American Airlines’ New Logo

10

Question to ponder: If your company is

a) in bankruptcy

b) negotiating a potential mega-merger with a rival

c) in posession of one of the most iconic logos of the 20th century

which item do you take action on first: fixing the financials? moving on the merger? or…losing the logo? If you’re American Airlines, you chose the logo. Last week, the struggling air carrier unveiled its first re-branding in over 40 years, and replaced the eagle that has been its symbol for so long with a more abstract shape that relies on gradients and shadows to create a 3D impression.

To be fair, the design change is actually part of a larger effort to reinvigorate the company that also includes new planes, service to new destinations, and upgraded amenities in flight. Yes, American pilots now have iPads in the cockpit. Wonder if the flight attendants force them to turn ’em off during takeoff and landing.

According to Tom Horton, Chairman and CEO of American, the redesign was undertaken “so that the outside of our aircraft reflects the progress we’ve made on the inside.”

The old logo, designed in 1968 by Massimo Vignelli, helped to create one of the most instantly recognizable brands in the world (the shiny silver planes didn’t hurt either).

The description of the new logo at AA.com says it “contains the eagle, the star, the ‘A,’ and refreshed shades of red, white and blue. Together, they represent a clean and modern update to the core icons of our company.” The look is intended to convey “light, vibrant, and modern” impressions. The AA.com website also features a video and slideshow explaining the redesign, and tracing the evolution of the company’s logo from its birth in 1934.

So what do you think? Is the new logo cleared for takeoff or grounded?

If you’re interested in learning more about the man and the thinking behind the 1968 logo (or you’re just interested in some great lessons in typography and graphic design), check out The Vignelli Canon (free, 96 pp. PDF).

Editor in Chief of CreativePro. Instructor at LinkedIn Learning with courses on InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, GIMP, Inkscape, and Affinity Publisher.
  • Anonymous says:

    It’s better. It’s a 21st century logo now.

    I know everyone will want to pile on and laugh at AA for this. The one thing I’ll agree on is that the timing of this is bizarre, and you’re right that they shouldn’t be focusing on the logo right now given their other troubles. However, if you’d run an article last week about the previous logo, you could easily have made the reverse dig at AA: that given their financial troubles, why are they still saddled with such an old-fashioned and clunky brand?

    No, this logo will not work without its gradients. It will not work in monochrome at all. However, I think we’re well beyond a time where these concerns are vitally important.

  • Mike Rankin says:

    That’s fair. I think the new logo is on its own, a nice piece of work. No one uses more gradients and shadows than I do. I just think they had something of value and would’ve tried very hard to maintain more continuity with it.

  • Anonymous says:

    I like the concept in general, including the shapes, new colors and the gradients, however, the logo has been reduced from 2 A’s to half of one A. It looks incomplete to my eyes, and it would have been nice to include the left leg of the A, at least an impression of it. That said, the new logo will work effectively on the tail fin of the new planes and fit in the space quite well. It’s too bad the site doesn’t allow the attachment of files, as I’ve designed a slight revision that I think really completes the new logo.

  • Anonymous says:

    Ackkkk Ackkkkk

    Seagulls are coming!

    actually, as an underemployed over-experienced designer who would have done a logo for peanuts, this AA logo makes me want to stab myself with my exacto knife, no wait, i don’t have one anymore. Makes me want to just quit and go work at walmart.

  • Anonymous says:

    Well first of all, I don’t think AA logo is an iconic logo around the world, but I can see that the passion and nostalgia Americans feel for it is real.

    Air travel is usually branded with a strong sense of momentum and passion; there’s a solidness to reinforce their safety. This logo is calm and collected, but it doesn’t look like the logo of a dynamic company that will lead the pack. It’s so safe there’s almost no personality at all. The icon is pretty, but in the same sense as the bp ‘flower’ is attractive, without actually inspiring much more than corporate values.

    Why not modernise what’s there? There’s a clear visual geneology from the original 1930s logo through to the Vignelli logo which has value both in brand awareness and history. This approach has been taken by QANTAS and I think this has assisted its efforts towards an being an internationally recognised brand https://www.dinesh.com/history_of_logos/airline_logos/qantas_logo_-_design_and_history.html

  • Anonymous says:

    It’s too bad the design relies so heavily on gradients, which are already so old in design terms. But I like the rest of the elements, and the concept behind it all.

    Terri Stone

  • Anonymous says:

    Is it a bird? Is it a plane? The new AA logo is a dud.

    1. It does not read well at small sizes. 2. I assume the middle white/gray element is supposed to be an eagle, but it’s pretty ambiguous and wimpy, especially at smaller sizes. 3. It doesn’t marry very naturally with the type — seems tacked on, very disproportionate and, frankly, odd. 4. At first glance it looks most like a venetian blind slat, or maybe (since this is an airline) a vintage biplane wing? — No, wait, is it supposed to be a skinny vertical tail wing!? 5. But what if the plane is going the other direction — then you need to flop it and put it in front of the type! 6. And then they have those totally new tail-section striped graphics that have absolutely nothing to to with the new logo.

    What were these people thinking!?

    Al Shultz
    https://www.alshultz.com/

  • Anonymous says:

    Fly! Fly, you fools!

  • Anonymous says:

    As a former AA employee, I can say that this is perfectly in line with American’s way of doing business. AA is like a beautiful older woman with Stage 4 cancer who opts for a facelift instead of enduring the pain and hardship of chemo and radiation therapies. Scott Adams could have spent his entire career successfully writing Dilbert comics from AA alone!

  • linoigz says:

    I agree for the factors in having a new logo. A bad reputation is also a factor. However, claimed sales fraud for a Chevrolet dealer chain in Davenport, Iowa, has prompted a suit by parent GM. Documents state that Leep Chevrolet was reporting sales it didn’t actually make.

  • >