Two airlines, one brief, six designers: Following the announcement that BA and Iberia are to merge, we set leading branding agencies the task of imagining a livery to reflect the new entity.

Thatcher can rest easily. The woman who in 1997 publicly showed her disgust at British Airways’ newly designed tailfin by covering the designs up with a handkerchief will be pleased to know that BA and Iberia, once merged, will continue to operate under their existing brands.
But, we wondered, what would branding experts do with these brands? If the two carriers decided to create a single identity that reflected their two heritages, what would it look like? What should it look like?

999 Design. “Rather than spending trillions of pounds on a rebrand, we would concentrate on a look and feel that will not only raise a smile but also allow the airlines to reduce their air fares a little... ”

 Blue Marlin. “We took the iconic flowing tail design from BA and the tricolour pattern from Iberia and rolled them into one simple flag motif.” Mark Pursey, creative director, New York

David Caroll & Co. “You have to look for the similarities that will bind the new organisation together. Colour is one area: red and white are common to both.” David Caroll.

Uffindell West. “The Matador is using the famous British Airway’s ‘speedwing’ as a red cape... An elegant bull is a clear nod to Iberia, while the red, white and blue keep the flag flying for Britain.... Finally, the new ribbon captures the essence of the old BA identity and blends the national carrier colours of Iberia and BA.”

300 million. “The steel blue sky of the Costa del Gorgeous meets the drizzle, mizzle, flood-inducing cold that made the British upper lip stiff. The result is a four-seasons-in-one-day potpourri of meteorology.” Nigel Davies, managing director

Greentarget. “We distilled national archetypes into a compelling meta critique that references the respective cultures without resorting to redaction or homogenization.” Simon Case, creative director