In 1968 American Airlines got themselves a new logo, courtesy of the designer Massimo Vignelli. Not since then have they updated their look, but American recently announced their new logo, and plane designs. FutureBrand handled the overhaul and personally I think it looks really cool. Clean, modern, fresh. It’s good design.

It’s funny what your corporate design says about you. The old logo was stagnant, old school, and unchanged in forty five years. What did that say to the public about the company. Stagnant, old school, not current. The subliminal messages that are conveyed to your customers are conveyed along the channels of your public image, defined by your marketing, public relations and branding.

To go along with their new logo and plane sprays will be designer uniforms for the flight attendants. Good move. It rounds out the refitting of the interior of their airplanes and makes a statement that they are up to date, moving with the times, and care about their public image.

Why is their public image important? Well, would you step on an airplane run by a company that is out of date, didn’t really care about you, or your opinions, and hence didn’t really pay much attention to servicing you, your safety needs, or your comfort? To put it another way; would you do business with anyone who went about their jobs that way? Probably not, right?

Something to think about when you’re presenting your business to the world.