The bright red emblem that adorns the fin of Air Canada aircraft is celebrating its 60th anniversary. This typically Canadian symbol took off on January 1, 1965.
A little history
Then known as Trans Canada Air Lines in English since its creation in 1937, the state-owned company at the time changed its official designation on January 1, 1965 to Air Canada (name used in French since January 1, 1954).
In choosing Air Canada as its new name, the carrier opted for a bilingual designation which reflected the fact that in addition to flying across the country, the Company had become an international carrier.
This new name was accompanied by the desire to have a new corporate emblem, which would promote immediate public recognition.
The new emblem was designed by Stewart, Morrison and Roberts, which was at the time one of Canada’s leading branding consultancies.
Several different versions of the logo were presented to Air Canada executives.
The decision was made in the summer of 1964 to adopt as its new visual identity what would become Air Canada’s iconic stylized maple leaf, surrounded by an open circle extending from the leaf’s stem.
First revealed to the public in October 1964, the emblem has been modernized twice since, in 1993 and in 2004 for the current version which travels the world.
“Customers often tell us that as soon as they see our emblem on the fin of an aircraft, wherever they are in the world, they already feel at home,” said Michael Rousseau, President and CEO of Air Canada. We take seriously the responsibility of representing our country to Canadians, and we are immensely proud of the longevity of such an iconic symbol. »