Airline Livery and Airline Branding: Conclusion

For all 20 of these well-known airlines, there were no failing grades (F). This isn’t necessarily a compliment towards the branding and livery design so much as an acknowledgement that, however misguided in design, each of these airlines is well-recognised on a national, if not international, scale. They’re lucky - multi-million dollar marketing departments can save a lot of egg faces when it comes to brand recognition. That’s what money buys.

What money doesn’t necessarily buy is style, design or a greater sense of purpose for a brand. The airlines that didn’t do so well in our investigation failed on at least some of these points, sometimes mightily. Whether they were remiss in acknowledging nationalism in their brand or were simply too boring design-wise, some big-budget airlines didn’t make the grade when it came to livery branding.

We think this is a shame. Long after ad campaigns have gone off the air or viral marketing gimmicks have died out, the true identity of an airline lies in its planes. It seems obvious - people go to airports for one reason; wouldn’t that be the best moment to hit your target audience with a memorable brand?

The airlines that did do well in our livery branding investigation are instantly recognisable. These liveries are the top of the class when it comes to a merger of traditional branding and logos with this visual “catchability” at the airport and in the skies. When these features work well together - whether it’s “easyJet orange” or the iconic United “U” - it’s truly a sight worth looking out for the next time you’re in the departure lounge.

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Liam Coughlan Says: July 3rd, 2008 at 10:15 am

What is it with Ryanair and the Ivory coast !
On the left hand side of their aircraft they correctly present the Irish tricolour but on the other side they seem to have ” orange white green ” which as everybody knows is the national flag of the Ivory coast . Can you help to explain.

M.C. Says: July 3rd, 2008 at 10:26 am

Yes. It’s a common trick for government flags and insignias (the US military does it too, on their uniforms). The idea is that the flag is meant to look like it’s flying into a breeze, so you look at it on one side and it is correct, and on the other it is considered the “reverse” of the flag, still flying in, technically, the same direction. It’s supposed to give the appearance of forward motion.

Obviously you run into problems when reversed colours represent another country, and it doesn’t work nearly as well on a big airplane as it does on a uniform, when you can usually see both sides at once. But that’s the theory behind it.

Liam Coughlan Says: July 3rd, 2008 at 1:09 pm

Thank you very much indeed.