Italian airline Alitalia undergoes rebrands following Etihad investment
Italian airline Alitalia has introduced a new brand identity and livery (paint scheme), positioning the famous airline as a 'leader in innovative and sophisticated flying'.
The new look forms part of an overall improvement of Alitalia following investment from luxury airliner Etihad, which saw the United Arab Emirates-based company scoop a 49 per cent share.
Alitalia appointed design consultancy Landor to undertake the work, with a brief that included the creation of a 'young and seductive' new look to represent the airline’s ambitions. Utilising the design elements of the airline’s previous livery, which was also created by Landor in 1969, the agency increased the number of primary colour tones used on the logo’s palette to create a greater depth.
Inspired in part by the lines on Formula 1 racing cars, a series of linear marks have been added to the red triangular interior of the Alitalia ‘A’, creating a pinstripe effect.
Aircraft fuselages has been painted in ivory to reflective understated Italian style, and progressively banded towards the rear of the plane to create an impression of movement and speed.
Inside, new brand elements were inspired and influenced by Italian craftsmanship and luxury automotive design. The stylised ‘A’ appears on cabin panelling, and on soft furnishings such as curtains, headrests and cushions. The new designs will also feature on menu cards, onboard amenities and on the branding of inflight programming and reading material.
Silvano Cassano, Alitalia Chief Executive Officer, said the rebrand signals a "brand new journey" for the airline.
"This new identity will allow us to bring a timeless and uniquely Alitalia style to everything we do the world over. The Alitalia brand is as potent today as ever, looking to the future with renewed vigour and optimism."
Meanwhile, Landor's global creative officer Peter Knapp said: “We knew we had to maintain the iconic 'A' tailfin but added subtle detailing to it, and to the rest of the fuselage to create more depth and dimension," he said.
"The logotype too has been recrafted to align with the new styling. On the inside, the experience exudes a sense of Italian sophistication and glamour, referencing both design motifs from the Alitalia archives and also looking forward to modern design details.”
The airline's new brand designs are also being implemented across all consumer environments including airport check-in counters, lounges, corporate signage and to all its digital, print and outdoor advertising channels, as well as its official website.