Apr 23, 2019, 11:03 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
The “leaked” first shot:
United’s announcement video:
https://twitter.com/united/status/11...525993984?s=20
PDF of the new livery:
https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/876...jpg?p=original
United’s announcement video:
https://twitter.com/united/status/11...525993984?s=20
PDF of the new livery:
https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/876...jpg?p=original
Out with the Gold, in with the Blue - United Airlines Unveils its Next Fleet Paint Design
Updated aircraft livery is the next step in United's ongoing efforts to modernize its visual brand
CHICAGO, April 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, United Airlines is introducing customers and employees to a modernized aircraft livery, which will bring a refreshed look to its fleet. The design is a visual representation of United's ongoing brand evolution while staying true to the history it has developed over the past 93 years of proudly serving customers around the world.
"As we improve and elevate our customer experience, we are changing the way people think and feel about United, and this branding captures that new spirit," said Oscar Munoz, CEO of United Airlines. "Each improvement we've added to our service advances our evolution as an airline, furthering our effort to elevate and redefine customer service in the sky. This modernized design, especially our iconic globe, enhances the very best of United's image and values while pointing in the direction of where we intend to go next in serving our customers."
The next iteration of United's livery prominently features the color most connected to the airline's core – blue. Three shades – Rhapsody Blue, United Blue and Sky Blue – are used throughout the design in a way that pays respect to United's heritage while bringing a more modern energy. The airline is keeping its iconic globe logo on the aircraft tail, which represents the carrier's expansive route network of reaching 355 destinations in nearly 60 countries. The tail will be updated with a gradient in the three shades of blue, while the logo will now appear predominantly in Sky Blue. The engines and wingtips are also being painted United Blue, and the swoop that customers and employees have expressed fondness for on United's Dreamliner fleet will be added to all aircraft in Rhapsody Blue. United's name will appear larger on the aircraft body and the lower half of the body will be painted Runway Gray. United's mission of "Connecting people. Uniting the world." will also be painted near the door of each aircraft.
The new design features core colors from United's updated brand palette, which was introduced last year as a step toward updating the brand's visual identity. Blue continues to be the airline's primary color, with various tones creating more depth and reflecting the colors customers and employees see when they look out the plane window at the sky. The airline's new color palette also includes shades of purple, which is most recognizable as the color of the new United Premium Plus seats are being added to the fleet. When combined, the purple and blue tones create a soothing environment and a more relaxed travel experience. In updating its colors, United is reducing the use of gold, which was added to the brand palette almost 30 years ago. United's new color palette can also be seen in the accent colors of the new uniforms that are being created for more than 70,000 front-line employees.
On average, United aircraft receive new paint jobs every seven years. The first aircraft painted with the new design is a Boeing 737-800, which will be joined by a mix of narrowbody, widebody and regional aircraft with the updated livery throughout the year. For more information visit united.com/brandevolution.
Updated aircraft livery is the next step in United's ongoing efforts to modernize its visual brand
CHICAGO, April 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, United Airlines is introducing customers and employees to a modernized aircraft livery, which will bring a refreshed look to its fleet. The design is a visual representation of United's ongoing brand evolution while staying true to the history it has developed over the past 93 years of proudly serving customers around the world.
"As we improve and elevate our customer experience, we are changing the way people think and feel about United, and this branding captures that new spirit," said Oscar Munoz, CEO of United Airlines. "Each improvement we've added to our service advances our evolution as an airline, furthering our effort to elevate and redefine customer service in the sky. This modernized design, especially our iconic globe, enhances the very best of United's image and values while pointing in the direction of where we intend to go next in serving our customers."
The next iteration of United's livery prominently features the color most connected to the airline's core – blue. Three shades – Rhapsody Blue, United Blue and Sky Blue – are used throughout the design in a way that pays respect to United's heritage while bringing a more modern energy. The airline is keeping its iconic globe logo on the aircraft tail, which represents the carrier's expansive route network of reaching 355 destinations in nearly 60 countries. The tail will be updated with a gradient in the three shades of blue, while the logo will now appear predominantly in Sky Blue. The engines and wingtips are also being painted United Blue, and the swoop that customers and employees have expressed fondness for on United's Dreamliner fleet will be added to all aircraft in Rhapsody Blue. United's name will appear larger on the aircraft body and the lower half of the body will be painted Runway Gray. United's mission of "Connecting people. Uniting the world." will also be painted near the door of each aircraft.
