SEATTLE, Jan. 25, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Alaska Airlines
today unveiled its first major brand change in 25 years to a crowd
of about 1,800 employees. The refreshed brand was introduced on a
newly painted Boeing 737-800 and soon will be featured throughout
the airport experience, on all digital channels, in marketing
materials and across Alaska's
entire fleet.
"Our company has a unique personality and a vibrant spirit that
our Eskimo has personified for almost half a century," said Alaska
Airlines CEO Brad Tilden. "We
believe our refreshed look reflects the warm relationships our
employees have built with our customers, and makes us stand out in
a compelling and consistent way as we expand into new markets,
build loyalty and attract new customers."
In addition to the newly painted plane, starting tomorrow
travelers at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport will see a more
welcoming lobby and 41 newly branded gates. Customers can view the
refreshed logo, plane and airport design online at
www.alaskaair.com/welcome.
"Our refreshed brand really is an evolution, not a revolution,
of Alaska Airlines," said Sangita
Woerner, the airline's vice president of marketing. "Our
goal was to reflect the soul of our company, which is known for its
genuine, caring service and top-notch performance. It's now
time to show up to our customers in a bigger, brighter way."
The most visible changes to the brand are the wordmark, the
Eskimo icon and a bold, energetic new color palette.
"Performance is in our DNA and it's why we've been named the
most on-time airline in North
America for six consecutive years, have a 5-star mobile app,
a 20-minute bag guarantee, and why we have received J.D. Powers' highest rating for customer
satisfaction for traditional carriers eight years in a row," said
Woerner. "While our Eskimo is meant to represent our warm, genuine
service, our evolved wordmark represents our high performance
culture with its italicized motion and bold and precise
lettering."
On the blog: Learn more about Alaska's brand evolution at
http://bit.ly/1OIbQVi.
The iconic Eskimo prominently featured on the tail of the plane
has been Alaska's brand beacon since 1972, welcoming customers and
guiding employees with a warm, friendly face. His profile has been
modernized and new vibrant colors added around his parka trim,
which include Tropical Green and Breeze Blue, reminiscent of the
tropical regions Alaska serves
including Hawaii and Costa Rica. Atlas Blue, which is a cue to
Alaska's 14 global airline
partners, is also featured throughout the design.
"Our goal in modernizing our Eskimo was to optimize his facial
expression so it was clear to our newer customers that he
represents warmth and kindness," said Woerner. "It was critically
important that we approached his redesign with sensitivity, which
is why we sought and received the input of Alaska native leaders from the Arctic region
and across Alaska."
On the blog: For the first time since adding the Eskimo
to the tail, Alaska is telling his
story. Learn more at http://bit.ly/1JUc1vK.
To bring the refreshed brand to life, Alaska collaborated with Seattle-based Hornall Anderson, a global
branding and design firm. A dedicated team specializing in strategy
and design spent 12 months in partnership with Alaska to develop and apply the brand
expression to all customer touchpoints.
In the next month Alaska will
take delivery of four Boeing 737s with the new paint theme and by
the end of the year will have 40 planes in the new livery. All 111
airports Alaska and its regional
partners serve will be rebranded, a project that is expected to be
completed around the end of the year.
"Our approach to rolling out our refreshed brand has been very
strategic," said Woerner. "We've taken a cost-conscious approach to
rolling out the updates. In terms of changing the liveries, we plan
to repaint planes when they are scheduled. It will likely take
three to four years to complete this refreshed brand roll-out."
Editor's note: High resolution, broadcast quality b-roll
is available for download at
https://ascorpcomm.sharefile.com/d-s21d8b283c0742c18. Photos, a
historical timeline and other digital assets are posted online at
http://bit.ly/1OIbQVi.
Alaska Airlines, a subsidiary of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK),
together with its partner regional airlines, serves more than 100
cities through an expansive network in the United States, Canada, Costa
Rica and Mexico. Alaska
Airlines ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Traditional
Carriers in North America" in the
J.D. Power North American Airline Satisfaction Study for eight
consecutive years from 2008 to 2015. Alaska Airlines' Mileage Plan
also ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Airline Loyalty
Rewards Programs" in the J.D. Power 2014 and 2015 Airline
Loyalty/Rewards Program Satisfaction Report. For reservations,
visit www.alaskaair.com. For more news and information, visit
Alaska Airlines' newsroom at www.alaskaair.com/newsroom.
Photo -
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160125/325737
Photo -
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160125/325739
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160125/325741
Photo -
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160125/325742
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/alaska-airlines-unveils-first-major-brand-change-in-25-years-300209378.html
SOURCE Alaska Airlines