Opinion BY Armin

Customers Rewarded with New Plane

“Air Miles” seems such a loose term that any airline could own and have little chance at being its own brand. Which just goes to show that I’m neither Canadian nor good at accruing miles. Air Miles is a very popular reward program in Canada where everyday purchases made at or with participating products or services add up to coveted, well, air miles for some much desired traveling. According to this article, two thirds of Canadian households participate in the Air Miles program. That’s a lot. While Canada seems to be the most successful Air Miles, the program (and brand) runs independently in other parts of the world, like the UK, Spain and the Netherlands. The company isn’t that old, it was established in the mid 1980s, but its logo, and specifically the plane in its logo, looks like, indeed, it has been flying all this time.

Between the rackety-looking plane and the italic serif on a curve, the old logo was looking seriously dated but it clearly had equity and resonance with customers. Toronto based Ove Design did a nice job of evolving the logo into something more contemporary and fresh. The plane looks more aerodynamic and stable, the “AIR MILES” typography is more refined and the tag line, even though it remains a little awkward, is a better rendition. The glow in the sky and the globe give it a nice, uplifting vibe too — and since the logo lives on 4-color plastic cards, the web and other full color applications I have no issues with the gradients, and still, I’m sure this logo would reduce great to a 1- or 2-color application. Overall, a crisp, rewarding evolution.

Thanks to John Godfrey for first tip.

DATE: Oct.16.2009CATEGORY: Aviation 40 COMMENTS

niko’s comment is:

It feels awkward that the "travel and more" lives outside the circle, especially given that it has so much dead space in the clouds just above.

On Oct.16.2009 at 10:10 AM

James T’s comment is:

If they had to keep the tagline, it would've been nice to somehow incorporate it within the circle.

Kind of reminds me of a tilted Obama-esque logo. Not sure if it really needs the dramatic gradient. Overall, I like the improvement.

On Oct.16.2009 at 10:10 AM

PMill’s comment is:

great step forward but it could have been tweaked more. I agree with Niko and James - tagline should've been brought into the logo shape.

On Oct.16.2009 at 10:22 AM

Matt2’s comment is:

I like it. Mileage programs tend to be awful complicated with all sorts of ways you can earn miles on the one hand and restrictions against using them on the other. This moves things towards simplicity. I would dropped the slogan altogether -- "Air Miles" kind of already says "Travel and More".

How do "miles" resonate with people who mostly use the metric system every day? I have a hunch people in metric countries automatically associate miles with air travel in a way Americans don't. This might not apply to Canada and the UK, but then apparently this is a global brand.

On Oct.16.2009 at 10:23 AM

Joanna ’s comment is:

It definitively is an improvement, however it needs a bit more work. The tag-line looks totally out of place, and I don't think the gradient is necessary. A different soution would be to use the "cloud" aspect of the old logo and implement it into the sphere making it more a cloud rather than a globe, in solid color rather than a gradient.

On Oct.16.2009 at 10:24 AM

Nick’s comment is:

I agree with the general consensus so far... It's a good step forward, but needs more refinement. The plane isn't the problem, I actually like the plane very much, it's the awkwardness of the type and the over-gradiation (hey, a new word!) of the circle.

On Oct.16.2009 at 10:48 AM

Peter Laws’s comment is:

The aircraft is not more stable! It's a Flying Boat that will now tip over after landing since they've removed the outboard stabilizers!!

On Oct.16.2009 at 10:51 AM

Kevin Zwirble’s comment is:

I think its a nice evolution from the previous logo. Although I'd have the same concern as Niko, with the tagline type outside the circle. Only because when reproducing the logo, the tag may get lost because it's not enclosed.

Other than that, it has a kitschy-retro vibe to it that most travel-related services tend to gravitate towards.

On Oct.16.2009 at 11:47 AM

Andy’s comment is:

If the underside of the fuselage is in 'shadow' and depicted in grey, the underside of the wings should be the same. It's really messing this up and ruining any accurate sense of depth or dimension,

On Oct.16.2009 at 11:50 AM

Ben’s comment is:

This strongly brings the Obama logo to mind, with the soft blue gradient circle, and the curve of the land below. The Obama Blue.

On Oct.16.2009 at 12:05 PM

ADAM’s comment is:

Here is my rendition that I think looks better and not as awkward.

On Oct.16.2009 at 12:16 PM

Rico’s comment is:

Nice work Adam. Much cleaner.

