Checking out the airwaves

You’ve seen the new identity, now check out the inflight entertainment. British Airways has totally revamped its inflight entertainment services, introducing a new look, name and programming strategy.

The project was undertaken by BA’s inflight entertainment agency Speed, which in turn commissioned English & Pockett to work up the graphic identity.

Naming consultancy Mastername came up with the brand name Omnia, to replace the more self-explanatory British Airways Entertainment Network.

Speed carried out consumer research into the inflight entertainment brand’s positioning. The research threw up consumers’ preference to select channels which were mood rather than genre-specific.

The new names and positioning are intended to reflect the research findings and the ‘warm, inspirational, contemporary and multicultural’ values of Newell and Sorrell’s new BA identity.

E&P commissioned sculptor Mark Reddy to come up with ‘original bodyform styling’ representing a living form of art. Figures then evolved through computer animation at SVC Television. ‘Elements associated with enjoyment and entertainment across the world, such as masks and carnival figures were also introduced to emphasise the multicultural nature of the brief,’ says an E&P spokeswoman.

The consultancy created a 40-second umbrella brand identity for Omnia, and eight separate channel identities. Video Choice, an identity for First Class passengers, was also designed along with print and on-air marques for the radio service.

‘We are trying to loosen the whole thing up and give it an identity and personality of its own,’ says BA publications executive Jeremy Evans.

‘This is quite a radical approach for inflight entertainment or even terrestrial [television branding],’ says Evans. And as technology moves on the brand will move into other areas, he adds.

The identity launches on board BA aircraft on 1 September.

Designer: English & Pockett

Client: British Airways