The United Airlines logo exudes stability, reliability, and scale. The emblem promises regular flights around the world. The sky blue is hidden behind slender symbols, evoking a feeling of flight and freedom.
United Airlines: Brand overview
Founded: | April 6, 1926 |
Headquarters: | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
Website: | united.com |
Meaning and History
Throughout its long history, the company’s identification mark has changed many times. In total, there are fifteen logo designs in her career. This diversity is due to the carrier’s continuous mergers and expansions.
What is United Airlines?
It is the largest airline globally and received this status in 2010 following its merger with Continental Airlines. She is known as one of the five founders of the Star Alliance. It was her planes that were hijacked during the September 11 terrorist attack.
1930 – 1933
It all started with a dark blue rectangle, which depicts a map of the United States with two airlines’ designation. The central element is enclosed in a light circle surrounded by a thin dark stripe. Right, and left is the company’s then name – “United Air Lines,” made in italics.
1933 – 1935
As a result of the redesign, the elements on the emblem were radically rearranged. The developers enlarged the name and placed it in two rows on a wide dark blue rectangle. The map of the United States was removed, and the typography of the inscriptions changed: now, the letters are classic, without a slope.
1935 – 1939
Until the end of this period, the logo’s rectangular shape still dominated, giving it a standard look. The designers replaced the dark blue with a light one, increased the size of the first word in the title (“United”), and reduced the second part (“Air Lines”).
1939 – 1940
In 1939, the era of the shield-shaped emblem began. It is divided into three parts, both in color and configuration. The top is the monarchical crown, a sign of power, with the name’s basic elements. The middle is a traditional rectangle with one-third of the map and the other half of the name. Bottom – the rest of the US administrative map with the inscription “Coast-to-Coast,” framed by two stars. And here, the colors of the American flag first appeared.
1940 – 1954
The management felt that the logo was overloaded with various details, so they approved the new version. It contains only the most important elements – informative. This is the air carrier’s full name and a star (symbol of belonging to the sky). The shape of the shield remained the same, as did the color ratio, but the blue became much darker.
1954 – 1960
The logo is tilted to the right and has a light color scheme.
1960 – 1961
Following the merger with Capital Airlines, the company redesigned the logo. She removed the second part of the name, shortening it to “United.” It remained in the middle part of the shield but was increased.
1961 – 1971
The new logo looks like a two-tone spike: blue at the bottom and red at the top. It is positioned vertically with minimal slope and is crossed in the middle by the word “United” on a white background.
1971 – 1974
During this period, minor changes were made: now, the name is written differently.
1974 – 1993
In 1974, the era of the so-called “tulip” began. The nickname was given for the shape that the emblem received. It resembles an elongated flower bowl at an inclination of 68 degrees. Its author is the artist Saul Bass. He embodied the new brand image in the first letter of the word “United.” Lines represent movement and flight. The full name of the aviation company appeared at the bottom of the icon.
1993 – 1998
The graphical icon has shrunk and moved to the left of the word United Airlines. The author of this version is the studio CKS Partners.
1998 – 2010
The British studio Pentagram designers removed the second part of the name of the air carrier, and the first one returned the font of 1933, making a wide inter-character breakdown.
2010 – 2019
In 2010, after the merger with Continental Airlines, the era of the sky-blue logo with a fragment of the globe come. Because the companies agreed: the visual identity mark remains from Continental, and the name remains from United.
2019 – today
In the current version of the logo, the number of windows on the globe has been reduced, and the palette’s intensity has been increased.
Font and Colors
The United Airlines logo is divided into four periods: with a rectangle, a shield, a thorn, a tulip monogram, and a fragment of a globe.
There are several types of typefaces in the logo of an aviation company. In 1971-1974 it was Bookman Jf Pro Italic. Since 2010, a sans-serif font has been used to Gill Sans Bold as closely as possible. Its author is Eric Gill.
The corporate palette consists of the American flag’s colors – red, white, and blue in several shades. But now a monochrome version called United Blue is in circulation.
United Airlines color codes
Dark Powder Blue | Hex color: | #0033a0 |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 0 51 160 | |
CMYK: | 100 68 0 37 | |
Pantone: | PMS Dark Blue C |
What is the logo for United Airlines?
The United Airlines logo looks like a blue square with white stripes. The lines represent the parallels and meridians on the globe, which should be understood as the globality of the airline, its ability to bring cargo or passengers anywhere in the world.
What is the United brand?
The United brand includes all the elements of corporate identity that make an airline recognizable. This includes the official colors, fonts, logo, name, slogan, service standards, etc.
Are American and United Airlines the same?
American Airlines and United Airlines are two competing airlines. They have different owners, services, planes, hubs, and route networks. The main difference is that AA is part of the Oneworld Aviation Alliance, and UA is part of the Star Alliance.
Who founded United Airlines?
The founder of this airline is William Boeing, the ancestor of American aviation and the creator of the Boeing Company, which produces aircraft of the same name.