Southwest Airlines
Celebrating communities and commitment to service
Southwest Airlines began servicing Hawai‘i in March of 2019 with inter-island flights as well as direct flights to select mainland destinations. Four years later, Southwest has remained committed to serving the people of Hawai‘i providing their signature low fares, no change fees, and two free checked bags. To celebrate this milestone, Southwest wanted to dedicate a new aircraft livery to honor their Hawai‘i employees and the communities that welcomed Southwest to the islands with open arms.
What We Did
Market Research & Analysis
Brand Strategy
Naming Systems
Identity & Design Development
Color Guide
Brand Guidelines
The Challenge
Osaki Creative Group was tasked with creating the livery alongside the Southwest team and developing the livery’s brand narrative. Southwest wanted the livery design to not only stand-out in their fleet but also represent the people of Hawai‘i while being respectful of the cultures present here in the islands. Southwest wanted to ensure the design and messaging of the livery aligned with their corporate brand values.
The Approach
When we were tasked with creating this livery, we brought on a cultural advisor to ensure the design and story respectfully portrayed Native Hawaiian culture. Our team worked with Southwest to first create the brand story by finding common ground between Southwest’s core values and values found in Hawaiian culture.
The Result
Southwest’s emphasis on teamwork and moving forward inspired the aircraft’s name of Imua One, as “Imua” in ʻŌlelo Hawai‘i is a rally cry and can mean to move forward together. Our team also created 8 abstract patterns that are influenced by Hawaiian culture and values that aligned with Southwest’s core values. With the Southwest team, we created a brand story for the new aircraft that explain the meaning of each pattern:
Ohana (Family): Root in relationships
Honu (Turtle): Move with perseverance
Aina (Land): Find common ground
Ama (Support): Connect to strengthen and balance
Hoku (Star): Guide with purpose
Kai (Ocean): Harness good energy
Lokahi (Unity): Succeed with Teamwork
Imua (Forward): Go forward with strength, courage, and strong spirit