United Airlines
Brett initiated this project while associate partner at Pentagram, continuing until its merger with Continental in 2010.
For 13 years, we designed and implemented the global carrier’s brand identity — including a framework of guidelines that provided consistent, on-brand support to the thousands of employees and other professionals who work on the brand’s behalf. Our work addressed Sub-brands & Products, Facilities & Signage, Aircraft & Equipment, and Marketing & Collateral.
We organized more than 150 pages of content and brand specifications into five categories—and made it available online to partners across the globe.
Local decisions are made every day, all around the world, that either build or detract from United’s brand. Our framework of brand guidelines is an invaluable resource for maintaining consistency across hundreds of global destinations.
Having had the experience of designing and implementing United’s brand identity, including the design of the aircraft paint scheme, we handled new design initiatives such as a new livery for Ted, United’s low-cost airline, and the addition of “winglets” to United’s Boeing 757 fleet. Design specifications were then codified as part of the Aircraft & Equipment volume of brand standards.
Sub-brands & Products provides specifications for the airline’s brand architecture—including its classes of service: United First, United Business, and United Economy. We applied the principles outlined therein to a simple, but elegant, redesign of United’s international menu program.
Working within United’s Facilities & Signage volume of brand standards, we designed custom lobby signage for United’s five hubs, created lounge signage for a remodel of the facility at Chicago O’Hare and named and branded United Global Reception a premium concierge service catering to the airline’s most premium customers.
