United and Continental Airlines merged recently. The new brand recently announced a “new” logo, although the “new” is just pieces of the old ones.
The “new” logo looks old and tired. In my opinion, United’s old logo was better than Continental’s. The Continental logo – and the new merged United logo – looks plan and conservative. It is one color. Simple shapes and design. Airlines are about speed and movement and wonder. [For a related analysis, see my post about Acela train logo here.] The “new” United logo says nothing new. Now that may indeed be part of the plan – to show consumers thatit is business as usual and the merger results in no big changes to flyers. But if I were presented with the opportunity to refresh or update such a boring plain old logo, as United did here, I would go for something more colorful, more fresh, and more youthful.
The new breed of airline competitors is younger and fresher. And their logos are much more interesting. See Virgin America, JetBlue, and other logos below. United, intentionally or not, looks like their grandfather.
Talk about destroying a brand. I’m a loyal CO elite but smart enough to know that the UA logo holds worldwide recognition.
I too am an CO elite, I don’t understand why this “new United” let go of the Continental name. The recognition Continental has far surpasses that of United for service and excellence. Every service award possible has been given to Continental Airlines. United is known for it’s massive structure, nothing more… I fear the “new United” will not measure up.
Donita Grafiton