Lehava

I believe we will see more to the branding change, including some highly priced new "tag line" that some marketing exec who has never been on a plane thought was hip *smile*

sxf24

Of course. Those marketing execs need to make money and justify their salary somehow.

SkyTeam777

That was my FAVORITE livery as well of all of the DL liveries. For some reason, the cheatline and the curving red lines that appeared at the nose seem really attractive to me. Very "smart" and crisp in my opinion instead of just a plain white fuselage, which is so boring (and almost sterile).

RobertS975

http://www.ajc.com/business/content/...6bizdelta.html

Registration may be required for the AJC article...


"Delta prepares another new look for jets
New design could put 'widget' logo back on tail

By RUSSELL GRANTHAM
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 04/06/07

As it nears the end of its bankruptcy case, Delta Air Lines is preparing to roll out a new paint scheme for its jets — the third such repackaging in 10 years.

Delta is expected to unveil the new livery soon after its scheduled emergence from Chapter 11 at the end of this month. The airline isn't saying much officially, other than to acknowledge a new paint job might be in the works as part of a larger post-bankruptcy marketing campaign.

Chief Executive Gerald Grinstein "has mentioned that it's something that we're looking at," Delta spokesman Jeff Battcher said.

But word of the project has circulated around Delta and on aviation Web sites such as flyertalk.com and airliners.net.

The main feature of the new design is likely to be the return of Delta's triangular shield logo, known as "the widget," to the tail of its jets, according to one employee familiar with the design.

He said a working version features an all-red version of the logo on navy blue tails. The triangular logo — currently red, white and blue — also gets a new three-dimensional look but doesn't change its basic shape, the employee said. Aircraft colors will also be tweaked, featuring a darker blue that matches recently-revamped employee uniforms, while the main fuselage color will remain white.

Big jets are flying billboards, so airlines take paint schemes seriously. Different managements also use them to put their stamp on a company or as part of broader "re-brandings."

The current Delta design, with its wavy color bands draped across a logo-less tail, rolled out in 2000 during ex-CEO Leo Mullin's tenure. One of Mullin's lieutenants termed it "sophisticated and fluid," although some wags have termed it the "beach towel" look.

That scheme replaced a 1997 redesign issued during the regime of then-CEO Ron Allen, which featured a simpler tail design with the word "Delta."

Prior to 1997, Delta had a design that dated to the 1960s and featured the widget logo slanted across the tail. Some still consider it the "classic" Delta look.

Jets in both the '97 and 2000 color schemes still fly, and Delta is also using some jets with the swoopy, lime green paint job of its now-defunct Song unit. In addition, the airline has a handful of single-plane paint schemes to highlight its involvement with civic causes such as Habitat for Humanity or breast cancer awareness.

It will likely take months for a new design to show up in large numbers. To hold down costs, airlines usually roll out redesigns gradaully, as they take delivery of new jets or cycle older ones through normal repainting.

Delta has sought to involve employees in its choice of a new livery, running it by focus groups and various employee groups such as the Delta Board Council, which represents employees at meetings of the carrier's board of directors.

Not long after he stepped in as CEO in 2004, Grinstein returned to Delta's traditional widget logo because employees objected to a subtly re-designed version that Mullin had introduced.

But at the time, he professed little interest in a new paint scheme.

"If there's one thing I'm not going to fiddle with now," he said at the annual shareholders meeting that year, "it's the livery of the aircraft."

BearX220

Delta goes through liveries like Italy goes through governments.

aviationkiwi

What a waste of money. Can they stick to one paint job for more than a decade? look at AA it seems they had the same color scheme for centuries.

DAL767-400ER

At the risk of repeating a point that most bashers seem to prefer to ignore:
PLANES HAVE TO REPAINTED IN INTERVALS ANYWAY, IT DOESN'T COST DELTA ANY ADDITIONAL MONEY.
And in case anyone is interested in the new livery:
http://flickr.com/photos/ritchkoff/4...7600051447339/

TTT

It will be interesting to see what it looks like. It will be nice to have the widget back.

I don't think it will cost all that much aside from the design costs. They will most likely repaint the aircraft when they would have required repainting anyway so no real added expense.

BearX220

Hmmm. Don't park that one next to Air Canada on a dark night. You could get in the wrong plane.

TTT

Um, why is it side-ways?

This will take some getting used to...


But I wonder if I could get my hands on the model they used in this photo.

BTW, what is the TV shoot for? A rebranding video?

Kahuna

As a customer, I would prefer that DL improve the amenities inside the ac before embarking on a redecorating program on the outside.

Restoring some class to the front cabin with linens, glassware etc would certainly be appreciated.

Lehava

Why is the widget near the cockpit the frowny face wrong one?

Lehava

Well...have to just say...new is NOT better....Dont like the new tail dont like the new sign http://flickr.com/photos/ritchkoff/4...7600051447339/, dont like the widget all red.

Northwest is all red, Delta is not! This was a bad idea on the marketing people's part!!!

orlandodlplat

I'm sure they'll have a big splashy series of tv spots, showing the making of a new logo.... Interesting what they did, shooting the painters painting and the workers welding and throwing off sparks at that exterior wall shot.

By the way, check out those pictures before they disappear. And I'm sure our prolific photographer friend Jason Ritchkoff (probably some low-level production assistant with the film crew hired by Delta) will be unemployed by this time tomorrow. This is a MAJOR confidentiality breach!

As for the livery itself, I think the font is cool, but looks too much like United's font. And the sideways widget.... well, it IS different.

Delta 764

At least the logotype is still blue.