Worth Another Look a Special Livery Created for a Model Airplane Has Led to a Poster Program for All 787 Customers

n COMMERCIAL AIRPLANES

Poster program spreads to other 787 customers Worth another look A special livery created for a model airplane has led to a poster program for all 787 customers. ing campaigns, promotional materials and How 787 model livery corporate identity programs to promote their Ethiopian Airlines CEO Ato Girma Wake received Boeing products. a 787 model sporting a special livery that appeared on posters What was different about this request, evoked the history and culture of Ethiopia. He however, was that it focused on aspects of liked the design so much that he asked Boeing By Dawsalee Griffin the airline’s home country. Previous cus- to look into reproducing it in posters Ethiopian tom designs have focused primarily on the Airlines could use at travel agencies. t’s not every day that an airline CEO is airline’s logo and livery. Indeed, Wake liked Consequently, Rob Pollack, vice president of moved to tears. But that’s what happened the design so much he asked Boeing to look Brand and Market Positioning for Commercial Iwhen Ethiopian Airlines CEO Ato Girma into creating the livery on a full-size air- Airplanes, suggested expanding the concept to Wake received a 787 model bearing a spe- plane and reproducing it as a poster the car- include all 787 customers. cial livery representing the history and cul- rier could use at travel agencies. “It was a unique opportunity to change from the ture of Ethiopia. Patty Roberts, Regional Marketing direc- typical airline business focus and show our cus- “There is a lot of emotion involved in the tor–Africa and South Asia, who worked on tomers how much we appreciate them and their sales process,” said Ihssane Mounir, Com- the model livery, said the team took the mon- culture and history,” said Pollack. “It also shows mercial Airplane’s International Sales direc- tage and developed it into a poster using more tor. “We learn so much about our clients’ cul- historical and cultural elements, including our employees how global our business really is.” ture and history along the way and this was Ethiopia’s famous long-distance runners. With agreement and funding from the 787 a great opportunity to show our appreciation The design’s appeal was further validat- program, Patty Roberts, Regional Marketing for a very good Boeing customer.” ed when Ethiopia’s Consul General in Se- director–Africa and South Asia, tapped Boeing The Airline Marketing Services group in attle asked to use the poster in a brochure Shared Services Group Creative Services to Commercial promoting Western in- design a template for the poster series. Don Airplanes led vestment in Ethiopia. Thoreby, art director/designer, created the tem- the effort to “We are so proud of the plates, while designer Dean Roberts created the develop the graphical elements in the poster montages. They worked closely with Sales, design. Its 787 poster,” Wake said. n the customer airline and Patty Roberts to choose staff mem- dawsalee.griffin@ images reflecting the history and culture of each bers special- boeing.com airline and country and those easily recognizable ize in using to Western visitors. their knowl- “It was a challenge to stay away from stereo- edge of Boeing’s airline types and create unique posters celebrating customers to help the each of the 787 customers,” said Thoreby. airlines design market- “The poster series has been very popular with the airlines who have adapted elements for use in A series of Boeing-made posters honors ads, on billboards, on luggage tags, in brochures the home nations of 787 airline custom- and on annual reports,” said Patty Roberts. ers such as Ethiopian Airlines (top), as —Dawsalee Griffin well as (above) LOT Polish Airlines, Air Canada and ANA (All Nippon Airways).

20 September 2006 BOEING FRONTIERS