Spirit Airlines Logo: Meaning, Evolution & History

Did you know that the Spirit Airlines logo was designed by a company called Lippincott & Margulies? The logo was first introduced in 2002, and it has been used on all of the airline’s aircraft and marketing materials ever since. But what changes have the logo undergone since 2002? Let’s find out…

Overview

Ned Homfeld identified a need among casino gamblers in 1983. To fill this unique void, he established an active tour service in Macomb County, Michigan. He named it Charter One and flew it to places like Atlantic City, Las Vegas, and the Bahamas.

After about ten years of serving tourists, the company changed its name to Spirit Airlines. This corresponded with its transition from a charter to a regular flight. With more planes, the brand’s coverage expanded. It began serving customers in Boston, Costa Rica, Haiti, Latin America, and Mexico.

Despite the fact that the airline was founded in 1983, its first logos were not distinctive. However, the company unveiled its distinctive trademark in 2002. A white wordmark on a blue gradient background comprised this visual ambassador. The frame is designed to look like a three-step brick wall.

The blue colour was chosen by the brand to represent the sky. Furthermore, the colour communicated their values such as dependability, safety, nobility, and passenger loyalty. Spirit Airlines embarked on a rebranding exercise in 2014 to reduce advertising costs.

The company went with a two-tone colour scheme of yellow and black. The black inscription and bright yellow background are instantly recognizable. The owners believe that this strategy will elevate their brand and set them apart from competitors.

What is Spirit Airlines?

Spirit Airlines is the name of one of the largest low-cost carriers in the United States, which began operations in 1980. Its main hubs are the airports in Atlantic City, Fort Lauderdale, and Detroit. The airline is not a member of any aviation alliance, and its fleet consists of 119 single-class Airbus aircraft of various modifications.

The Evolution of the Spirit Airlines Logo

Despite the fact that the airline began operations in 1983, only three logos have seen significant use. The company’s first designs were released in 2002. Five years later, it received its first updates. The company then unveiled its third, but second, logo redesign to the market in 2014.

Let us now delve deeper into these three trademarks.

2002—The First Logo

Spirit Airlines debuted a brick-shaped logotype in 2002. It was made up of twenty-one bricks, twenty blue and one red. Each row, though uneven, had seven blue-coloured bricks. The airline’s name was also in all capital letters on the second and third rows. Finally, the letter S was encased in only red brick. This trademark was in use for nearly five years.

2007—The Second Logo

Spirit Airlines changed its logo after five years of using the brick-style logo. The bricks that served as the background vanished here. In addition, the designer used lowercase lettering to create the wordmark. He did, however, stick to the brand’s custom colours by immersing a portion of the letter—r in red ink. This eye-catching logo was used by the airline for about seven years.

2014 —Current Logo

To achieve a simpler trademark, the airline introduced a new logo in 2014. The previous wordmark was retained, but without the last name—airlines. He also changed the colours, preferring black on a white background. However, the wordmark occasionally dazzles on a yellow frame.

Spirit Airlines Symbols And Logo Shape

A Square:

The only geometric shape in the Spirit Airlines logo is a square. Twenty-one of these shapes make up the background cover of the first logo. A square can represent a variety of emotions: For example, it represents the four corners of the globe: north, south, east, and west. It also represents the four major seasons: autumn, spring, summer, and winter.

Colours of the Spirit Airlines Logo

The Colour Blue:

Blue, the colour of the sky, corresponds to open space. It represents liberty, loyalty, and creativity. The colour of trust, once again, represents stability, nobility, and expansiveness. These principles are central to the airline’s mission. Surprisingly, this colour was used in both the first and second logos.

The Color Black:

The current wordmark is black and white. Black represents fear, power, and strength. Again, the mystery is associated with elegance, authority, and wealth. Again, these are appropriate emotions for Spirit Airlines, a low-cost carrier.

The Color Yellow:

Today, the company’s planes are bright yellow. This reflects the addition of sunny countries to the company’s destination list. Yellow, the colour of sunshine, exudes friendliness, cheerfulness, and hospitality. It also represents newness, happiness, and honour.

The Color Red:

Spirit Airlines has used red in two of its trademarks. For example, it can be found painting one box in the brick-logotype. In most cultures, red represents passion, love, and desire. In addition, the colour of heat represents joy, courage, willpower, and radiance.

The Color White:

White is used for the wordmark and the background in some of its logos. The colour of heaven, white, conveys feelings of purity, cleanliness, and humility. It also represents perfection, loyalty, safety, and illumination. This neutral colour contrasts beautifully with the other colours.

What is the font used in the Spirit Airlines logo?

Spirit Airlines is using Helvetica Neue, which is one of the most readable and remarkable fonts in the world. Max Miedinger and Eduard Hoffmann created this sans-serif typeface in 1957. In some circles, this widely used typeface is also known as Neue Haas Grotesk.

Why did Spirit Pick Yellow?

Spirit Airlines rebranded its aircraft in 2014. The company chose two-tone colours, a bright yellow and dark black. These colours were chosen for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, Spirit Airlines does not enjoy lavishly spending on advertising campaigns.

So, to cut promotional costs and save painting time, the brand chose a bold yellow. Second, the airline chose yellow to distinguish itself from competitors. Naturally, yellow is an eye-catching colour that draws attention to the airline.

The rebranding will also serve as a “flying billboard to capture passengers’ attention at no additional cost,” according to the carrier. Third, the owners believe that the bright background contrasted with the black inscriptions sets them apart from the competition.

When was Spirit Established?

