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11 MIN READ TIME

Pimp my flight

Today, there are more than 1,300 aircraft worldwide wearing special liveries. Martyn Cartledge speaks to Airbourne Colours to find out why some airlines choose to stray from their standard schemes
Airbourne Colours produced the ‘Tomorrowland’ livery for Brussels Airlines, which appears on Airbus A320-214 OO-SNF (c/n 2810)

In the highly competitive world of commercial aviation, airline branding is of critical importance as an incredibly effective marketing tool. It makes an airline stand out from its competitors in a crowded apron and can promote customer loyalty through brand recognition. Brand awareness doesn’t just revolve around an airline’s colour scheme and logo, especially when every moment of a passenger’s journey is often committed to social media.

It is generally agreed that the eyecatching Alexander Calder designs that adorned Braniff aircraft from 1975 until the airline’s demise in 1982 were the first real use of aircraft special liveries. Indeed, the carrier managed to attract Calder’s interest by offering a whole aircraft as his canvas. Then, in 1984, Southwest Airlines introduced the famous ‘Shamu One’ design to advertise SeaWorld, starting a longstanding collaboration between airlines and advertisers.

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Airliner World
May 2024
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