Aeroflot loyal to hammer and sickle

Read the forum code of contact

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 6,072

Russian national carrier Aeroflot is to stick with its distinctive hammer and sickle logo from the Communist era - despite earlier plans to scrap it as part of efforts to transform the company's image.
Under the restructuring, new Boeings and Airbuses are to replace ageing Soviet-designed craft in the airline's 110-plus fleet.

Its current livery of red, blue and white is being ditched for blue, orange and silver, with a stylish Russian flag draped across the tail.

And inside the cabin, decor and crew uniforms are being redesigned, and improvements made to service and food.

However the company is reluctant to retire the 70-year old hammer and sickle symbol.

"This is an old Russian brand, which everyone associates with Aeroflot. This logo is so harmonious that is has proved difficult to replace," Aeroflot's deputy director general, Lev Koshlyakov, told the French news agency AFP.

Negative perceptions

The airline, founded in 1923, said in December it would drop the hammer and sickle on the advice of its image consultant, Identica.

Aeroflot, which flies to more than 100 destinations, is trying to change decades of negative perceptions of poor safety and service to compete more effectively in the international marketplace.

Market research abroad had indicated support for the logo change, with customers apparently finding that the Soviet-era symbol had bad associations.

But in case the airline's management has a change of heart, the old logo is being replaced with a removable sticker on all the planes.

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/38613000/jpg/_38613965_logo300.jpg

Original post

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 1,709

The change was orientated to the western customers, again they have surrender to their nostalgia and it´s something wrong and no commercial. Would you imagine LH with the Hitler cross?. Doesn´t make sense at all.

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 2,956

The hammer & sickle did stem from the communist era, however the way it is used in Aeroflot's symbol, is very distinctive to the airline. I see nothing wrong in them wanting to keep that. When I look at that symbol, I don't immediately think, "commies!" I think, "That's Aeroflot, the airline of Russia."

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 7,536

No, i think they needed to get rid of that.... if they are modernising the whole airline the logo should have been the first thing to be changed.

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 3,279

The hammer and sickle is not good for western branding I agree, and as Aeroflot strives for western standards it is a symbol which represents its old ways. Nevertheless it needs a symbol that depicts modern Russian whether that is in the the hammer and sickle I don't know.

The Hammer and Sickle were supposed to represent the common person... the basic tools of the factory worker and the peasant farmer. Something the Communists forgot... nice the airline remembers... no point in fooling the western customers to buy tickets... when they find out it is Aeroflot they will think hammer and sickle anyway... why alienate your home customers for that?

Member for

20 years 11 months

Posts: 319

Hi
I think the hammer and sickle was a unique identitiy to aeroflot, and shoiuld remain, But I think it should encorprate a globe, to show its universalism

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 2,491

In the minds of most people outside Russia, Hammer and Sickle = unsafe, unreliable, uncomfortable, commie, no English spoken.

Who in their right mind would not, in fact, get rid of the logo?

"In the minds of most people outside Russia, Hammer and Sickle = unsafe, unreliable, uncomfortable, commie, no English spoken.

Who in their right mind would not, in fact, get rid of the logo?"

Ignorance is bliss. Most people who would make such an association also make the same association for Russian products and companies in general... changing the logo will not change the minds of such people... why pander to their tastes anyway?
The core of their business will be in Russia or to and from Russia... why waste sucking up to those with such bias ingrained?

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 7,536

Originally posted by GarryB
"In the minds of most people outside Russia, Hammer and Sickle = unsafe, unreliable, uncomfortable, commie, no English spoken.

Who in their right mind would not, in fact, get rid of the logo?"

Ignorance is bliss. Most people who would make such an association also make the same association for Russian products and companies in general... changing the logo will not change the minds of such people... why pander to their tastes anyway?
The core of their business will be in Russia or to and from Russia... why waste sucking up to those with such bias ingrained?

pretty narrow minded approach there i must say.

Aeroflot may have all ist heads in Russia only but they will benifit most from flgiths to western countries after all.

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 2,886

I agree with greekdude....The Hammer and Sickle means Aeroflot. Its as much part of the airline scene as the PanAm "meatball" and the TWA "twin globes". Why change for changes sake? Well Im pleased that it looks like the symbol will stay after all, and long may it do so. If that makes me a nostalgia freak or worse then just put me down guilty as charged!! And keltic, I think that you'll find that the current LH logo was in use during the Nazi era-certainly in the early part if not all the way through.

"pretty narrow minded approach there i must say.
Aeroflot may have all ist heads in Russia only but they will benifit most from flgiths to western countries after all."

The need to earn foreign dollars should be tempered by the fact that if you lose your home market to a foreign operator (if you drop your logo the average Russian will just see you as another operator in a market) then you will struggle more at home as well as in other places. As I mentioned most of the negative attitude regarding the Hammer and Sickle is based on a general negative attitude to Russia and the former Soviet Union. Changing a well known logo is not normally a good business move. Changing it merely to make oneself more attractive to overseas markets might cost you your advantage at home... if you can't win at home how can you compete on the international market.

You can call it narrow minded, but Aeroflot seems to have made a decision based on their own market analysis... it doesn't make sense to hire a western consulting agency and then ignore what they reccomend on mere nostalgia alone... of course you shouldn't confuse nostalgia of the company for the logo with nostalgia of the paying customers for the logo... if it is the nostalgia of the people who fly then it means bums on seats and it is what keeps your company going.

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 7,536

Today if an airline has to survive it has to have a globle approach, not only resting on some specific routes or lines. BA moved on form there old livery among lot of scuffle and dissapointment, but it went for a more modern look. Aerfolot should do the same.

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 329

This is the best news I have heard about Aeroflot ever since the re-brandingn story came about.

The Hammer and Sickle is a part of Aeroflot and it should stay.

Sam.

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 4,333

Originally posted by serendib
This is the best news I have heard about Aeroflot ever since the re-brandingn story came about.

The Hammer and Sickle is a part of Aeroflot and it should stay.

Sam.


Agree .

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 2,886

Yipeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!

Member for

20 years 11 months

Posts: 12,842

hammer&sickle

if your going to try to change your image it has to be complete get rid of the h&s

Member for

20 years 11 months

Posts: 204

i think they should keep the hammer and sickle...after, all, it IS a part of their hiostory which they shouldnt necessarily let go of... shame u dont get to see many ILs or TUs outside of Russia nowadays...my last ones were in GVA (about the only other place in Europe you get to see them nowadays), and Il62/86/96 at EZE a few years before...

Member for

20 years 11 months

Posts: 714

Fair play to the Ruskies.
If you lot remember BA changed the image across its fleet so it could 'modernise'. Some people liked (and still do) the new livery but in general it was a bad move for BA. The fact that Aeroflot has decided to change its aircraft from the old Tups, Ils and Ants to western aircraft will make more commercial sense than dropping the Hammer and Sickle.
I for one would like to see the H&S for many years to come

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 3,672

welcome onboard Kurmitz!