The new design features core colors from United's updated brand palette, which was introduced last year as a step toward updating the brand's visual identity. Blue continues to be the airline's primary color, with various tones creating more depth and reflecting the colors customers and employees see when they look out the plane window at the sky. The airline's new color palette also includes shades of purple, which is most recognizable as the color of the new United Premium Plus seats are being added to the fleet. When combined, the purple and blue tones create a soothing environment and a more relaxed travel experience. In updating its colors, United is reducing the use of gold, which was added to the brand palette almost 30 years ago. United's new color palette can also be seen in the accent colors of the new uniforms that are being created for more than 70,000 front-line employees.
On average, United aircraft receive new paint jobs every seven years. The first aircraft painted with the new design is a Boeing 737-800, which will be joined by a mix of narrowbody, widebody and regional aircraft with the updated livery throughout the year. For more information visit united.com/brandevolution.
Revised UA livery revealed 24 April 2019 (sneak peek on FT on 23rd)
Mar 10, 2019, 9:23 pm
#91
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"I'm Earl Scheib, and I'll paint any car (plane), any color for $89.95. No ups, no extras."
Remember this?
Remember this?
Mar 10, 2019, 10:03 pm
#92
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Mar 11, 2019, 12:03 am
#93
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I know I’m largely out of step with 21st Century consumerism because I seriously don’t get it.
^ I’d bid 100K miles to be there for that.
Good reference. While each iteration of the Olympic Games has it’s own unique logo, the symbol of the Olympic movement (5 interlocked rings) has endured for over a century.
Mar 11, 2019, 5:47 am
#94
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For all those who say that branding doesn't matter -- how many people would buy a Chanel/Dior/Louis Vuitton/Gucci, etc. handbag or other item if it did not have the logo on it? While we all say that we are immune to the siren-song of branding, the extra dollars spent on branded items show that overall, this is incorrect.
Mar 11, 2019, 6:53 am
#95
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I didn't know we had 1,000 airline companies
The OP was asking specifically about airlines - and I maintain that rebranding alone, ie logos, colors and not hard or soft product updates associated with rebranding, along with stadium names and sponsorships either do nothing to increase revenue, or do so at a negative ROI vs the implementation cost.
I have no idea if rebranding with updated logos and colors helps Kellog's sell more boxes of cereal - it actually might, or it might not, but I don't know.
The OP was asking specifically about airlines - and I maintain that rebranding alone, ie logos, colors and not hard or soft product updates associated with rebranding, along with stadium names and sponsorships either do nothing to increase revenue, or do so at a negative ROI vs the implementation cost.
I have no idea if rebranding with updated logos and colors helps Kellog's sell more boxes of cereal - it actually might, or it might not, but I don't know.
Mar 11, 2019, 7:18 am
#96
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For all those who say that branding doesn't matter -- how many people would buy a Chanel/Dior/Louis Vuitton/Gucci, etc. handbag or other item if it did not have the logo on it? While we all say that we are immune to the siren-song of branding, the extra dollars spent on branded items show that overall, this is incorrect.
Are you possibly arguing that UA's old logo has such a negative association with consumers that changing it will bring them more revenue?
Michael Leeds is a sports economist at Temple University, and he conducted a study published as “A Stadium By Any Other Name. The Value of Naming Rights.” based on 25 years worth of data attempting to measure sponsorship’s impact on overall stock price. His study saw things a bit differently.
The study noted that as late as 1990, very few stadiums (and none in baseball) held a corporate name. Turn the clock forward to 2001, and a majority of stadiums held corporate names — including half of football stadiums.
The research noted that five NFL stadiums even gave up their names through 2004 due to financial distress or bankruptcy:
- Adelphia Coliseum in Nashville
- Pro Player Stadium in Miami
- PSINet Stadium in Baltimore
- 3-Com Field in San Francisco
- Trans World Dome in St. Louis
“We find little evidence that the purchase of naming rights had a statistically, significant impact on the value of the companies that bought them, even less evidence that the impact was positive, and no evidence at all that there was a permanent, positive impact.”
Last edited by zombietooth; Mar 11, 2019 at 7:30 am
Mar 11, 2019, 7:23 am
#97
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I apologize if I’m being dense, but are we in a theoretical discussion about a logo change? I think it’s pretty clear that United is not doing a clean-sheet rebrand, and the logo is staying the same. The airplanes will wear a different paint job, but this isn’t a rebranding that’s any different from what United is doing in its other, more up-to-date consumer touchpoints.
