On Board With Design

Under director Robert Six, Continental was an early entrant into the jet age, introducing the Boeing 707 into its fleet in 1959. In 1968, the airline launched a sweeping program of rebranding headed by designer Saul Bass. Bass was known as a designer of film posters and opening title credit sequences for films including Vertigo and The Seven Year Itch, and he would later go on to design corporate identities for companies including Bell Telephone, Quaker Oats, and the Girl Scouts, as well as the United Airlines tulip logo.

For Continental, Bass designed a dynamic red oval that became known as the jetstream logo, reflecting Continental’s identity as an airline of the jet age. The new logo appeared on the printed material shown here, as well as the tail of the airline’s jets, which also retained the distinctive gold color that the company had become known for. Bass’s logo was in use until 1991.

Items in the exhibit are housed at Northwestern University’s Transportation Library. Email transportationlibrary@northwestern.edu with questions, or to schedule an appointment.