I agree with you. LufthansaFlyer's photos illustrate the concept beautifully and I love the thoughtful application of blue and yellow as each colour is used to emphasise the brand at different scales

The dark metallic blue is very rich. It amplifies the scale of the machine and the wrap around the surface curvature adds an enriched, lustrous effect to the colour application. The crane and roundel is pure precision - it looks effortless but to understand the true bauhaus tradition, the end result follows a process of rigorous reduction and refinement. Anything that is arbitrary is eliminated. Very teutonic and I love it.

Yellow is used to emphasise the brand at a human scale - specifically intended for the customer. It is what they view when they are in touching distance of the machine.

The typeface (bold and colour matched) is clean, and powerful. Its application and placement is precise, just as you expect of Lufthansa.

But my question is, was any of this really NECESSARY? it's going to cost a fortune to change everything to accommodate the new design. Certainly, some not so idiotic idiots have filled their pockets with money over this. It somehow reminds me of the Rechtschreibreform of a few years ago, which didn't achieve much except to confuse a generation of schoolkids.

Yes. Marketing people need to eat as well, that's why pretend work will always be necessary.

It will take 18-24 months to determine the answer to your question. This is a complete update of a very powerful brand identity and adjusting something that is universally acknowledges as a classic brand with something new takes time to bed into people's minds. If after 2 years the new livery is perceived as a classic with the old one relegated to its place in time, then the designers will have done a good job.

What are your feelings today of AA's 2013 rebrand?

I actually really like current AA design and feel it looks classy and up to date. Back in 2013 I thought it was a mistake, yet another anonymous and swooshy remake of a classic design (and let's face it, a lot of airline logo and branding images are full of unnecessary swooshes these days). Totally agree with what you wrote above, if the design beds down as you say then it stands to be a real winner, in terms of brand identity, and the yellows will be something consigned to a bygone era.

I actually like AA's new image, it's much more with the times. Iberia also did a good job with their rebrand, the old one was so 80's!

I like the LH refresh, it's very modern and stylish. Also, watching the video where they explain why it's been done, it does make sense. I suppose they'll also be saving a fortune by using their own typeface, maybe that's one of the main reasons for the change!

Now it's BA's turn...they haven't changed anything for yonks and it looks so outdated now, especially when you see how other airlines' brand images have constantly evolved.

You can demolish your house and build a new one that getss a Pritzker prize so the architect clearly had done a great job. But that doesn't answer really answer the 'is it necessary' question.

I like it. I also like the LH redesign. Both are safe, non offensive or groundbreaking choices. I don't care about either of them though and I wouldn't pay for them (in tickets) if I had been given a choice.

Exactly this! The fried egg yellow is very outdated. Well done on the sleek new design!

Maybe try reading first? This is all explained in the thread.

Sorry, you made me laugh, as you sound like you work for the LH marketing department. ;)

I am not employed by LH and nor do I have any connection with the company. Also, I have not had a chance to watch LH's YT presentation yet, so my views have not been swayed by the rationale behind they new branding. I do work in the creative industry so have developed a particular skill set which I use to articulate my thoughts on design issues. Equally though, if you say "i don't like it", well, I'm good with that too :)

It must be the same 'creative' mindset that has led to product offerings such as "Simply Gorgeous Chips" by McCain.

You did indeed sound like somebody from the "creative industry". ;)

You keep asking people whether they like the new AA livery: I actually don't mind it. The difference is that AA managed to keep the well-known color combination (blue and red, in pretty much identical quantity) and nobody suggested that two colors is one too many and that you need to have a "lead color" and essentially eliminate the other. LH lost its iconic yellow and the new blue on the tail is very dark in real life, looks like black on a grey winter day; depressive. In not-so-well-lit areas of terminals, the new dark blue counter fronts are terrible, too.

You could argue that about any brand... Is a brand really necessary. You could just have white planes with a registration and call it a day. It's honestly a nice refresh. It's just a shame that the blue is so dark....

That seems to be the end game.