From SCMP Lai See 25/10/14
Cathay marketing nonsense
Cathay Pacific has made a small change to its logo and introduced what it calls "a new design philosophy.' But this change is accompanied by some of the most cringe-making drivel that makes you wonder about some parts of the airline. Lai See is a fan of the airline. Indeed when asked not so long ago at a function what improvements we would make to the airline, our response was that just so long as we arrived and departed safely, everything else was peripheral.
Cathay pays a great deal of attention to safety, way more than it is legally required to do both in its training and operations, but we hear little of that. The marketing nonsense that accompanies the new logo, it seems to us, undermines the fundamental qualities that make it a good airline. The airline, we hope, is not seeking to compete on marketing BS. There wasn't much wrong with the old logo, but OK, the new one has a slightly more modern look to it.
Discussing the redesign of its classic brushwing logo, the creative designer says: "Essentially we simplified the logo and we set the brushwing free." Cathay's marketing manager says: "What we are now embarking on is a process of refinement - how design can improve the way we are experienced by our customers." He adds: "We are looking closer at every step along the customer journey, the overall experience and the touch points where our brand can resonate." Yes we all know design is important, but up to a point. To read this guff you'd think the new logo had been designed by Michelangelo.