Trashing an Icon

The logo to the left is instantly recognizable to anyone who has ever flown. American Airlines has had its troubles recently, but it is one of those carriers that you can count on to get you home and its 40-year old logo says that to one and all. 









This is American Airlines new paint scheme and logo. If you have read Malcolm Gladwell's book Blink you know that people make up their minds on new things in 5 seconds or so. At the 5 second mark I had already had an Al Roker moment in reaction to this new design, it was that visceral. As my son-in-law put it, why do you want to put a piano keyboard on the tail? Good question. Here are reactions from other people:

Colgan [Airlines] had sex with CSA and Cubana on a Greyhound bus in the same weekend and got pregnant. We know Colgan is the mother but we can’t tell who the father is. Nor do we care because the baby is still ugly either way.

Good God! What were they thinking? That livery is atrocious. Absolutely awful. They took a great brand and ruined it with that hideous tail design.

So AA is becoming the Greyhound bus of the air?

The tail reminds me of Where's Waldo's sweater.

Seriously, what a hack design. "Hey, we're called American, let's have a flag!" Any 5 year old would come up with that. And as for the logo, it looks like a ripped ribbon. Seriously! It's a line with a tear in it!

In other words, some other - actually a lot of other - people are unhappy with this nihilistic "upgrade." Oh well, if airline mergers keep up their pace we will all be flying just one carrier anyway - Acme Airlines in basic gray or institutional green. I can hardly wait.