Last week, American Airlines released a new logo. I think it is a failure.
New Logo
Old Logo
The old logo was simple. A A and eagle. Because it was simple and the letters are thick, it could be seen and recognized from afar. I’m afraid the new logo may not be clearly visible on a plane outside to those inside an airport terminal. Plus, the name American Airlines is extremely descriptive, and AA is more unique and protectable. And the new logo’s “fin” in the middle is not clearly a beak or a tail or a wing. What is it?
For example, see the airplane image from AA below, it looks red white and blue, but the branding is small, hard to find and not clear.
I think AA could use a brand refresh after all it has been through and having a logo that is decades old. But change should be for the better, not just for the sake of change. I grade this new logo a C-.
What do you think?
For more background:
Video introduction of the logo from American Airlines
