My Favorite Airline ② BRANIFF: Colorful and Pop Aircraft Flying Through the Sky
There was a super-cool airline that featured heroes from the design world.
Airplanes travel the world carrying humanity's eternal longing to fly through the sky.
Since the Wright brothers succeeded in the world's first flight, airplanes have walked hand-in-hand with people's dreams and hopes. Furthermore, their history has condensed trends in fashion, graphic design, interiors, and food, building a new culture beyond just improvements in aircraft performance.
In the history of such aircraft, there is a legendary airline that is still talked about not only in the airline industry but also in the worlds of design and advertising.
Braniff International was the airline that owned the only Concorde in the United States at the time, flew the world's first painted aircraft, and created a new generation known as the 'Jet Set.'
I would like to introduce the world of the legendary Braniff, which attracted attention around the world as an airline carrying the latest trends of the 1960s and 70s.
(The above is the caption from the 'Braniff Exhibition' held at Shibuya Parco 21 years ago, when I first learned about Braniff Airways.)
That is Braniff Airways!!
Braniff International Airways was an airline founded in Texas, USA, that operated from 1928 until 1982. Braniff for short.
In the 1960s, 'THE END OF PLAIN PLANE'—under this catchphrase, Braniff International was an airline where such illustrious members as Alexander Girard, Emilio Pucci, and Alexander Calder collaborated.
Girard, a master of Mid-Century Modern alongside Eames, Jacobsen, and Nelson, was in charge of the total design. The airport lobbies were colored with Herman Miller interiors and textiles, and the aircraft interiors, filled with Girard's designs, were truly a design museum, and the sight of stewardesses wearing Pucci designs walking through the airport was just like a fashion show. And the aircraft bodies painted by Calder looked as if giant sculptures were flying through the sky.
Braniff possessed everything that defined the Mid-Century Modern style of the 60s and 70s.
Braniff Airways, which involved artists who were already displaying unique talents at the time, was truly a flying work of art!
First, let's start with the wonderful aircraft coloring...
With the theme of the 'Jelly Bean Fleet,' they applied a total of 15 different paint schemes to their aircraft, coloring them in beige, ochre, orange, turquoise, baby blue, medium blue, lemon yellow, and lavender.
The cabin crew uniform designs and styling by Emilio Pucci are truly colorful, pop, and cute!!
I mean, the design of the overhead bins is really bothering me...
To think that even the overhead bins utilized Mid-Century Modern design!!
The attention to design even extends to places like this...
Herman Miller furniture was used in the airport lobby.
It looks like an interior design showroom or a movie set.
Sophisticated designs were incorporated into the airport counters and the tarmac as well.
They were so thorough that they even painted their aircraft in colorful schemes... The logo is cool, too!
The person who handled the designs for Braniff International's aircraft, interiors, and even tableware wasAlexander Girard, who was also the director of the textile division at Herman Miller. The photo below shows some of his work. This is truly mid-century modern design.
Braniff advertising photos...
As part of Braniff's advertising strategy, wonderful photos were featured in magazines and other media.
Every photo is stylish and cool!
Braniff merchandise...
As you can see, Braniff was a one-of-a-kind airline that was thoroughly committed to design, but it ceased operations in 1982. Today, it is supported by many fans as a legendary airline. There is also a lot of merchandise available for sale.
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<Other merchandise>
<Bags, etc.>
Now, let's say goodbye with a photo of the first Concorde airliner that Braniff flew in the United States. Thank you for watching until the end!
