11 February, 2018

Lufthansa unveils new look and punters are not impressed

A large part of a brands appeal is its identity -  a strong identity can encapsulate a brands its whole ethos. A strong and recognized identity can and often does increase custom in vast amounts. Equally, change a companies identity badly and it can be disastrous. Therefore, it takes a brave company to meddle with a brand identity that has been around for decades, is globally recognized, respected and even loved. Lufthansa is one such brave company and this week they unveiled their new look!

The German airline took plenty of time and spent a great deal of effort and money to not only create their new identity but also to reveal it to staff and the public alike.  They revealed the new modernized brand image with two major events at the airlines Frankfurt and Munich hubs on Wednesday, 7th of February.

The most visible change is the new aircraft livery and so in front of more than 3,000 guests in Frankfurt and Munich, Lufthansa officially presented a Boeing 747-8 and an Airbus A321 with the new design.







“Lufthansa has changed and is more modern and successful than ever. From now on, this will also be visible to the public through a new design”, says Carsten Spohr, Chairman of the Executive Board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG. “The crane has always been with us and clearly stands for the promising performance from Lufthansa. To this day, it still stands as a symbol of highest quality, excellent service, flying expertise, reliability, innovative spirit; and it stands for trust.”

Against the backdrop of digitalization and changing customer requirements, Lufthansa recognized that the company needed to modernize the aircraft appearance in order to remain up to date. The Group invests two billion euros a year in new, fuel-efficient aircraft. The premium onboard and ground services meet individual customer requirements. Lufthansa was awarded the Platinum Award by the International Air Transport Association IATA for its new digital services and was the only and first airline in Europe to be awarded the 5th star by Skytrax. The introduction of a new business class with the new Boeing 777-9 in two years is an example of how the path to modernization will be consistently pursued in the future.

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the crane, every detail of the design was reworked – to meet requirements of the digital age. The new Lufthansa appearance gives the individual elements a new, modern quality to sharpen their impact. The designers found great importance in taking up the unique design tradition of the Lufthansa brand and leading it into the future.

Heritage meets the future

“The modernization of Lufthansa is only possible thanks to the commitment of our employees, who are the best in the industry. They are the actual face of the brand “, Carsten Spohr continues.

The crane, designed exactly 100 years ago by graphic artist Otto Firle, a distinctive icon in the sky, remains the airline's iconic symbol. In the future, it will be slimmer and fit for the digital world. A thinner ring makes the crane look more elegant, bringing it into the foreground and granting it more space. All in all, the trademark will gain lightness and elegance. The familiar blue-yellow colour combination of Lufthansa will also be retained – but the use of these primary colours will be redefined. The blue specially developed for Lufthansa is somewhat darker, more elegant and is becoming the leading brand colour. It stands for reliability, clarity and value.

After 30 years, Lufthansa's aircraft are gradually being given a new livery. The design was developed in a complex process with numerous experts. After intensive preliminary studies, more than 800 designs and own colour developments in the laboratory, the new aircraft design was completed. In keeping with the airline's claim to be premium, the blue colour of the livery will dominate the sky and the world's airports for the next few decades.

In the cabin, guests will encounter the modernized design within the crew's uniform in the form of new – and often yellow – accessories. On-board articles such as tableware, amenity kits, blankets or pillowcases will carry the new design in future. Around 160 million items will be exchanged over the next two years.

An important challenge in revising the design was to meet the requirements of today's and tomorrow's digital world. In addition to optimizing the crane for new technical requirements, Lufthansa has developed its own typeface, which is particularly easy to read on mobile devices or Smartwatches.

New brand campaign

Openness and curiosity – the launch of the new Lufthansa brand launch marks the start of the new #SayYesToTheWorld brand campaign. It questions familiar ways of thinking and habits. Lufthansa opens up the world to all explorers. With style, ambition and quality. With empathy for each individual. Reliable and trustworthy.

New design also for the Lufthansa Group

The Lufthansa Group's brand image has also been modernized. The new logo no longer bears the crane and is written completely in capital letters. This will take into account the great variety of brands in the Group, offering optical neutrality for all companies. The newly developed Lufthansa Corporate typeface is timeless and independent. The use of capitals is a characteristic of the new Group design.

The new Lufthansa blue is the Lufthansa Group's main colour. White ensures lightness and an independent appearance. Yellow complements the colour palette. Carsten Spohr says: “We are the proud drivers of globalization and are honoured to bring this abstract concept to life! All this drives us forward and makes our work so valuable and fulfilling.”

What do you think of the new look?

"It reminds me of a glossy version of the old BOAC blue, that was popular in the 50's and 60's.  To me it looks old, dated and dull"  Said our own aviation analyst and correspondent Jason Shaw.

"It is not as colourful as the old logo, livery. I miss the yellow"  Robert, store manager at Gatwick.

"I dunno why they would wanna change from the old look, I thought that was better." Jill, Cabin crew.

"I don't like it, although I'm sure it will grow on me." Alec, painter.

Many others on social media have also been less than impressed with the new brand identity with the general consensus being it is bland, nondescript and already dated.


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