Cebu Pacific Air, Inc. is a low-cost airline based in Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines. The company was established in the summer of 1988 under the name of Cebu Air, Inc. However, it was only in 1996 that it commenced operations, this time as Cebu Pacific.
Meaning and history
1996
The old Cebu Pacific logo was pretty similar to the current one, although there are several notable differences.
The design can be broken down into two parts: the bird emblem and the wordmark. The emblem features the head of a bird in dark green and blue. The head is highly stylized – it is made up of several bold curves looking very dynamic. Looking at the picture, you can almost feel the wind the bird faces while in flight.
Next to the symbol, there is the name of the company in a minimalist sans. The letters are italicized, which adds motion and, due to this, echoes the dynamic emblem. All the letters are capitalized. While the type is quite plain, the variations in the width of the strokes add an elegant touch. The designers chose a rather dark shade of green for the wordmark.
The old logo existed in two versions. You could come across the shorter version with only the name of the airline or the full logo where the lettering “Air.com” was added. The address of the website showcased the same italicized all-caps typeface, yet this time, the color was blue.
2015
The core visual metaphor – the bird as a symbol of flying – has preserved the same. The overall look of the creature has not changed much, too. And yet, if you compare the old logo with the new one side-by-side, you will inevitably come to the conclusion that the latter looks lighter, more dynamic, and refined. How have the designers achieved this effect?
First, they removed the additional small strokes under the green “feathers” (the shades). Due to this, the logo grew less cluttered. They replaced the dark tints with the lighter ones. Also, they switched the colors (the more ethereal blue – for the top feathers and the “leafy” green – for the bird’s chest).
The wordmark has been redrawn from scratch using a lowercase type. It looks more rounded and friendly than the one on the previous Cebu Pacific logo.
According to the official press release, the updated emblem symbolized “an evolution of a low-cost pioneer” and was inspired by the colors of the Philippines.