On Oct.16.2009 at 12:37 PM

Chris’s comment is:

If you look at the website on the second slide https://www.airmiles.ca/arrow/Home?_requestid=9166310 it looks like they used the exterior as a device for brand expansion.

Air miles — Travel and more
Air Miles — My Planet .. etc

Would be nice to see a 3 colour version.

On Oct.16.2009 at 01:13 PM

Tom’s comment is:

I think the treatment looks good, but I have to agree with some posters above - it just reminds me of the Obama logo. Great update to an older logo though.

On Oct.16.2009 at 01:43 PM

Blaise’s comment is:

Adam - much better, send it to them!

On Oct.16.2009 at 01:51 PM

San Antonio Employment Lawyers’s comment is:

With everyone else. Adam's is way better.

On Oct.16.2009 at 02:26 PM

Nate B’s comment is:

Let me get this straight: The sky has a gradient to show depth, the "globe" has a gradient to show dimension, but the plane is flat colored? That doesn't match up at all. I prefer the flat look for a logo. The type is "OK" but I think there could be some better choices. If it were me, I would select the plane, copy, new document, paste and start over.

On Oct.16.2009 at 02:29 PM

Marc Desbiens’s comment is:

A definite improvement.

As for the tagline, I think they should drop it altogether, for these reasons:

1) It doesn't focus on one thing, as a brand should. In this case just being "Air Miles" is enough. Don't claim to be many things, such as "Travel and More".
2) It's too generic -- not memorable.
3) Visually, it detracts from the logo.

I like the redesign, it's just a shame about that tagline.

On Oct.16.2009 at 02:36 PM

damon’s comment is:

Agree with Andy on shading.
Need to push those engines back as well, feel far too forward for a prop.
Window placement is awkward, kinda baggage compartmentish.
Nice adjustment Adam.

On Oct.16.2009 at 02:38 PM

couchideas’s comment is:

The plain is such an improvement. I think they put the tagline out of the circle because you can hardly read it when used small. So inside the circle will only mean even smaller. The color gradient tone is sweet.

On Oct.16.2009 at 04:58 PM

Glenn Sakamoto’s comment is:

Nice redesign. The plane looks much better.

However "Travel and More" looks pasted on without any thought or consideration...

On Oct.16.2009 at 05:48 PM

Unwinder’s comment is:

I think that "Travel and More" looks fine outside the circle. Especially considering that, as Chris pointed out, they change it to say other things sometimes.

The space outside the circle may be less integrated, and less pleasing to the eye, but it is more flexible. If you want it to say "My Planet" or "You have seriously got to get some of these air miles," you are going to have a lot of trouble fitting every variant into the circle equally well.

If you're putting your tagline outside the circle, you can swap it out for just about anything, and it will look just about the same.

On Oct.16.2009 at 07:22 PM

Jeff’s comment is:

Ooh, I like this new plane. Makes me want to get a fedora and a whip and head off to Tibet.

On Oct.16.2009 at 08:06 PM

Steven Hoober’s comment is:

I liked the seaplane, and the clouds. Trading them for more freakin' gradients is a loser to me.

On Oct.16.2009 at 08:13 PM

Michael Sobotta’s comment is:

YES WE CAN!

On Oct.16.2009 at 08:55 PM

manichaeus’s comment is:

Matt2: I guess we can say that the mile is the universal standard for long distance travel. It has been used for centuries on countries adopting the metric system - as the standard for maritime travel. So it sounds ok.

Peter Laws: Yes, indeed. I'd add that now it´s not recognizable as a flying boat anymore. Canada is known for its large fleet of airplanes with floats. So it's not a typical Canadian plane anymore, either. If it is less Canadian, what's left? An old airplane. Maybe it is prized because of the associations with the romantic travels of old, but hey, isn't this a risc of meaning inefficiency or worst, danger? Less Canadian? Globalization is about cultural unsaturation, it seems: the more gray, the better. Argh!

Anyway, I'd never consider giving to a financial enterprise the looks of a small air charter operation. Or worst, that of a clothing brand (here they love old cars, trains and airplanes).

On Oct.16.2009 at 09:19 PM

SCS3000’s comment is:

Enough with the Obama references already. Circular logos are ruined due to this sort of sheep mentality. And Starbucks.

On Oct.16.2009 at 10:44 PM

Erwin’s comment is:

So could someone please post an example of the Obama sticker here, because I'm (as a non-American) really curious what it looks like!

As for the Air Miles logo, being from Holland I didn't even recognize the old one. I recognized shape, colors and text, but I was sure the logo had three swallows depicted on it, not a plane!

