Controversial Liveries

I've noticed something interesting in my days as an AvGeek, and that is the polarizing affect that liveries have. While there are some that most agree are good or bad, most aren't so cut and dry. Some liveries can result in totally different opinions. One person may call it great, while another will describe it as terrible. There are some, however, that are some that garner so much attention and controversy that in some cases, people lost their jobs. That's where this post comes in, where I'll be looking at what the brand designers did wrong, or in some cases, what got everybody talking.

American Airlines #newAmerican

Image courtesy of American Airlines

It's impossible to write a blog post on controversial liveries without including American Airlines' new livery. Unveiled on January 17, the new look features an overhaul on the eagle, a gray body and a billboard "American Airlines" across the side. But perhaps what was most heavily criticized by media and the average flyer alike was the tail. A very liberal interpretation of the American flag, the tail has gradient stripes instead of stars on a blue background along with only 11 stripes. While most realize the change was absolutely necessary, the tail is still a sore point for most of the aviation community.

Many were hoping that with the announcement made on February 14th of the merger with US Airways that incoming CEO Doug Parker would have the livery changed. However, Parker declined to give a definitive answer on the subject at the merger press conference and no announcement has been made regarding the livery since.

British Airways Utopia

Image courtesy of the public domain

In 1997, British Airways unveiled its new logo along with a new idea they called Utopia. The livery featured a white body with a navy blue belly beginning at the wing level. The tail however, featured one of 30 designs inspired by various countries the airline flies to. From Hong Kong to Africa, India to Romania, the tails were pieces of art. While many liked it, many also did not. Internationally, the idea recieved an overall neutral reaction, but in the UK, where British Airways' core customer vbase lies, the reaction was strongly negative.

In Britain, the new livery met strong resistance in multiple forms. Former British Prime Minister Margret Thatcher remarked with disgust, "We fly the British flag, not these awful things". Meanwhile, Virgin Atlantic capitalized on the opportunity by painting the Union Jack on the tails of their aircraft under the marketing slogan of being Britain's "flag carrier", despite British Airways still legally being the flag carrier of the UK.

British Airways CEO Bob Ayling was dismissed from his position and was replaced by Rod Eddington in 2000. While not attributed only to the Utopia idea, the artsy tails were the most public and most heavily criticized decision Ayling made while CEO. In May of 2001, Eddington announced that all aircraft in the other 29 Utopia themes would be repainted in the Union Jack theme, ending a very short-lived attempt to promote Britsh Airways' brand identity abroad. The final aircraft bearing the scheme, an A320 operated by franchise partner BMed, exited the fleet in 2006.