by Donald Wood
Last updated: 4:30 PM ET, Tue January 26, 2016
For the first time in 25 years, Alaska Airlines has unveiled its first major brand change during a ceremony Monday which featured the introduction of a Boeing 737-800 featuring the new paint scheme and logos.
The new Alaska Airlines branding was unveiled in front of about 1,800 employees and press. The new designs will be formally added to all planes in the company's fleet, digital channels, throughout the airline's marketing materials.
The most obvious changes have been the wordmark, the Eskimo icon and the new color scheme.
Starting on Tuesday, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport will also feature the updating of the Alaska Airlines branding throughout the facility, including a more welcoming lobby and 41 revamped gates featuring the new branding.
Over the next month, Alaska Airlines will be taking the delivery of four Boeing 737 planes with the name logos and paint schemes, and the company expects to have 40 planes decked out in the new livery by the end of 2016.
Alaska Airlines vice president of marketing Sangita Woerner released a statement:
"Our refreshed brand really is an evolution, not a revolution, of Alaska Airlines. Our goal was to reflect the soul of our company, which is known for its genuine, caring service and top-notch performance. It's now time to show up to our customers in a bigger, brighter way."
"Our goal in modernizing our Eskimo was to optimize his facial expression so it was clear to our newer customers that he represents warmth and kindness. It was critically important that we approached his redesign with sensitivity, which is why we sought and received the input of Alaska native leaders from the Arctic region and across Alaska."
"Our approach to rolling out our refreshed brand has been very strategic. We've taken a cost-conscious approach to rolling out the updates. In terms of changing the liveries, we plan to repaint planes when they are scheduled. It will likely take three to four years to complete this refreshed brand roll-out."
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