Turn's out there are multiple versions of the logo. (you might want to google that) Did they get a make-over too?

On Oct.17.2009 at 03:15 AM

John Leschinski’s comment is:

Love the plane, except for the way they laied out the windows. The tag line should be on the inside. I miss the clouds. Wonder what my new airmiles card will look like!

On Oct.17.2009 at 04:41 AM

James P’s comment is:

Horrible logo! Like most have stated, your eye is drawn off the logo by the secondary tag line floating outside the circle. Although the clouds in the “before” logo look like a large cotton balls at least the plane isn’t flying in the thermosphere. Is this the new and improved space shuttle?

On Oct.17.2009 at 08:15 AM

jthor’s comment is:

As some have pointed out but people don't seem to be responding too, while the Travel and More look pretty terrible, that spot changes as you get a variety of different Air Miles plans, including the new supposedly eco-friendly "My Planet" option. As this is the generic one I'd say it might be better to drop that tag completely (as some have said) rather than incorporate it. Also, if incoporated, it would like incredibly tiny on the card -- as the old on did; I never even really noticed it, despite having it on a card in my wallet for about a decade and despising that font choice. As for the plane, while boat planes are perhaps more common in Canada, that is not true of the kind shown on the old card, which I think echoes instead of the retro more broadly. Given that, I think it's totally fine to clean it up a bit but still keep that more broad retro perspective -- it sort of fits with the use of "Miles," the old system which anyhow sounds way better than any metric equivalent. "Air Kilometres?" Bravo on the update! Just maybe ditch "trave; and more." Also, who cares about bad shading? As long as it looks good...

On Oct.17.2009 at 12:22 PM

Mark’s comment is:

Well done I like it.

It's a nice evolution of the logo.

On Oct.17.2009 at 09:50 PM

Minneapolis Web Design Guy’s comment is:

I just discovered this blog, and I gotta say, I really like what you are doing. Looking at "modernized" versions of some of these famous logos has really opened my eyes to some neat little tricks to make some logos look more updated. Keep 'em comin!

On Oct.19.2009 at 01:45 AM

Charlie of Toronto’s comment is:

I would have adjusted the second propeller so that it didn't merge with plane nose (like the original) so that it works better as a silhouette... Otherwise it looks great! Nice job Peter... one more notch on your logo belt! ^_^

On Oct.19.2009 at 11:36 AM

jen’s comment is:

I like the circle even though it does seem overly-derivative of a certain presidential campaign with the gradient and swoop thing. (I know, Canada is not America. I don't think it's that big a deal.) The tag outside the circle throws it off balance for me. So I think it's progress, but I don't feel like it's finished. Maybe needed another round of work.

On Oct.21.2009 at 02:40 PM

Brownstone’s comment is:

It seems that only Air Miles Canada has updated their logo. On the UK site, the logo and branding is hardly featured at all; when it is, it is tiny and black/white. The Spanish site, "Travel Club" features the old style logo cropped at the bottom. The Dutch and UAE logos feature birds instead of float planes. As Air Miles/Travel Club are under licence, I wonder if the logos in other countries will be updated?

Regarding the name, "Air Miles": it is completely fine in metric countries as the nautical mile is the standard unit of distance in both the aviation and shipping industries.

On Oct.22.2009 at 08:50 PM

Michael Kolbrener’s comment is:

The new one is definitely a long step in the right direction. I do however think they could have done a cleaner job integrating the "Travel and more". You solution hits the nail on the head. Well done!

On Oct.29.2009 at 03:47 PM

Shin’s comment is:

@Adam
Don't you think they have thought of that rendition ?
They must have some good explanation why the tag line is not placed inside the circle.

On Oct.31.2009 at 02:41 PM

Erin’s comment is:

Another vote for wanting the tagline in the circle (or dropping the tagline altogether from the logo). If they had a good reason for leaving it floating on the outside, I'd like to hear it.

The presidential campaign association link is non-existent for me. The logo is 20ish years old and was always a circle --- but given the original's age, if you HAVE to think election, you should be thinking Reagan, not Obama!

On Nov.02.2009 at 12:23 PM

Erin’s comment is:

I looked up the Reagan slogan: "Are You Better Off Than You Were Four Years Ago? Make America Great Again"

It's a lot harder to quip than Obama's, but kind of apropos given the recession.

I forgot to add: I like the lighter plane. The original looked like an army plane. As if you'd cash in your miles and have to parachute out to your destination at night.

On Nov.02.2009 at 12:28 PM