Interbrand rebrands Airmiles as Avios

Interbrand has rebranded Airmiles as Avios – with the new brand set to operate both as a travel rewards programme and as a collectible currency.

Avios

Airmiles, operated by The Mileage Company, was previously available to  British Airways customers and following last year’s merger between BA and Iberia, the new Avios service will be available to customers of both airlines.

Reflecting this, Chris Davenport, head of verbal identity at Interbrand, says, ‘The client wanted an identity that felt international and also something that could operates as both a programme name and a currency name.’

Davenport adds, ‘We generated more than 1000 names in the process. Avios is reasonably abstract but everyone has an aviation assocation with it. It’s also very distinctive in the marketplace.

‘We hope that it will become naturalised into speech when people are collecting it as points.’

Of the visual identity, Davenport says, ‘We wanted to create something that felt like it had value and was collectible. There is definitely a jewel-like quality to the identity and also a dynamism, with the angle suggesting take-off.’

Interbrand was appointed to the work at the beginning of the year following a pitch process, according to Davenport.

The brand is launching to existing Airmiles customers today and a campaign developed by 101 is set to fully launch the brand on 16 November.

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  • Jenny November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    Blimey. If they generated 1000 names and this was what they came up with, I’d hate to see the other 999.

    The terms and conditions changes are far more troubling though. 2.2 million people who were saving for years for free flights will now find themselves having to pay tax and charges. Major own goal.

    Remember how upset loyal Airmiles collectors were when Sainsbury’s dropped out of the scheme? Airmiles collectors are not to be trifled with… I fear somebody has made a big misjudgment!

  • Philip November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    Its not good anymore! They now charge you cash and more Miles!! Just another money-grabbing attempt. Epic Fail!

    Everyone should voice their anger here : http://www.airmiles.co.uk/contactus/generalEmail.do?enquiryType=&enquirySubType=

    AIRMILES
    PO Box 90
    Birchwood
    Warrington
    WA3 7WE

    0844 49 333 99

    Maybe we can get enough people to convince them a U-turn.

    Adios Avios!

  • Keith November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    You always had to pay taxes for BA Miles. A ‘free trip’ to New York was something like 25,000 BA Miles and £250 in taxes.
    Not a design issue but there is still a huge ‘fuel surcharge’ levied on flights, silly me thinking that with the reduction in crude oil prices that this might come down. I’ve been in the US for the past 6 week and the price of a gallon of petrol has dropped from $3.90 to $3.40 in that time

  • Robert E. Coli November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    Thromby Air’s frequent flyer program allows you to earn an infinite number of zero value points… now that’s nothing to sneeze at!
    http://www.thrombyair.com/2011/04/frequent-flyer-program/

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