BA loses the livery argument

Bob Ayling has admitted the 60m corporate identity programme for British Airways has been a disaster, as I predicted in my letter to Marketing Week (October 23 1997) – contrary to popular belief among the design and marketing industries.

He has hinted that he proposes to follow my suggestions, by replacing the ethnic artwork with the British Airways’ ribbon or the red, white and blue of the new Concorde livery.

Ayling is partially excused for this catastrophe due to his admission that he is colour blind. The designers and marketers, on the other hand, should bare the brunt of this costly marketing blunder. So much for the new phrase “building brands” and “brand architecture”.

A bad architect often contributes to a building’s collapse.

Marcello Minale

Chairman

Minale Tattersfield Design Strategy Group

Richmond

Surrey