With his trademark handlebar moustache and striped turban, Air India’s Maharaja has been ruling the hearts of Indian households for years. But now amid a long-awaited overhaul of the brand, the future of the beloved mascot remains uncertain.
According to an Economic Times report, the Maharaja may step back and get a new role as the Tata Group gears up to rebrand the national carrier after reacquiring it early last year.
The airline is reportedly set to get a new look as part of the rebranding exercise with a new colour palette of red, white, and purple in lieu of the original red and white.
The addition of purple will be drawn from the Vistara palette which will be merged into Air India, possibly by March 2024 as part of the consolidation of Tata Group’s airline businesses.
The Airbus A350 aircraft that Air India is set to induct in November will reportedly be the first plane to don the new palette.
The report noted that the Maharaja won't completely be phased out and that he will remain part of the brand after the mega makeover of the airline.
Citing sources in the know, ET reported that the airline is likely to continue using the Maharaja image for its airport lounges and premium classes. However, it won’t be used as a mascot.
Conceived in 1946 by Bobby Kooka and illustrated by Umesh Rao, the Maharaja has been the face of the airline for years.
However, does not reflect the contemporary image that Air India wants to project, sources told ET.
"Air India wants to become the carrier of choice for people flying in and out of India. A large section of the fliers will be business travellers and corporate executives. Maharajah, who wears a turban and has an outsized moustache, though a very successful story, doesn’t resonate anymore with these kinds of customers. It has also been maligned, repurposed multiple times,” ET quoted the source as saying.
To redesign Air India's branding strategy, the airline has hired London-based brand and design consultant FutureBrand.
FutureBrand has an extensive portfolio of working on branding big names like American Airlines and Bentley as well as the 2012 London Olympics.
The aim is to revamp Air India's identity and put it on par with carriers such as Emirates and Qatar Airways. Prasoon Joshi-led McCann Worldgroup has been appointed for the advertising and marketing campaign.
The new branding will be unveiled in August on print and digital media.