In March 2025, Korean Air, which has used the same corporate identity for nearly forty years, completely renewed it in line with the changes and transformations experienced by aviation and displayed its new design on a new-generation Boeing 787-10 aircraft during a night called Rising Night in a hangar at Korean Air's main base in Seoul.
This change, which took place after the acquisition of Asiana, which operates in the same country, can be defined as a modernization aimed at the goals of Korea's national airline in the global market.
Noteworthy elements in Korean Airlines’ old corporate identity
The design, inspired by the national colors of Korea and which has made Korean Airlines one of the most recognizable brands in Asia and even the world in the quarter-century since its first appearance, had several elements that made the planes carrying this template distinguishable at international airports where they landed and took off.
The first of these was the logo inspired by the Taegeuk symbol, which is also found on the flag of the Republic of South Korea. This logo, which uses blue, red and complementary white, was one of the most important promotional symbols of both the airline and the country.
If you have seen a Korean Airlines plane on Instagram or on an airline you have visited, you will have noticed that the upper part of the plane’s fuselage is painted sky blue (or powder blue). The color palette, in which blue is the dominant and widespread color, made the airline’s planes instantly recognizable. The shade of blue called Spritzig (#71CBEB) has managed to become synonymous with the brand at airports where Korean Airlines lands worldwide.
If i was to make an evaluation in terms of design, the typography used in the old logo was quite striking. It was a classic, strong, serif font that reflected Korean culture and gave the airline its own personality. Even though more than forty years have passed, it would not be wrong to describe this logotype as still dynamic and perhaps modern.
The most frequent criticism made by those who design and work in the field of communication in the modern era about the Korean Air logo was that the Taegeuk symbol resembled the Pepsi logo. Although it was noted that this could cause confusion in brand communication in some markets, the symbol comes from Korean history and is believed to represent balance.
Why do brands feel the need to change their corporate identity designs?
Keeping up the age
Just like people, brands also want to keep up with the dynamics of the age, stand out from their competitors and gain an advantage in competition, and strengthen their ties with their target audiences, and corporate identity covers all the strategies a brand uses while doing all these things.
Adapting to the tech
Other important reasons include adapting to technological developments, being where the changing generation is, catching up with intercultural differences, and ultimately, the motivation to redefine and strengthen the position in the market.
Technological advances take societies with them, even change and transform them, and brands do not want to be left behind. This is similar to feeling the need to constantly update your mobile phone and tablet in order not to be exempt from published updates.
Catching the Gen Z
Minimalistic approaches used in design, interactive content and color palettes compatible with use on social media are among the criteria that brands pay attention to when renewing their corporate identities in order to meet the expectations of the young, short-attention-span and always alternative audience defined as Generation Z.
Expanding product range
On the other hand, the range of products and services offered by brands is expanding and the ability of corporate identities to cover new product or service groups is insufficient. These changes in corporate identity make it easier for consumers to perceive the new areas that brands are focusing on, while maintaining consistency in marketing communication.
Changing ownership of companies and rebirth of a brand
It is also frequently witnessed that corporate identity changes are made after company mergers, acquisitions or separations. This is a message of rebirth and this change is seen as a necessity in line with the vision and mission of the newcomer depending on the changing ownership.
For example, if a small company acquired by a larger company will not be assimilated into the larger company, it is deemed necessary to revise its corporate identity in line with the larger company, while the brand’s colors are transformed towards a more universal one, the tendency to add symbols containing cultural signs to the logo is common.
Brands do not hesitate to revise their corporate identities in order to stand out from their competitors. If there is a high similarity between the logos of brands operating in the same sector, consumers’ decisions may be negatively affected. Therefore, it is important to understand the psychology of colors and interpret typographic elements correctly when choosing colors.
Another criterion that is as important as design is the communication of the change process, and explaining to consumers why this corporate change is being made is an action that will reinforce the transparency and reliability of the brand.
You can think of the change in corporate identity as the result of brands evolving over time, like a living creature.
If Korean Air and Pepsi were in the same industry, it would probably be a problem that they have similar logos, and one of them would eventually change their logo.
Becoming "Korean"
The brand’s corporate identity has been modernized and renewed by global creative consultancy Lippincott who has worked to Delta, Southwest and Aer Lingus too, while maintaining its commitment to Korea’s cultural heritage and national identity.
The most important component of Korean Air’s new corporate identity is the renewed logo, around which the entire design is technically shaped. The simplification of the traditional Taegeuk symbol, which has been compared to that of the soft drink brand Pepsi, is the most important innovation worth mentioning.
