The Brand Is The Limit™

Jonah Hecht

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In 1967 during the peak of corporate modernist design, Massimo Vignelli created the iconic brand identity for American Airlines that was supposed to be timeless. 46 years later in 2013, the airline rebranded with a radically new logo and identity system that stripped away the integrity, legacy, and value of the 1967 identity. This thesis explores Vignelliʼs timeless design philosophy, the development of Americanʼs identity, and the factors that lead up to the controversial rebrand.