Airline Livery and Airline Branding: Part 4

The first three parts of our “Airline Livery and Airline Branding” investigative series have shown that, despite multi-million dollar marketing budgets, airlines often get branding wrong when it comes to their airline liveries. In this penultimate installment of our series, we’ll examine five airlines who are on the right track with their liveries. But perhaps more intriguingly, these airlines represent hail from three separate continents, companies old and new, and approach their branding from diverse perspectives.

As we fly at supersonic speeds above the clouds and towards the top of our list, the diversity in this section of our investigation goes to prove that branding can be done - and done well - in a myriad of different ways.

British Airways livery
British Airways’ livery is average in a lot of ways but still gets the job done. Firstly, the overall look of the plane, particularly the tail section, is generic, with a very common red-white-blue color scheme. The tail image is taken from part of the Union Jack, the flag of the United Kingdom, so not much can be done here. However, the design does get points for being a more exciting use of the flag colors than, say, Air France.

The underbelly of the planes are painted blue, with the rest of the plane in white, and blue “British Airways” lettering on the upper body. The total effect, while not jaw-dropping, is decidedly British, and it looks regal. There are some inconsistencies between the staid front of the aircraft and the “designer” tail, with an attempt to pull these together with a small ribbon logo on the body, but it could look worse.

There may be better looking planes out there but the branding on this one is pretty solid and recognisable.

British Airways branding grade: B

KLM livery
KLM, the world’s oldest airline operating under its original name, wasn’t about to shed that image when it merged with Air France in 2004. Both airlines retained their national charms, not to mention their branding and liveries.

KLM’s planes are unique in color. The tail of the plane is white with a light blue “KLM” and Dutch crown logo, which appears no less than six times on the livery of the aircraft. On the fuselage, the top of the plane is the same light blue (with the white KLM brand towards the front), a dark blue cheatline, and a grey underbelly. KLM’s logo also appears on the engines and winglets, and “Royal Dutch Airlines” is written in tiny font under the cheatline towards the front of the plane.

KLM’s brand identity is a curious one. The airline was the national carrier of the Netherlands prior to the merger with Air France, and they now officially operate out of offices in France. The livery has not been redesigned to accommodate this change, a decision likely stemming from the recognisabiltiy of both merged brands. So we have a non-flag carrier airline, which is technically based in France, sporting the Dutch royal crown?

We think this was a smart marketing move for all parties involved. Despite the merger, KLM still has distinctive ties to the Netherlands, whether through their “Delft blue” color or the name itself. KLM is, by all accounts, still proudly waving the Dutch colors for all to see.

The livery is very well done too. The blue color is a bit garish but certain represents the country in a recognisable way. The entire look of the aircraft livery looks like one complete look rather than a mish-mash of corporate logo and unrelated tail art. In total it is a fair homage, a recognisable look, and not too harsh on the eyes either.

KLM branding grade: B+

Ryanair livery
Ryanair’s planes look great, with a white body, yellow cheatline, navy underbelly (this design extends to the engines) and a navy blue tail with an abstract yellow flying angel. They’ve even added branded “Ryanair” winglets in recent years, making the whole package look extraordinary. In an industry where blue and white are the norm and logos don’t change for 40 years, Ryanair’s livery is, well, like angels sent from heaven.

The brand, however, is a different matter. Normally, we would chide Ryanair for not being green, the color of its home country, Ireland. But with Aer Lingus as the official flag carrier and Ryanair looking to be a global airline, maybe it can be forgiven. Still, there is something about the brand that seems too contrived and impersonal, right down to the simple sans serif lettering. We know it’s a budget airline, but do fontfaces cost extra?

There’s not a whole lot in the Ryanair image that makes it feel as regal as the picture painted on the livery, so whether you’re debating the lack of green or the reasoning behind the big-busted angel, Ryanair’s planes will leave you with unanswered questions. Beautiful livery design? Certainly. Brand identity? Still not there.

Ryanair branding grade: B+

Qantas livery
Qantas is the world’s second oldest airline and Australia’s largest. It has a lot to live up to and - based on the performance of some other “old” airlines on our list - you would expect the branding to be outdated. But, although Qantas has used essentially the same logo since 1944, it has undergone several important changes over the years to keep it looking fresh and new. The result is a brand - and a livery - that looks as if it flew out of the design room just this morning.

Qantas’s livery incorporates their great kangaroo logo in several different ways. First, there is the sweeping red on the tail that continues along the back of the aircraft; certain not a subtle way to announce yourself. The abstract Qantas kangaroo appears in white over this red section. It is simple - one color on a background - but makes an immediate and memorable statement.

The Qantas kanagaroo appears again, smaller this time, on the engines, and the wing tips of the planes are accented with red too. “Spirit of Australia - Qantas” appears on the Eurowhite body, pulling together the entire nationalist ensemble. It would be nice to see some red incorporated into this section - it seems a bit detached from the striking tail image - and the font could fit better with the abstract tail as well, but the livery is still instantly recognisable and there is little doubt where these aircrafts call home.

Qantas branding grade: B+

TAM Airlines livery
Despite the less-than-perfect name (TAM stands for “Transportes Aéreos Marília”, or “Marília Air Transport”), TAM Airlines is South America’s largest airline. The branding for the company relies somewhat on name recognition but the livery also includes subtle references to the airlines base country.

The main color for TAM is bright red, which is used liberally throughout the livery. “TAM” appears in very bold block letters towards the front of the white body, and again in white over a red tail. The plane also contains a smaller “Orgulho de ser Brasileira” (Pride of Brazil) message on the body, alongside a yellow and green heart. This is perhaps the most heartwarming connection to TAM and Brazil, but the nation’s colors are picked up elsewhere on the aircraft too. The engines are painted red with yellow and green swooshes on the outside, and the red tail and winglets also features green and gold accents.

TAM airplanes are not the most beautiful you’ll see on the taxiways at an airport near you; that honor probably goes to Air Canada. But we love how they have made a concerted effort to combine the branding of the company (salsa red, red, red!) with Brazilian patriotism. No designer would ever choose to paint in bold red, green and yellow, but that is what their love of country demands and so that is what they’ve delivered. Whether or not you love the way it looks (and we do, actually!), you have to respect it.

TAM Airlines branding grade: B+

Follow the other installments of our “Airline Livery and Airline Branding” investigative series: