Fly, Delta Jets!
I’m a big fan of the new Delta logo. They were able to simplify, refine, and refresh their image while still holding onto the core of the old design. What I didn’t realize about the new logo, however, was it’s connection to the company’s logotype throughout the 60s and 70s.
Connecting through Atlanta, I noticed the big red “Fly Delta Jets” sign and immediately recognized the inspiration for the new Delta type. I remember seeing this sign years ago and thinking how weird it was that it had no connection to the logo. Turns out, Delta has had so many logos that I was just thinking about the wrong era. Delta’s logos from 1959 through the early 80s use a very similar sans. None of the old logos are a perfect match for the slightly awkward, industrial letters of the sign, but they are a whole lot closer than any of the logos I remembered.
Fly Delta Jets sign at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta
Delta's logo, 2007–present
The new letters are a sleek refinement of the old – keeping the connection to the brand’s history while trading gawkiness for a style that is more professional, if slightly more generic.