New Lufthansa image - or: When the logo change takes seven years

With the new image, the airline wants to emphasize its premium claim more strongly. More than 13 agencies are involved in the design and communication. The presentation of the new design last week was also the starting signal for a seven-year monster project. The change could hardly be accomplished any faster.

On the one hand, because Lufthansa is a huge, globally active company. Around 160 million items will be exchanged in the next two years alone. On board a large aircraft, the logo is present more than 40,000 times. On the other hand, Lufthansa also wants to manage the change as economically as possible. The aircraft in the existing fleet, for example, will only be resprayed when a paint job is due anyway for technical reasons. Many items, such as the hangers in Business Class, are only replaced when they are broken. At Swiss, for example, it took around five years before the last ballpoint pen displayed the new logo.

The Lufthansa subsidiary knows a thing or two about updating corporate designs. After Swiss emerged from Crossair, the airline adorned itself for nine years with a "cube logo" designed by Canadian Tyler Brûlé. In 2011, it was time for a design change - according to Swiss, mainly because with the cube it was hardly recognizable that it was an airline. The new signet on the tail fin with the Swiss cross was intended to remedy this and at the same time emphasize the airline's Swissness.

Skepticism within the company's own ranks

The effort involved in such adjustments is great, not least because intensive communication is required. "The innovations are often met with skepticism by employees and customers," says Michael Boenigk, Professor of Corporate and Marketing Communication at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. Especially for well-known companies with direct customer contact, the changes would have to be well orchestrated and communicated. "Criticism always comes, often from your own employees, who had become accustomed to the old logos and designs over the years. Then it's a matter of enduring this criticism, taking it seriously and responding to it professionally," emphasizes Boenigk.

Companies therefore often opt for continuous development rather than a "big bang". "A brand is comparable to a memory that is filled with experiences and associations," says Carsten Scholtysik, co-founder of the Zurich-based brand agency Scholtysik & Partner. "These values must be preserved and used. That's why there must be valid strategic reasons before a company considers radical rebranding instead of continuous development," he says.

Swiss brands such as Ovomaltine or Rivella, for example, are constantly making minor adjustments to their appearance. In this way, they remain up-to-date and familiar at the same time. "If you compare the Ovomaltine logo and the cans from 1912, 1965 and today, they are completely different designs - but the individual steps in between have always been gentle," Scholtysik notes. (Louis Anselm/SDA)