Way back when, Leonardo da Vinci made a written, slightly dismissive notation that a poet would likely be overcome by sleep and hunger before being able to describe with “mere words” what a painter or artist could convey, in a single instant, through an image. Over the ensuing centuries, this sentiment has become a staple in the world of marketing — including the aviation industry, where meticulously designed liveries deliver a quick flash of branding-meets-possibility.
In 1911 newspaper editor Tess Flanders expanded upon Da Vinci’s rhetoric when she was quoted as saying, “Use a picture. It’s worth a thousand words.” A few years later, in 1927, Fred R. Barnard used the phrase in the advertising trade journal Printer’s Ink (later called Marketing/Communications), driving it firmly into the global psyche of branding.
The adoption of liveries was a natural progression not only in the evolution of brand awareness but also in the concept of using the body of a plane as a canvas. The French early embraced the painting of planes, introducing camouflage colors and patterns to confuse enemy pilots in World War 1. Later, custom nose art, often depicting voluptuous pin-up girls, appeared on wartime aircraft, serving the dual purpose of intimidating foes and boosting the morale of comrades in arms.
This story is from the Class Act 2020 edition of Global Traveler.
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This story is from the Class Act 2020 edition of Global Traveler.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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