the Arts