Qantas Has A New Logo and New Livery!

by Enoch

Qantas today unveiled their new aircraft livery and logo, and it’s only the fifth update ever in Qantas’ history. The last update was done in 2007, when the airline received the A380. It’s no coincident, then, that the new logo and livery will accompany the delivery of Qantas’ 787. Alan Joyce, Qantas’ CEO said, via a press release:

When we looked at the history, we found that the logo has been updated around the time of a game-changing new aircraft joining the fleet. It’s a tradition that goes back to the Lockheed Constellation in 1947, the B747-300 in 1984 and the A380 in 2007. A fresh brand helps symbolise the new era Qantas is entering as we head towards our centenary. It’s an era of new destinations, new technology and a new standard of service.

The new logo features a different typography, and the new tail has added shadows and details. All of the designs were overseen by Marc Newson, Qantas’ design consultant, with the agency Houston Group. Marc Newson is also responsible for designing Qantas’ lounges, the A380 cabins, the Business Class “sky beds,” and in-flight tablewares. You might also know him from his personal design projects, or the fact that he was hired by Apple to work under Jony Ive in 2014.

Qantas New Livery on the 787. Source: Qantas

Qantas New Livery on the 787. Source: Qantas

The new logo will use the same color, and the iconic kangaroo isn’t going anywhere. But Qantas says that the new kangaroo has “shading to give it a sense of depth of movement,” and the new livery will include a silver band at the rear of the plane, to provide “a more premium feel and…contrast.” They are adding the Qantas logo to the inside of the wing tip, so that it will “appear in pictures people take out of the window.” (I know…it kind of sounds like a Jony Ive-narrated Apple product video.) Finally, airplanes’ bellies will now be pained with “QANTAS,” so you can easily tell a Qantas plane apart when you look from the ground.

Here is a video about the history of the logo, and the design process, which I think is really well done. I feel sentimental, and I’m not even Australian!

I think it’s really cool that Qantas is timing brand refresh milestones with delivery of new aircrafts, and I think the new design looks very modern. Qantas today also unveiled the Business and Economy Class cabin of there new 787, so they are timing everything just right! As if that’s not enough, Qantas is also rolling out new pilot uniforms across employees today.

Line up of all Qantas logos and liveries throughout the ages. Source: Qantas

Line up of all Qantas logos and liveries throughout the ages. Source: Qantas

Qantas said that in preparation for the new logo, they have started running down inventories of amenity kits and pajamas with the old logo. They have just recently announced new amenity kits and pajamas, so those will presumably be rolled out soon. Qantas will start re-painting existing aircrafts, and hopes to finish updating the entire fleet by 2020. The new logo is already visible in Qantas’ website as of this writing.

Qantas New Logo

Qantas New Logo

What do you think of the new logo and livery?

The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

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9 comments

Adam October 26, 2016 - 7:41 pm

I’m not a fan. I think the Red ‘Roo is fine, but nothing groundbreaking. The “QANTAS”, though, looks like what the 1960s and 1970s thought future writing would look. Like when you ride Space Mountain at Disneyland or Disneyworld and the typeface on the props is “futuristic”…for the time. But when the “future” is now, it looks cheesy. That is to say, it looks futuristic-y dated already.

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brteacher October 26, 2016 - 7:50 pm

Not a fan myself, either. The kangaroo doesn’t look like a kangaroo anymore.

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WR October 26, 2016 - 8:17 pm

I actually do like the font, but I agree, the kangaroo just looks like a swoosh now.

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Cal E October 27, 2016 - 1:26 am

Agree with the others, the current Roo and font is fine as it is. It looks like a Roo for heaven sake! The shadow rubbish adds nothing. This is a perfect example in the corporate world, of organizations where the top dog is marking his territory, wants change for change sake. Where are the shareholders screaming ‘fraud, waste and abuse.’ The generic and homogenization of aviation ogos into the seemingly ‘gender neutral’ design is rampant. Consider the old Iberia and new Iberia designs – they dumped a classic design for that, removed the ‘offensive’ cross and crown. Consider the old BA flag on the tail and the current. This swoosh business is all Nikesque garbage. Truly one world, blah.

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Simon Wilson October 27, 2016 - 2:47 am

I think it was more interesting they said the ‘flagship’ of the fleet – surely the A380 fills that role or are they going to be dumping those?

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Emirates (Sorry) November 6, 2016 - 2:34 pm

Looks great. But – cabin staff are painfully unionised, self-entitled and often just rude. Food is average. Experience simply isn’t on a par with big league carriers anymore. There is just better at the price. I would never pay again for a Qantas flight until they improve vastly. Points are fine. Pay? No. Would rather invest in a shower on board thanks.

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Rocket November 6, 2016 - 7:28 pm

‘Aircrafts’ is not correct. The plural of aircraft is aircraft.
Doesn’t fill one with confidence that in the journalistic expertise of the writer if they can’t get basic English right…

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Rocket November 6, 2016 - 7:37 pm

Also… I wish they’d stop this rubbish about putting the name underneath meaning you can see it’s Qantas from the ground… unless someone is completely myopic in which case they wouldn’t be able to read it anyway, the dirty great area of red at the rear of the aircraft is an unmistakable indication it’s Qantas… Tony Lunn knew that when he created their best ever livery in 1984. It’s called subtlety or are people so disconnected with with the world now and so lacking in knowledge that they need to be spoon-fed??? I’m not against the word underneath, it’s something that could have been done ages ago and without a questionable multi-million dollar re-brand. The 1984 livery was truly iconic and set the pace for many airlines who have copied the wrap-around section of tail color (most recently, Alitalia). Much more design savvy than that childish tail shape next to the logo now.

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This Month in Marketing: October 2016 - Threesides Marketing May 6, 2019 - 9:12 pm

[…] is branded. As part of Qantas’ rebranding, the flying kangaroo will now feature on the inside of the wing tips, so that when passengers take photos of the planes wings from inside the aircraft, the ‘roo […]

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