United doesn't want you to see its old branding or logos anymore

Developing a consistent brand after a major merger can be a challenge for global airlines with numerous employees and airports that use the pre-existing signage and logos. When United Airlines merged with Continental Airlines, for example, it not only had to focus on a rebranding proposition for the new, combined company, but it was already in the middle of a rebranding of its own.

United was re-styling its "tulip" logo (a customer favorite, seen on the middle aircraft in the photo above) with new colors and a new design, and was in the process of repainting planes and updating airport signage when the Continental merger changed things again. With so many designs, logos, fonts and branded items floating around, United has asked its own employees to help draft one unified look.

According to travel blogger Brian Sumers, United reached out to employees in an internal newsletter, asking them to photograph and report any remnants of the company's former branding. Eliminating those last stragglers – an old logo here, a forgotten font there – will help create a stronger identity for the airline.

United told its personnel to trash anything with the old logo, and it has already finished painting its planes with the new brand. American is currently facing this same issue after its recent merger with US Airways. Some of those now-outdated US Airways planes are still flying around, and American has estimated that it will take another couple of years to unify the brand entirely.

United spokesperson Rahsaan Johnson told Road Warrior Voices:

"On occasion, we find there are airports that still have printed materials or small signs in prior branding that are visible to customers. We’re simply asking employees to discard and replace materials that don’t reflect the current brand identity."