Merged Topic- AA Tail Livery New/Old Employees Vote

[Piedmont1984]

I suppose livery plays has some safety role to play in visually sighting aircraft by both local ATC and other pilots. In that regard I'm guessing the new lip stick is a bonus because of the bold tail colors.

Most passengers become familiar with a particular livery through media ads. But as nyc posted, SWA's former mustard and ketchup colors demonstrate a very weak correlation between profitability and aesthetics.

 

[nycbusdriver]

SWA's former mustard and ketchup colors demonstrate a very weak correlation between profitability and aesthetics.

 
And their new scheme is an improvement, but certainly not much of one.

 

[UPNAWAY]

Doug pretty much put this to rest already, he said he couldn't envision changing it at this point (To far into the rebranding already).

 

[nycbusdriver]

Doug pretty much put this to rest already, he said he couldn't envision changing it at this point (To far into the rebranding already).

 
It is eye catching, FWIW.  IMHO, it certainly could have been better, but since it's not etched into the skin, it can be changed and probably will be in a few years.  As soon as customer surveys show that they are avoiding AA because of the livery, there will be a new paint scheme.  We will all be "beaming" by transporter pads before customers put livery before price and convenience.

 

[Jacobin777]

My choice? Keep the current fuselage color/style but change the tails back to the "old school" AA logo.

 

[USFlyer]

The current livery could be vastly improved by some tweaking to the tail.  Unfortunately, I tend to agree that AA is currently too far into the rebranding to start over now.  DP won't waste money on that, IMHO.

 

[BigMac]

At least the new paint scheme looks like the bus workers union (greyhound bus theme) representing us. I think it looks horrid. Wouldn't doubt if the rough draft was done in Crayola. It is gonna be a nightmare on the LH side of the vertical, near the jackscrew access panel (where skydrol seeps out). The fade effect alone is a 5 step process on the new, cheap piano key look. There's a word for the new look. It's fugly.

 

[Ms Tree]

 
Do doubt advertising can be an effective tool, in general.  But if "great looking" liveries had much to do with customer choice, then SW would have gone out of business years ago when all their airplanes were baby-sh** brown.

 

There is a great deal to advertising other than 'great looking'.  Look at the fashion industry for example.  How many times do you see things on the news or what ever with outfits that are hideous and impractical?  Look at the automotive industry.  How many times do you see concept cars that will never come to production because no one would ever want it?
 
I remember reading about cigarette advertisement once.  There was a manufacture that used a circle and a triangle on their box (do not remember the name) and a massive amount of research went into it to determine which shapes were more attractive to women and which colors were more attractive. 
 
The best advertising are the ones you do not remember.  Manufactures do not want you to know they are hooking you.  They want you humming their tune without you knowing it.  They want their name (Q-Tip, Band Aid, Just do it, It'sssss Great, Fahrvergnügen, Tastes Great, Less Filling, You deserve a break today at ....) to be a house hold name with out you even thinking about it. 
 
South West's color scheme works for them for the exact reason you did not realize you pointed to.  You see their plane and you know it's theirs with out even thinking about it.  I would say it worked out very very well for them.  I am sure there was a lot of hand wringing when they decided to go to the current livery.  
 
When you go to a grocery store the dairy is usually in the back so you have to walk through the store to get to it.  Healthy stuff is on the perimeter.  The high dollar stuff is at eye level while the less popular/cheaper stuff is high or low.  It's all about advertising and sales.
 
If it did not work as well as it does, the Superbowl would not be able to get $8 million a min.

 

[Ms Tree]

 

 
It is eye catching, FWIW.  IMHO, it certainly could have been better, but since it's not etched into the skin, it can be changed and probably will be in a few years.  As soon as customer surveys show that they are avoiding AA because of the livery, there will be a new paint scheme.  We will all be "beaming" by transporter pads before customers put livery before price and convenience.

 

 
Almost without exception, any given load of passengers never even see the livery of the airplane they ride (except for how the nose is painted.)  I wager that you could board an entire flight of AA passengers on a UA aircraft, fly them to their destination and none would ever even know of the switch in liveries.  

 
 
Can't have it both ways.  Either it's noticed or it's not.

 

[nycbusdriver]

 
 
 
 
 
Can't have it both ways.  Either it's noticed or it's not.
 

 
 Sure you can.  It's eye catching when it is presented in a place where eyes can actually catch it.  (That doesn't mean it's aesthetically pleasing though.)
 
Passengers can't see the fuselage for the most part.  So, it really doesn't catch their eyes, and it could be painted desert camouflage and their travel experience would be unchanged.  Raise the price 200%, or reduce the ptich to 26 inches, or schedule the flights at 3 am...those things would matter to the passenger.  Eye catchers do not.

 

[Ms Tree]

I agree the livery does not have an effect on the travel experience but then again, it is not supposed to.  It's advertisement.  The purpose is different.  
 
And the exterior of the air craft is quite visible at the airports.  Most gates have windows and in most case the air craft is parked at an angle to the gate or you can see the air crafts parked at an adjacent gate.  

 

[PHX Flyer]

First of all, the new American will have to paint one aircraft in historic TWA livery ... even better would be one each in the last three paint schemes.
 
Aside from that, the new American will face a lot of operating nightmares, and introducing yet another branding would not be helpful. I got the impression that dog Parker is not particularly fond of the new AA livery, and I would bet that it will not stay around as long as the previous one. But the introduction of a new one should be deferred until the integration process is complete.

 

[UPNAWAY]

I do think Historic Livery's will be done, they have proven to be very popular with employees and the airline geeky public.

 

[Kev3188]

I agree the livery does not have an effect on the travel experience but then again, it is not supposed to.  It's advertisement.  The purpose is different.  
 
And the exterior of the air craft is quite visible at the airports.  Most gates have windows and in most case the air craft is parked at an angle to the gate or you can see the air crafts parked at an adjacent gate.  

 
Don't forget the crews that turn the tail lights on during approach and/or leave them on at the gate...

 

[Glenn Quagmire]

They are technically referred to as "Logo Lights" (at least they were on the Airbus.