The famed Qantas Flying Kangaroo may be headed for extinction, or at the least, a makeover.
Qantas has confirmed rumours it is looking at a new logo, remodelling one of Australia’s most recognisable brand images.
They are always looking to ensure their product and image remain contemporary and relevant.
By: steve rowell - 28th July 2007 at 00:49
As long as they squeeze Holly Valance in there somewhere, consider it seconded!
She’d certainly be out of place on any “Virgin” aircraft
By: steve rowell - 26th July 2007 at 02:45
It took 200 attempts to get it right, but the man behind the new Qantas logo said he never dared scrub out the 60-year-old flying kangaroo. In an exercise that will cost the company about $5 million, the new logo is almost identical – a white roo on a red background.
“I did one in three bits where the tail, the head and the legs were on their own,” said Hans Hulsbosch, who spent a month redrawing the design. “But it became too complicated.”
The change in logo was needed to accommodate a new carbon-fibre panel on the 450-seat Airbus A380. It will take six years to repaint all Qantas’s 188 aircraft.
“What this means is there are some ‘no-paint’ areas,” said the company’s executive general manager, John Borghetti.
“If we had to have overlaid the old logo, it would have chopped off the feet of our kangaroo.
“[But] we believe it didn’t need radical redesign.”
There were mixed reactions to the new roo yesterday. The artist Ken Done felt the new roo’s giant feet missed the mark.
“It’s subtleties that make a great piece of design,” he said. “This is one of the most distinctive symbols in the airline business; and to represent a country. You fiddle [with it] at your own risk.”
In a bells-and-whistles launch yesterday, Mr Borghetti introduced a new class of ticket for the A380, dubbed “premium economy”. The seats are slightly wider at 50 centimetres, offer more leg room and carry a heftier price tag.
Based on the present price regime, a Sydney to London return premium economy ticket would cost $5000 – about half the price of business class. The introduction of the class means there will be proportionally fewer cheap tickets on the new airliner.
The top tier ticket – the “first class suite” – was also unveiled yesterday, complete with a programmable armchair that includes a massage function, a sheepskin overlay and a fitted cotton sheet. The booth includes a leather ottoman, with its own seatbelt so two can dine together in privacy, perhaps sampling an eight-course Neil Perry degustation menu.
Men will receive an Akira Isogawa pyjama set, and women can slip into a female version designed by Collette Dinnigan.
And an upgraded entertainment system on the aircraft was billed as a world first, with more than 1000 movies, television programs and games on demand.
With a PC power outlet and USB port in each seat, it will also be the “first airline in the world, where you will be able to access the internet from your seat back”, said its product and services general manager, Vanessa Hudson.
Passengers will be able to work through a Deloitte Business Academy course, perhaps taking notes during online Harvard University lectures. And then, if you are bored with staring out the window, you could watch the aircraft’s take-off and landing from an external nose camera.
The A380 is due in August next year, and the present fleet will receive a “domestic refresh”, with new seat fabric, carpets and curtains, which will be complete by the end of 2008.
By: Bmused55 - 24th July 2007 at 12:30
Hmm… not too bad.
Roo-comparison:
By: steve rowell - 24th July 2007 at 00:28
The only change is the Roo’s legs are bent instead of straight to make it look like it’s in full flight..how pathetic
By: Vicbitter - 23rd July 2007 at 06:12
Good news. :p
By: steve rowell - 23rd July 2007 at 00:08
The Herald Sun
Despite rumours of its demise, the famous Qantas kangaroo will stay aloft.
But it is getting a nip and tuck.
The Herald Sun believes the new-look roo will better illustrate Australia’s native marsupial in full flight and will be seen to be more in keeping with the carrier’s coming fleet of Airbus and Boeing airliners.
The decision to tweak the distinctive roo design was triggered by the high-tech materials, mostly carbon fibre, used in the new planes.
The carbon-fibre composites used in the outer skin and on the tail fin of the Airbus A-380 super jumbo and Boeing’s smaller 787 Dreamliner are difficult to paint.
This has emerged as a headache for low-cost Qantas offshoot Jetstar, which will take delivery of the first 15 Boeing 787s.
Because of the composite materials in the wings, they will remain white and cannot be painted like the rest of the plane in Jetstar’s silver and orange livery.