Spirit Airlines was originally known as Charter One. It’s a low-cost airline based in the United States. Ned Homfeld founded it in Macomb County, Michigan, in 1983. The company’s headquarters are now in Miramar, Florida, and the airline serves 83 destinations.

How Many Planes Does Spirit Own?

Spirit Airlines, an American low-cost carrier, operates several planes. Currently, the company owns 170 aircraft. Among them are the Airbus A319, A320, and McDonnell Douglas DC-9-20. The average age of their fleet is 6.9 years.

Spirit Airlines Was Founded by Whom?

“Thank you for founding a company of flying friends.” This was part of a tribute to Homfeld, the founder of Spirit Airlines, that was published after his death. Homfeld was an engineer-turned-entrepreneur from the United States.

He dropped out of the University of Michigan’s marine engineering program. He tried several businesses before launching Charter One. This company is now known as Spirit Airlines. Charter One began serving gamblers by flying from Chicago to Atlantic City.

Ned, a native of Michigan, enjoyed reading, riding, and travelling. His other passions included fishing, camping, and getting his hands dirty. Jonathan and Nichole were his two children. Ernst & Young, an accounting firm, named him Entrepreneur of the Year in 1999.

On February 16, 2014, the fun-loving father and entrepreneur died of leukaemia.

Is there a Spirit First Class?

Flying first class has several advantages. Aside from the high-quality drinks and foods, you have complete comfort while travelling. Perhaps you’re wondering if Spirit Airlines can provide a comparable service. In comparison, the brand does not provide top-tier first-class service like others.

You do, however, get a large front seat, which is their first-class alternative. This service includes a reclining seat with plenty of width and legroom. Surprisingly, there is a small fee involved, and only four to eight seats are available. So, if you want the big front row, book early!

Spirit Airlines Operates What Types of Aircraft?

The company’s one hundred and seventy aircraft are divided into five types. These include the Airbus A319, A320, and A321. The rest are McDonnell Douglas DC-9s and MD-81s.

A Brief History of Spirit Airlines

Spirit Airlines is an American ultra-low-cost carrier based in Miramar, Florida. It is the fourth largest airline in the United States, with 170 aircraft serving nearly 83 destinations. Clippert Trucking Company, founded in 1964, is the airline’s forefather.

The company’s name was changed to Ground Air Transfer, Inc. after ten years. Then, in 1983, it was renamed Charter One by Ned Homfeld. It operated out of Detroit, catering to both gamblers and tourists. It travelled to Atlantic City, Las Vegas, and the Bahamas.

The company then changed its name to Spirit Airlines in May 1992, expanding its fleet and destinations. The company launched a flight to Florida in 1993. It also expanded to Myrtle Beach, Los Angeles, and New York. The company then launched its Philadelphia delivery service in 1994.

The airline cancelled 1,400 tickets in 1994. This occurred because the airline misinformed its agents, resulting in overbooking. Spirit Airlines assured affected customers of their destinations to correct this error. It even promised to use its competitor’s service if necessary.

Janet Patton became the airline’s first female pilot in 1996. She then became the first female captain two years later. Finally, the airline relocated its headquarters from Eastpointe, Michigan, to Miramar, Florida, in 1999. Spirit had previously considered Atlantic City, New York, and Detroit.

Read Also: Stranger Things Logo: What Does the Logo Mean?

The new headquarters is a cutting-edge structure built on 56,000 square feet of land. Spirit Airlines paid the US Federal Aviation Administration $67,000 in 2000. This was a monetary penalty for allegedly violating federal regulations regarding cabin and seat markings and placards.

The airline then added Puerto Rico to its list of destinations in November 2001. It also launched a dedicated website, reservation line, and customer service in Spanish. Spirit Airlines resumed flights after a lengthy hiatus following the September 11th attacks.

Spirit Airlines flew to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in 2003. The airline scheduled flights to Grand Cayman, San Francisco, and Boston in 2006. The company then applied in 2007 to provide services to Costa Rica, Haiti, the Netherlands Antilles, and Venezuela.

The following year, the company renamed its Spirit Plus service Big Front Seat and discontinued its business-class services. As a result, for an additional fee, a passenger can enjoy the brand’s alternative first-class service.

In April 2010, the airline became the first in the United States to charge passengers for carry-on bags. Other airlines were inspired to follow suit as a result of the decision. Four years later, Morgan Stanley ranked Spirit Airlines as the best growth airline for investors.

Finally, due to the pandemic, Spirit Airlines received $335 million in 2020 through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. The fund was used to support the airline’s employees until September 30. Unfortunately, a passenger died of Covid-19 while flying with the airline in July 2020.

Final Thoughts

Spirit Airlines Inc. is an American ultra-low-cost airline that was founded in 1983. It is North America’s largest ultra-low-cost carrier. Spirit Airlines, on the other hand, is the fourth largest passenger airline in the same geographical area. The airline is based in Miramar, Florida.

Ned Homfeld founded it as Charter One at first. As a result, it offered vacation packages to places like Atlantic City, Las Vegas, and the Bahamas. The airline was renamed Spirit Airlines in May 1992. Then, during the same period, it added a jet to its aircraft fleet.

In August 2010, the company became the first American airline to charge for carry-on bags. This policy was a success, making both the company and the customers happy. It has once again inspired other airlines, such as Allegiant and Frontier Airlines, to adopt the program.

The airline’s popularity has been aided by the logo. Despite being founded in 1983, the company did not have a recognizable logo until 2002. The airline then refined its trademark after five years to meet the company’s changing needs and challenges.

Finally, in 2014, the company unveiled its current logo, which is cleaner and more modern.