Articles: Blogs

NetJets goes retro with Foster

Aviation - 15th January 2009

We’ve just seen the details of Lord Foster’s design work on NetJets’ new Falcon 7X fleet.  It’s an exciting project, although I can’t say we go a bundle on the external livery.  It looks (presumably deliberately) like a timewarp back to BOAC days, when flight was truly glamorous, but we feel the end effect is rather heavy and slab-sided for such a sleek aircraft.

However, well done to NetJets for grasping the challenge of marketing a luxury service.  Engaging arguably the world’s most famous architect to create a unique passenger space is a creative but credible departure in an industry that often still thinks that all the world is beige.

This is the same challenge facing many businesses that start out as business-to-business but over time also become a consumer brand. NetJets has created an appealing news story, positioned itself as more than just another operator, and underlined that it feels its passengers deserve special treatment.  It’s a great story that will deliver high quality editorial for months to come.

Now, if we can just respray those exteriors…