British Midland flies with Landor

Airline British Midland has appointed Landor Associates to undertake a strategic review of its brand following a three-way pitch.

Landor scooped the account after beating Interbrand Newell and Sorrell and Henrion Ludlow & Schmidt in a pitch held earlier this month.

The account win sits alongside Landor’s rebranding work for Canadian Airlines, which it completed earlier this year, and helps to reinforce the consultancy’s reputation as an airline branding specialist.

For British Midland the strategic appointment marks the beginning of a move into the North American marketplace, as well as a review of its brand requirements in both the UK and Europe.

Landor executive client director Jane Simmonds says an initial review will be presented to the airline’s board of directors at the end of August.

Landor executive creative director Peter Knapp says of the rebranding work: “It is a very important win for us and a chance to focus on Britain the Brand at the time of a new millennium. Our research will tell us the value of Britishness in a market already saturated with it, and more importantly the importance of being European as well.”

The consultancy has worked on a wide variety of airline brands in the past. These include Cathay Pacific, Air 2000, Air Europa and Delta Airlines.