United Airlines
Identity
Identity Elements
Environment
Better together
When United Airlines and Continental Airlines merged, Lippincott was engaged to design a brand strategy and design program to launch the new global powerhouse airline brand.
Challenges
A number of questions needed to be answered to ensure success:
• How should the combined customer set be segmented, defined and prioritized?
• Why is the merger a win for customers...what is the new value proposition/positioning?
• What does it mean for employees; how can/should they be brought together under a single brand?
• When/how should the customer experience be aligned/integrated?
• How best can we signal/communicate 1 + 1 = 3 or more?
• How should the identity be extended across all the touchpoints with a flexible toolkit of brand cues?
Actions
Created guiding principles for the new United brand, including a vision statement and brand attributes that convey a top-of-mind global brand.
Advised the use of United as a master brand that spans all offerings to maximize marketing efficiency and to convey global integration.
Explored a range of visual system concepts that build upon the new identity and key brand attributes.
Leveraged the new United identity to create a complete visual system that spans a wide range of customer touchpoints.
Designed and implemented rebranding of elements at major airports, including Chicago O’Hare, Washington Dulles and San Francisco.