Retro livery: An effective way to keep the brand heritage alive

Kaan Ugrasiz Brand experience, Coffee break, Marketing strategies

The livery of passenger jets, constantly on the move from one airport to another at all hours of the day, isn’t just decor; i could easily describe them as expensive billboards. Aircraft livery has become a fantastic tool for accurately conveying an airline’s character, values, and vision. It’s also a highly effective marketing tool, conveying the spirit and heritage of each era an airline has flown in, from past to present.

I encourage you to arrive a little earlier for your next flight and pay closer attention to the planes landing and taking off. The logos, stripes, and even colors you see on the tail, fuselage, and wings of an aircraft are the brand’s answer to the question Who am I?

Retro or heritage livery is a trend that arises when a brand uses designs from the past on modern aircraft. More specifically, it showcases the old design over modern technology.

This approach creates a nostalgic feeling in those who see the design on the aircraft, while also highlighting the brand’s history and creating /reinforcing the perception of its roots.

Another function of retro livery is that it allows the brand to tell a warm and intimate story. When people see older designs on modern vehicles, they experience a sense of journey back in time, strengthening their emotional connection to the brand.

The emergence and rise of aircraft body designs

In the 1920s, the early years of aviation’s development, aircraft paintwork was quite simple, consistent with the industry’s current state.

There were currently few airlines, so there wasn’t much competition. Painting a large fuselage meant adding extra weight to the aircraft, costing the person responsible for labor and materials, and aircraft back then were simply tools focused on their mission. A simple straight line on the fuselage or a clearly visible image of the airline’s name on the fuselage was sufficient. In other words, conditions were somewhat different from today.

The 1950s, when aviation took off, can also be described as the golden age.

With the acceleration of industrial production of jet aircraft, which replaced propeller-driven aircraft, the number of airlines increased and brand identity formation gained importance in the industry, leading to the emergence of the first examples of corporate identity in aviation. Cheatlines running lengthwise down the center of the jet’s fuselage, emphasizing dynamism, airline-specific typographic designs, corporate patterns, and logos meticulously placed on the tail began to attract attention at airports. Many of the iconic liveries we see on today’s aircraft are actually from that era.

The reappearance of retro designs on aircraft dates back to the early 2000s, and the idea was sparked by the airline’s iconic anniversary celebrations and the celebration of something special about the country whose flag it flies. Placing retro livery on a modern aircraft not only honored a historical figure, event or circumstance; but also garnered media attention for the airline.

Why has retro livery caught on in airline marketing?

People have a love of nostalgia, and when they see a design from the past, they relive old memories, brand associations, and the feeling of that era. You’ve probably heard people around them say, Where are those good old days?

This closeness helps create a strong and warm bond between the airline and its passengers. This is perhaps the most important effect of retro livery: making people feel like they’re part of the story.

Aircraft bearing retro livery stand out from the other ordinary aircraft flying on the airline. These aircraft are eye-catching, attract attention, get the most artistic photos, are uploaded and shared on social media, and are the center of attention for aviation enthusiasts; in short, they are newsworthy. This gives the airline visibility without requiring an additional advertising budget.

Achieving something quite difficult in the marketing world is to simultaneously demonstrate that a brand is both modern and has a deep history. Retro livery is a good example of this. When an airline dresses its aircraft in a design it used in the past, it easily communicates to its customers where it came from and how it has evolved. This builds trust in the brand and strengthens the sense of consistency among consumers.

Retro livery as a marketing element

It’s important to view retro designs not merely as tools but as an integral part of a long-standing heritage. To achieve this, you can create an experience museum by gathering all old logos, schemes, products, uniforms, accessories, and photographs in one place. By displaying this museum in pop-up formats at various airports around the world, you can allow more people to experience the brand’s history.

You can make the brand more visible by retro liverying a few of the busiest aircraft, including those that land at various airports throughout the day, as well as those that fly intercontinental flights and land at major and important airports.

The retro experience shouldn’t be limited to the exterior of the aircraft; the interior can also feature headrests, menus, amenity kits, and even music playlists that reflect the spirit of the era.

To connect online and offline platforms, you can add an interactive timeline to your website and social media accounts that showcases the brand’s past logos, aircraft onboard designs, and the periods in which these design elements were used. To adapt this to the current era, you can supplement and enhance it with augmented reality filters, documentaries shown on small screens, and interviews with employees and passengers, bringing the brand’s heritage to the present.

Merchandise now holds a prominent place in every field, and t-shirts, hats, bags, posters, and even model aircraft designed with retro logos will attract attention in collections. The perception of limited editions and the FOMO effect can turn these products into objects of desire.

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Retro livery isn’t just about bringing back the old; it should be considered a multifaceted tool that ensures brand continuity, connects with consumers, provides media exposure, and, consequently, generates additional revenue.

While today’s brand identity conveys modern, functional, and forward-thinking messages, consciously selecting elements from the past, with a story behind them, and possessing strategic significance, adds depth and originality to the brand.

The goal is clear: Refining nostalgic details, conveying the message, positioning both identities; old and new, in a way that complements each other.

References and further reading:

Main photo by Krzysztof Kotkowicz on Unsplash

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