BY John Feldhouse

The Kangaroo With More Power

Qantas — Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services for long — unveiled a new logo and identity this past Tuesday, after 23 years of using the previous identity. Designed by Hulsbosch Communications — if you have patience for Flash sites, you can see some images on their web site — an Australian firm with a proven record of designing airline identities, the new logo is a subtle but beautiful change.

The new change was triggered because of a new tail shape on the Airbus A380 super jumbos and Boeing aircraft as well as a dated kangaroo. Executive General Manager John Borghetti states:

“This move also reflects the changing structure of our new aircraft — for example, the shape of our new kangaroo is a great fit for the tail of the A380 and other new generation aircraft. We will also be progressively rolling out the new branding across the airline in the lead up to the delivery of the first A380 in August 2008.”

Previous logos

“The differences are subtle but distinctive, in keeping with the gradual evolution of the logo since it first appeared on one of our aircraft in 1944. Our new flying kangaroo is sleeker and more contoured than the current version — a modern take on a design that has stood the test of time,” he said.

The new look is a nice refresh to one of the most recognizable logos from Australia. The richer red and improved typography is a nice change, although the new type does remind me a bit of the Burger King type. The sleeker form makes sense — more power in the legs and a larger tail. Overall the new logo is a huge improvement while retaining the brand equity from the original kangaroo.

For more information, check out the press release.

Ed. Note: Many thanks to all that e-mailed about this story, including Australians who were 12 hours ahead of us in getting the news.

\n\nQantas — Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services for long — unveiled a new logo and identity this past Tuesday, after 23 years of using the previous identity. Designed by Hulsbosch Communications — if you have patience for Flash sites, you can see some images on their web site — an Australian firm with a proven record of designing airline identities, the new logo is a subtle but beautiful change.

Many thanks to our ADV @ UnderConsideration Partners