Lehava

I knew I had seen the look somewhere before http://forums.ifdg.net/index.php?s=&...ndpost&p=25122

BTW think it is will be a fun Monday in the Marketing Dept on Virginia Avenue this week *smile*

jimrpa

I'm not too crazy about the "warped widget". For some reason, that's the only thing that always bothered me about the "Delta Classic" livery.

In fairness, I should note that both GE and my current employer are very picky about the use of their registered trademarks and "warping" or "distorting" them is not allowed.

jimrpa

Those warning "stickers" are much smaller. Also, I'm not sure they're stickers - I suspect their painted templates.

jimrpa

Personally, I prefer the dark navy tail with the all-red widget. The dark navy implies elegance to me, and the dark red implies richness.

Nothing "wrong" per se, with your rendition, but it's essentially the "same old thing". I think Delta is trying to establish a new "feeling" for their brand. My sense, from what I've seen so far, is that Delta is trying to position themselves as a bit more upscale than the SouthWests and US Airs of the world.

In fact, here's an amusing thought to ponder. Check out Virgin Atlantic's (er, I mean Virgin America, the totally independent airline with no connections to the Virgin Group and no control by Sir Richard Branson ) First Class. You'll note that they're featuring 55" "international business class" seats. In 2008, Delta's going to be rolling out the new Delta Suites on their international aircraft. There are going to be a lot of "used" BusinessElite seats sitting around. Wouldn't it be interesting if Delta were to readjust those seats for slightly less recline (resulting in say, a 50" pitch), pull a row out of FC on the domestic 757s and begin deploying those? Depending on how successful the product is, they could expand easily to the 737 fleet as well.

rhetor

I think your revision is a big improvement (though I'm liking the all-red-against blue much better than the magnified "piece o' widget" red-against-blue we saw in the first pictures). If I had the photoshop sklills to tweak it a bit more, I think I would want to increase the proportion of the blue triangle to make it look a bit more dynamic--as if it's giving impulse to the red. The smallness of the blue makes it look a bit inert and flat.

Lehava

I agree the bottom might need to be distorted separately from the top, I was having a hard time even getting to parts of the blue on the graphic. The bottom should have another "slope" on it it doesnt, going from the top of the blue you would have another side down to the flat background. But I do like the look, ok who do we call at DL *Smile*

Lehava

But see that is the balance they have to strike if they are going to keep their ship moving forward. Delta is NOT a new airline, they have history, a lot of history, there was just a massive campaign to Keep Delta My Delta. Now going off and doing trendy, hot and new is doing EXACTLY what isnt right for Delta. Delta can remake itself to a point, but if it doesnt hold to its roots also the branding will fail. Delta is not ever going to be "hip". It is the comfortable, well known airline, it is coming home. It is more the comfortable t-shirt you turn to to feel safe than trendy hot fashion!!!!

Branding change is not about pretending you are something you arent, and when companies try that the whole campaign fails!

BTW you can be VERY upscale and still not be trendy. That is what the great women of the south showed for decades. Delta needs to remember it is the Grand Southern Belle not Britney Spears!!!!!

SkyTeam777

Was this always a work in progress or is DL being swayed by the negative feedback on the Internet?

zsmith2

Well, a rumor is a rumor but this is what they think:
http://img103.imageshack.us/img103/7...aairlinxb1.jpg

BFG

That image was edited from the original model by a poster on this thread.
http://forums.ifdg.net/index.php?sho...20&#entry25145

BFG

Lehava, I like you image better than the version seen on the model. It's closer to the livery Delta had for years (since the 60's I think). The only problem I have with it is the blue and red need to be exchanged.

There is a story behind "the widget's" design that's a piece of history with Delta. I don't think it should be comprimised.

Delta's advertising department described the trademark colors of red, white, and blue: “Within the strong outline of the triangle, the blue portion points to the sky where we fly—the point represents the pinnacle of professional achievement. Just entering the blue is the swept wing of the jet, represented by the broad white ‘V.’ The flat broad base suggests Delta's solid foundation. Colored red, it can be regarded not only as the exhaust behind the jet but also the flame of leadership that keeps the point headed upward

"the point represents the pinnacle of professional achievement"
I emphasized that statement because it probably means more today then it did when this story was originally told.

This is a classic and should be used as the "model" to be tweaked.
http://www.air-and-space.com/2006022...ke-off%20l.jpg

I'd say use this tail but update the fuselage.

The widget was elongated to fit the tail depending on the type of aircraft but it never looked overly distorted.


Apparently Delta has tried a sideways widget before. Here is the timeline of the logo
http://www.deltamuseum.org/M_Educati...acts_Logos.htm

jimrpa

Lehava, I love your sense of humor!

I think the use of the "widget" in it's original shape (not rounded) and tri-color on printed materials is paying homage to Delta's rich past. That said, the dynamic, solid-colored, three-dimensional-looking red widget on a navy background, conveys a sense of newness ("we aren't stuck in the past, but rather moving forward"). Let me give you an example - Back in the mid-eighties, General Electric updated their "meatball" (the "meatball" is a nickname for the GE monogram - the letters "G" and "E" written in script, inside a circle). The "new" meatball is still very visibly "GE", but has a "smoother" appearance. GE didn't toss out their 100+ years of history with the introduction of the "new" meatball and branding scheme, rather they updated it to reflect what GE had become - a diversified company that was much more than just light bulbs and refrigerators.

In a similar way, the solid-colored red, three-dimensional widget recalls Delta's rich tradition of hospitality and comfort, yet firmly conveys that Delta is moving forward in the 21st century.

As an aside, I'd never equate Delta to Britney Spears Actually though, you've got me stumped - I can't think of any popular, younger woman right now, who is considered elegant, stylish, and trend-setting without also being considered "trashy". Of course, I'm a guy, so I'm not good at these things.

For a food example, I don't want Delta to remain a "Paula Dean" clone. I'd like to see them evolve towards an Alton Brown

SkyTeam777

I like this a lot, just which there were a stripe of red somewhere along the fuselage...even just a subtle one to add some flair.

gilpin

Kirsten Dunst?

jimrpa

I'm not sure how you can make that statement. The "classic" widget is clearly an isosceles triangle, and probably an equilateral triangle. It HAS to be distorted to include an obtuse angle, just to squeeze it onto a slanted tail. That's the one thing that's always bugged me about the use of the widget on aircraft tails. The distortion is even worse on aircraft like MD-8Xs which have relatively short, but severely slanted tails