Giant billboards at airports worldwide are a branding powerhouse and can communicate a solid brand image and celebrate regional or cultural iconography. TEAGUE accomplished both of its goals beautifully in its latest design for Alaska Airlines.
A striking image of an Orca leaping from the water, printed using thousands of microdots on the aircraft tail, resulted in a remarkably clear image that shows every drop of water flying off the whale.
The Boeing paint shop is where the West Coast Wonders livery is printed. The livery calls attention to the need to protect the killer whales. The image is of TeaGUE.
The design process for the unique Alaska Airlines livery and the core ingredients to successful livery designs were discussed by runway girl network with the TEAGUE livery and communications design manager.
Ryan said that they had been working on the project for a long time. It started a couple of years ago, and then we had to stop. The designer of the livery scheme did some hand-illustrated work. We explored a lot of different avenues, but I think we are happy with where it ended up.
We explored different ways of showing the ocean sprays coming off the orca's tail. We tried to express motion. I think the livery works well because it has a sense of water, but it also connects with the Alaska brand and the Aurora stripes.
The Alaska Airlines design has alternative liveries and Orca illustrations. The image is of TeaGUE.
The image selected to be printed on the tail was unique. Jane Cogan, a photographer and former Boeing employee, took the photograph in the Puget Sound region of Washington in order to raise awareness about the plight of the whales. Cogan was working on a Center for Whale Research project.
The photograph detail on the tail was printed using Boeing's inkjet process, which is a recent development for the Seattle-based aircraft manufacturer. Both Boeing and Airbus developed similar systems in 2014, but neither is used in full-scale production.
It works the same way as a decals, in terms of what information we give to Boeing to produce the image. Ryan said it was more about the technology doing the work. The process promises to reduce production time from 12 days to a couple of days. A single layer of thin dots can be used to replace the heavier layers of paint. Boeing isn't making this technology available to customers as a standard option.
The livery on Alaska Airlines is stunning. The image is of TeaGUE.
Ryan could not comment on the viability of inkjet printing going into full-scale production, as it is still a developing technology. She said that the test and experiment was a step in the right direction. Maybe in a decade out, they're going to use it more often.
I have been doing this for 15 years and I am excited about this technology. Ryan said that it was the future of painting your aircraft. We want to know what we can achieve. We want to do designs with more detail and color. I think that that is very exciting if we can do that with inkjet.
The bottom of the tail and the dorsal fin are areas that need to be considered when combining painted and inkjet elements. Ryan explained that one challenge was to make sure that the rest of the plane was painted.
She said that there are always challenges with designing and doing great livery design. We make sure you get a good view of the aircraft from every angle. We need to make sure that it is meeting the airline's expectations and also give our recommendation for what we think will look best.
The TEAGUE team reviews mock-ups of images which could be used for the Alaska Airlines livery, to be presented to the airline for final selection. The image is of TeaGUE.
Ryan was asked what sparks the passion for liveries among the public.
I think people have a connection to a certain experience or the way a brand should be. She said that if airlines reveal a new livery, they are creating a connection with their customers or potential customers.
A sense of playful design is something that attracts the viewer or potential customer. I think that the special livery is exciting their current clientele and trying to attract other potential fliers to fly with them. The Disney airplanes, the ones that are bold in color and graphics, and have a lot of elements going on, are the ones that are successful. It goes with the airline's brand because they are tied together well with great artwork. The successful ones are both exciting and cohesive.
Ryan was excited for the team to push the boundaries with what they are able to do. In terms of how things are painted, like the inkjet technology, to showcase our creative designs on more of these beautiful airplanes, and continue to createholistic branded experiences for the future.
A number of images were drawn by Jim Farmer, a graphic designer with 10 years experience specializing in livery design. The image is of TeaGUE.
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All images are credited to TeaGUE.
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