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Aeromexico is facing fierce criticism for its new Aztec eagle warrior logo.
Aeromexico celebrates its 90th anniversary by partnering with Mexican design agency Mucho to unveil a new brand strategy and visual identity. The rebrand, its first in 26 years, features a corporate typeface developed in collaboration with Sharp Type, a new color scheme featuring Mexican Pink, and a visual information management system that resembles the striped graphics of the 1968 Mexico City Olympics designed by Lance Wyman.
Mucho released a statement explaining its brand strategy in April, but a completely different design emerged at its 90th anniversary event a month ago. The straight lines inspired by traditional Mexican art were gone, replaced by curves and descriptions. The eagle’s head resembles a cowboy hat, and the feathers resemble flowing hair. The subtle, almost human-like lips are there to give it a more subtle feel. The Mucho collaboration did not include a logo redesign; Aeromexico likely hired another design studio to create its own logo.
This is a case that clearly shows the importance of brand direction. The visual identity of a brand is more about the consistency of the overall concept and motif than the uniqueness of individual elements. In order for the brand image to remain in the customer's memory, a consistent message must be delivered at all touchpoints. Different graphic styles cause confusion.
What is particularly unfortunate is that the unique Mexican character has been diluted. It is unfortunate that the beautiful and consistent brand strategy proposed by Mucho has collapsed so quickly.
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