Mar 11, 2019, 7:29 am
#98
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I apologize if I’m being dense, but are we in a theoretical discussion about a logo change? I think it’s pretty clear that United is not doing a clean-sheet rebrand, and the logo is staying the same. The airplanes will wear a different paint job, but this isn’t a rebranding that’s any different from what United is doing in its other, more up-to-date consumer touchpoints.
On another note. In my previous job, I was involved in the budgeting for repainting aircraft and I remember that the last 777 we did cost about 185K. Now, if repainting is necessary for surface integrity reasons, I have no problem with spending that money but, if it is only for vanity, then it is a ridiculous waste. Believe me, I have seen wasted vanity expenditures that would make your hair curl.
In addition, repainting is very environmentally unfriendly, so an airline that started a marketing campaign along the lines of "We fly ugly planes to help the environment.", might actually garner some business with that move.
Last edited by zombietooth; Mar 11, 2019 at 11:48 am
Mar 11, 2019, 7:51 am
#99
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Fine, let's just call it "modernizing" the logo. What I want to know is will it increase revenue? If it doesn't, it is wasted money.
On another note. In my previous job, I was involved in the budgeting for repainting aircraft and I remember that the last 777 we did cost about 185K. Now, if repainting is necessary for surface integrity reasons, I have no problem with spending that money, but if it is only for vanity, then it is a ridiculous waste. Believe me, I have seen wasted vanity expenditures that would make your hair curl.
In addition, repainting is very environmentally unfriendly, so an airline that started a marketing campaign along the lines of "We fly ugly planes to help the environment.", might actually garner some business with that move.
On another note. In my previous job, I was involved in the budgeting for repainting aircraft and I remember that the last 777 we did cost about 185K. Now, if repainting is necessary for surface integrity reasons, I have no problem with spending that money, but if it is only for vanity, then it is a ridiculous waste. Believe me, I have seen wasted vanity expenditures that would make your hair curl.
In addition, repainting is very environmentally unfriendly, so an airline that started a marketing campaign along the lines of "We fly ugly planes to help the environment.", might actually garner some business with that move.
Mar 11, 2019, 7:59 am
#100
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I think there's a bit of a misunderstanding in this thread... the United logo and wordmark won't be changing. Revisions to the logo and brand guidelines have been incrementally rolled out over the past year or two. The juvenile "leaked" livery is a fan concept. What's changing is the paint job on the airplanes, mostly related to United's revised color palette, and repainting airplanes is a normal incident to aircraft maintenance. United also has a lot of new airplanes coming on property in the next few years, which all need to be painted. It's a reasonable interval to refresh the livery... I don't look at this as wasteful spending in the same way as a complete, start-from-scratch rebrand.
Call me skeptical.
Mar 11, 2019, 7:59 am
#101
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I guarantee you no company has a very clear understanding of the ROI expected from a specific future marketing project, only a best guess based on past performance of similar projects, which may or may not occur on any future project. As pointed out in another post, there is ample evidence that investments in stadium naming and sponsorship has a negligible effect, if any, on ROI or revenue - an airline is not an apparel company putting its brand or style on a famous person.
Mar 11, 2019, 8:04 am
#102
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Assuming there is no increase in planned maintenance costs associated with the new logo, I am perfectly fine with it. I.e. if a plane was scheduled to be repainted anyway for surface integrity reasons, then changing the paint scheme shouldn't change the cost significantly so long as you don't use more colors. However, I didn't read Oscar's press release as benignly as you have.
Call me skeptical.
Call me skeptical.
Mar 11, 2019, 12:21 pm
#103
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For all those who say that branding doesn't matter -- how many people would buy a Chanel/Dior/Louis Vuitton/Gucci, etc. handbag or other item if it did not have the logo on it? While we all say that we are immune to the siren-song of branding, the extra dollars spent on branded items show that overall, this is incorrect.
Where branding makes a difference for me is when I can trust that the brand will deliver on a certain minimum expectation, not whether that brand is visible to others. If I buy camping equipment from REI or North Face or Kelty, I have a good idea of what I'm getting -- I don't need to scream it to the world (although THEY probably want me to).
Mar 11, 2019, 12:26 pm
#104
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Can the MAX planes have a red X sticker or other distinguishing sticker included in the refresh?
Mar 11, 2019, 1:25 pm
#105
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I guarantee you no company has a very clear understanding of the ROI expected from a specific future marketing project, only a best guess based on past performance of similar projects, which may or may not occur on any future project. As pointed out in another post, there is ample evidence that investments in stadium naming and sponsorship has a negligible effect, if any, on ROI or revenue - an airline is not an apparel company putting its brand or style on a famous person.