The logo has been stripped of the red and blue used in the previous generation and drawn only in a strong and dark blue bearing the name Dark Sapphire (#051766). You can still see same traditional symbol here, but this time it is dominated by more negative space. This change is perhaps the most important step that encourages the corporate identity to be thought of differently.
The removal of color is clearly a result of the simplification effort, and on the consumer side of the airline, you used to see Spritzig blue, Microprose Red red, Ruri Blue blue, Silver Polish gray and complementary white.
The micropose red and Ruri blue KOREAN AIR logotype was also in the Taegeuk symbol used as O. In the renewed corporate identity, the logotype has gained a more Latin character and European form by getting rid of the Far East connotation with its soft forms, distinct curves and brush strokes, and in the design placed on the outside of the aircraft, the AIR part has been removed and only the KOREAN shape has been worn on the aircraft. The red and dark blue are now only seen in the Korean national flag placed on the tail of the aircraft.
Perhaps the most obvious heritage that Lippincott has not given up is the blue color that distinguishes Korean Air from other airlines. The Spritzig blue color that resembles the sky has been replaced with another blue called High Blue (#53aae2) and metallic paint has been used to make the aircraft body shine in different light conditions. The Silver Polish gray color that separates the blue and white colors on the aircraft body is no longer there and the body looks directly white after the white color.
It would not be wrong to say that the gray, which extended from the nose to the back of the aircraft in the previous design of Korean Airlines, gave the aircraft dynamism and brightness. By painting the main body color of the aircraft with a metallic paint, the dynamic image that was actually desired with gray is achieved again, and by spreading the effect to the entire body, both more strikingly and by achieving a more premium image.
It must be admitted that we all love the perception of metallic parts and colors in the vehicles we use, which is directly related to durability.
Speaking of the effect spreading to the entire body, it would be wrong to close this topic without mentioning the fluidity of the body design and there is also a connection between the design on the aircraft and the “aircraft”, which is the main focus of the flying business.
The changes made in the aircraft designs of Boeing and Airbus, which we can easily count among the main aircraft manufacturers, directly affect the corporate identities that brands place on these aircraft, and more efficient and less consuming aircraft that leave less waste. This is actually a direct result of the transformative and progressive power of technology.
I was inspired by this fluidity when creating the main philosophy of an airline branding - Air Equinox, study that I worked on and published in the past. Many national brands now make a special effort to make their planes appear to float even when they are on the ground. This includes Emirates, Qantas, TUI, and even KLM, whose new Korean on-board design you will hear a lot of comparisons about in the coming days.
It is certain that the natural-looking curve of Korean’s two-tone body adds a movement reminiscent of the Sangmo Nori dance to the most minimal image possible.
Minimalism is quite common among luxury brands these days and it is clear that airlines such as Korean, Qantas, Turkish Airlines, BA are trying to position themselves in a higher segment compared to low-budget airlines. On the other hand, the target audience is also changing, brands are now trying to approach young people more. Displaying logotypes and even logos on aircraft bodies with a simpler and larger approach is an important element that allows the brand to be perceived more clearly, especially in airports and other corporate identity materials.
I don't know if we will get used to it and accept it after a while, but I am on the side that does not find the new version of the Taegeuk symbol strong enough.
Although the design, which used to be filled with red and dark blue and balanced with white, distances the symbol from the chaos around it and makes it stand out wherever it is placed, the inverted version, which focuses on the gaps of the previous logo, looks like a complementary pattern on the tails of the aircraft instead of being a main design element.
Therefore, Korean's new design-painted aircraft will probably be harder to distinguish at airports, especially at stations where they are parked side by side with KLM's aircraft.
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It wouldn’t be wrong to describe airports as the most expensive billboards in cities, and this also applies to airlines. Transportation companies are always looking to design the tops of their planes in the most eye-catching way possible, and we will all see how effective Korean will be with its new identity.
This change, especially after the merger with Asiana Airlines, is clearly not an effort to change the image of Korean Air as an airline that only operates flights from Europe to the Far East; like many subsidiaries preparing for the future, Korean is taking steps to appeal to a newer and younger generation.
It wouldn’t be wrong to say that Korean Air, which has adopted a more minimal design with simplified design elements and reduced colors, has a more sophisticated communication language compared to the past.
Although Korean’s minimalization has eliminated some characteristic details that have become synonymous with the brand throughout its history, it is certain that it will effectively support the airline’s growing position on a global scale and allow it to establish strong bonds with its current passengers and new ones…
Korean Air old livery photo by David Syphers, other photos from Lippincott.com
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If you want to read something about this subject, please visit following links:
- Korean Air Gets Its First Rebrand Since 1984 - octet.design
- Korean Air just made huge changes to... - the points guy
- The New Korean Air - Awardfares
- Korean or Korean Air? - The Design Air
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