Brand Anew: Qantas’ Leaping Logos
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APEX Insight: Every airline logo tells a story. Deciphering its narrative is key to relaunching the brand. In this section of the multipart feature, we look at how Qantas’ Flying Roo logo gets a slight modification with every landmark aircraft it introduces.
Had someone offered Qantas’ logo designer in 1944 a penny for their thoughts, it would have been a fair trade. The airline’s original kangaroo symbol was adapted from Australia’s one-cent coin. The penny has since been discontinued, but Qantas has flown its legacy forward, giving the trademark roo five makeovers since its inception, each time to mark the introduction of new aircraft into its fleet.
“When we looked at the history, we found that the logo had been updated around the time of a game-changing new aircraft joining the fleet,” says Qantas’ CEO, Alan Joyce. “It’s a tradition that goes back to the Lockheed Constellation in 1947, the B747-300 in 1984 and the A380 in 2007.” Not only is the tradition commemorative, it’s cost-effective, too. The latest redesign, revealed last October, anticipates the arrival of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and will be featured on all aircraft by 2020, in time for the airline’s 100th anniversary.
“When we looked at the history, we found that the logo had been updated around the time of a game-changing new aircraft joining the fleet.” €” Alan Joyce, Qantas
Led by Qantas’ consultant designer Marc Newson and the Houston Group team, the design overhaul modernizes the airline’s beloved marsupial with abstraction, omitting details such as the kangaroo’s forelimbs, and adding shading to convey movement. “It’s evolved beyond a literal kangaroo – it’s become a unique brand symbol,” Houston Group explains in its project overview.
The roo has lost more than just its arms over the years. Incarnations of the logo dating to 1947 and 1968 attribute a pair of wings to the hopper, a mythologizing of the creature that may not have been too far-fetched, since a female kangaroo is actually referred to as a flyer. The latest rebrand pays homage to the 1940s-era winged mascot by including it under the cockpit window.
Altering a beloved icon can be risky, and feedback on the refresh has been mixed. In an online poll on Escape.com, roughly 17 percent of respondents voted “I love it, it’s awesome,” while “What was wrong with the old one?” led with 44 percent, and 29 percent voted “I hate it, it’s terrible.” The remaining 10 percent of voters who were indifferent may just have to flip a coin.
“Brand Anew” was originally published in the 7.2 April/May issue of APEX Experience magazine.