American Airlines
Operating an average of nearly 6,700 flights per day to more than 330 destinations in 54 countries, American Airlines has become the largest airline in the world. Upon their merger with US Airways in 2013, American Airlines underwent a massive rebrand which included the redesign of their iconic logo which hadn’t been changed since the 1960s. Colite was chosen to work with Futurebrand (American’s rebranding and design company) to produce multiple rounds of prototypes for their new logo. Following prototype approval, we were chosen to be a primary signage provider. To date we have fabricated and installed signage for 127 terminals, 86 cargo sites, and 15 hangars spanning 20 countries.
From the beginning, this was a unique and special project because this was one of the world’s most iconic “American” brands of our time. Adding to the excitement were the challenges of the expansiveness of the project, not only in terms of the number of locations, but also by the variation of sign types. Signs ranged from extremely large lettersets (in some cases over 30 feet tall) to their specialized digital “Precision Cloud” print seen in their terminals.
Goal
Simultaneously manage, coordinate, fabricate, and prepare installs for multi-branded environments across the world.
Delivery
- Our project management, design, and production teams have worked diligently from the very beginning. Prototypes were essential to ensuring brand guidelines were applied to every site. Great Project Management was crucial to completing this project within the specified timelines (which were extremely tight).
- For many sites, especially the hangars, where extremely large lettersets were required, night time installation was necessary. Our experienced Senior Project Managers managed pre-install preparation flawlessly to ensure all logistics, permits, site notifications, etc. were in place.
- The latter tiered sites were on a rigorous timeline for finalized drawings, fabrication and installation. We added resources to our project management and design staff to ensure that every site had the attention to detail needed to execute successful prep and installation.
- The sheer size of this project dictated that American choose a partner that could manage a global program. This capability is what distinguishes Colite from others in the industry. Our global network of manufacturing and installation partners allows us to efficiently manage all requirements for such a project. In effect, we simplify the effort for our client by becoming the singular P.O.C. We manage cost, we ensure timelines and standards are met, we deliver quality and ultimately we ensure brand consistency of the new iconic ‘American’ logo!
