HK Express unveils new brand concept amid recovery of travel in Asia

Hong Kong’s low-cost carrier HK Express has unveiled its new corporate identity and brand positioning namely “Gotta Go”, together with a series of refreshed brand assets across its website, mobile apps, key visuals, uniforms, and aircraft livery.

This comes as the airline commits to returning operations to pre-pandemic levels by the end of the first quarter of 2023 with more than 400 flights per week, and HK Express sees this as an optimal moment to rebrand as consumers in Asia seize the opportunity to travel again.

The new brand positioning, “Gotta Go”, aims to encourage spontaneity and invoke a new, free-spirited travel attitude, appealing to the airline’s target customer who is bold, dynamic and lives in the moment.

“Three years have passed since the start of the pandemic. Just as travellers have gained new perspectives on travel, so has HK Express. Our refreshed brand concept reflects our zest for adventure and readiness to help like-minded travellers to explore the world on their own terms,” said HK Express CEO Mandy Ng.

“I’m equally proud to see HK Express leading the way in shaping a more sustainable and inclusive workplace through the launch of our new uniforms. I can’t wait to see how these bold new uniforms empower our team to delight our customers on the ground and in the skies,” Ng added.

Across all marketing channels, the airline’s revamped visual identity enhances communication through direct and simple designs. For instance, simple icons and graphics are used. Overall brand identity is expressed with a new logo, composed of a journey symbol and updated wordmark.

The symbol, which looks like a small letter “e” in bespoke shades of purple, symbolises the start of a journey. It ends with a new cyan, representing the freshness and novelty of the personalised journeys and experiences HK Express brings to each customer. Resonating the simple excitement of seeing a notification pop up, there’s always something new for customers to look forward to, even if they’re flying back to familiar places.

Together with its new logo, brand positioning and key visuals, HK Express is introducing a new set of cabin crew uniforms which embodies the brand’s dynamism, spontaneity and diversity. Designed by Hong Kong’s sustainable fashion designer, Mountain Yam, the new uniforms include an option with trousers for female cabin crew, together with a mix and match of different apparel for all cabin crew based on their personality.

Dress shoes have also been replaced with sneakers – a symbolic shift from conventional rigidness to self-expression and creativity. Other design breakthroughs include upcycled materials from previous uniforms, while leftover fabrics will be used to create upcycled teddy bears, bringing new life to old uniforms.

Commenting on the collaboration, Yam said: “I wanted to break the cliches and stereotypes of classic airline uniforms, and infuse innovation into the new uniform collection. Given the unique positioning and service offering of HK Express, this series of smart casual clothing with options for cabin crew to express their unique personality reflects Hong Kong’s renewed vibrancy and optimism.”

The revamped campaign also extends to new aircraft livery, featuring the iconic shades of purple and white, and embellished with the new cyan. The “e” shaped journey symbol on winglets, vertical stabiliser and the bottom of the fuselage evokes the start of a pleasant journey with HK Express.

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