Like a chimpanzee throwing it's own feces to make a statement, the higher up's of Continental and United decided for whatever ungodly reason to throw the United name onto the Continental livery. It's quite remarkable how unremarkable and unoriginal this livery really is. At least when Delta and Northwest merged, Delta mercifully and swiftly killed off the Northwest name from the face of the airline industry. Although I do find it sad when any airline goes under, airline buffs around the world know that keeping alive any form of a defunct airline is a sad and disastrous error and, in the end, can bring shame to the glory of what the airline used to be. Case and point:
As much as I'd like to see Pan Am flying again, it took FOUR attempts to finally realize that it's just impossible to bring to life something that has already died (plus, most of the airline enthusiasts worldwide don't have the time or money to help support a revival of that size).
So, what is United/Continental really thinking? Well, you can find a blurb on United's website (http://www.united.com/page/genericpage/1,,53707,00.html?navSource=header&linkTitle=our_new_logo) which begins with the title "United's Evolving Brand". Now, if by evolving you mean man advancing back to ape, this might be a fun discussion after a few drinks. However, if you really want to show that you're really changing, you should come up with an entirely new image. Or, like I mentioned before, you can follow Delta's efficient example:
Not only is it exciting as an airline enthusiast to see a 747 flying for Delta after 30 so odd years of absence, to me it shows that Delta is serious in becoming an efficient and reliable airline. There's no reading between the lines with Delta's statement of becoming one of the most powerful players in the airline industry.
In the end, I do hope that United does pull through to become a key player in the international airline industry. When I was a kid living abroad, it was United's 747's that transported me to Asia and back home to America, so I do have a soft spot for the airline. And, as always, I love the airline industry and support any and all competition to advance air travel worldwide. I guess I'm just asking for United/Continental to take itself seriously by making themselves their own identity without having to blatantly profess their new relationship, which, as all teenage, puppy-love relationships result, leave themselves open to stark criticism if things go sour.
Not only is the United/Continental logo a lazy attempt at rebranding, but when compared to Delta's 747, the two look alarmingly similar. Font, color scheme and logo placement; it's almost as if the executives at United just pointed at one of Delta's planes and said, "we want that".
ReplyDeleteThere's a good chance that probably happened. It seems that the American airline industry is no longer looking for creative outlooks, but instead desperately scrambling to make a profit. It's sad, but that's how it seems money talks these days. Hopefully, they'll have better seats, better service, and hot flight attendants (but then again, you could always fly someone else :D ).
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