Both the A-380 and the 787 are due to be delivered to Qantas in August next year and enter service a month later.
A photo taken yesterday of the first A-380 super jumbo, being built at the French Airbus factory in Toulouse, showed the traditional kangaroo logo on the tail fin.
But because of the aircraft’s design, the animal’s giant leg appeared to have been amputated.
Qantas executive general manager John Borghetti yesterday confirmed the kangaroo would continue to fly.
“I can assure people that Qantas will not be removing the kangaroo from its logo,” he said.
Qantas insiders who have seen images of the new-look roo say they had to look twice to identify the changes.
Design and marketing experts yesterday welcomed the decision to keep the kangaroo.
Steven Cornwell, CEO of brand identity consultants Cornwell Design, said the logo was in need of an overhaul, but the company was wise to keep the roo.
“They’ve had so many contentious public issues — an identity change would signal a new direction for them,” Mr Cornwell said.
But marketing expert Con Stavros urged the airline to be cautious with changes to the much-loved symbol to which Australians had an emotional attachment.
“I wouldn’t do too much. I’m not sure there’s any extra value in changing the logo,” he said.
“When you’re in London or New York, you think ‘that’s the plane that’s going to take me home’. That is really important.
“Any move away from the kangaroo would be a big mistake.
The Qantas logo was first used in 1947 and last altered in 1984.
By: steve rowell - 22nd July 2007 at 07:33
It’s good but…..?:rolleyes:
They’re very subtle changes..i think the image needs a complete overhaul
By: Ren Frew - 22nd July 2007 at 01:33
Off the bat draft:
It’s good but…..?:rolleyes:
By: Bmused55 - 22nd July 2007 at 01:11
Off the bat draft:
By: kilcoo316 - 21st July 2007 at 20:58
How about leaving it alone and telling the pony tailed latte drinking public relations gurus to go and get a real job 😡
😀 😀 😀
Give this man a medal
Nail on head.
By: Ren Frew - 21st July 2007 at 17:59
Leave the Roo as is, just change how its presented on the aircraft methinks.
A spot more colour on the fuselage, the obvious red, with either gold or silver accentuation.
Leave the typeface of the “QANTAS” titles as is, maybe give it a Silver or Grey colour.
Hey Sandy, howabout working up my suggestion on one of your templates fella ? 😎 😀
By: caz66 - 21st July 2007 at 17:28
Howabout they ditch the roo and replace it with some of those blonde babes from Neighbours in bikinis ??? You could get a lot of them on an A380 !:rolleyes:
I like the idea 😀
By: Vicbitter - 21st July 2007 at 12:28
How about leaving it alone and telling the pony tailed latte drinking public relations gurus to go and get a real job 😡
By: Lawndart - 21st July 2007 at 12:15
Howabout they ditch the roo and replace it with some of those blonde babes from Neighbours in bikinis ??? You could get a lot of them on an A380 !:rolleyes:
As long as they squeeze Holly Valance in there somewhere, consider it seconded!
By: Ren Frew - 21st July 2007 at 11:43
Howabout they ditch the roo and replace it with some of those blonde babes from Neighbours in bikinis ??? You could get a lot of them on an A380 !:rolleyes:
By: steve rowell - 21st July 2007 at 08:48
The Aussies wouldnt take to that very kindly.
Fosters isn’t consumed that much in this country it’s more of an International beer..the great unwashed in this country prefer Victoria Bitter
By: KabirT - 21st July 2007 at 08:45
How about model there new livery on fosters instead ? 😀
The Aussies wouldnt take to that very kindly.
By: Bmused55 - 21st July 2007 at 07:10
Leave the Roo as is, just change how its presented on the aircraft methinks.
A spot more colour on the fuselage, the obvious red, with either gold or silver accentuation.
Leave the typeface of the “QANTAS” titles as is, maybe give it a Silver or Grey colour.
By: steve rowell - 21st July 2007 at 06:44
Definately a re-do of the roo should be good, extinction all together may not be such a good idea.
Maybe a stylised version of the famous marsupial??
By: caz66 - 20th July 2007 at 10:07
How about model there new livery on fosters instead ? 😀
Sign In
July 20, 2007 at 5:10 am