Miles & More
The frequent-flyer and loyalty programme, since 1993; Europe's largest airline loyalty brand.
Image Source: medialounge.lufthansagroup.com - Alex Tino Friedel ATF Pictures
Lufthansa
German flag carrier and Europe's largest airline group, recognized for the Otto Firle crane, the Ulm corporate design system, and a contemporary premium identity.
- Founded
- 1926
- Industry
- Aviation
- Headquarters
- Germany
- Ownership
- Public company
Key Facts
Current claim
“Say yes to the world”
Brand logo & color
#05164d
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Lufthansa City Airlines
The short-haul subsidiary brand, since 2024; operates feeder and point-to-point flights under the Lufthansa name.
Brand Chronology
Lufthansa flies a giant crane to mark 100 years (2025)
Lufthansa flies a giant crane to mark 100 years
2025
For its 2026 centenary, Lufthansa puts a giant crane on a deep-blue Boeing 787-9, the first of six aircraft in a special anniversary livery.
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Lufthansa reduces its claim to a single 'Yes' (2024)
Lufthansa reduces its claim to a single 'Yes'
2024
Lufthansa distils 'Say yes to the world' to a single 'Yes' in a 2024 Serviceplan campaign film built on passengers' own stories.
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Lufthansa sharpens its premium identity in 2018 (2018)
Lufthansa sharpens its premium identity in 2018
2018
For the crane's centenary, Lufthansa took on a deeper blue, reduced yellow to an accent and rebuilt its identity with Martin et Karczinski.
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Lufthansa moves to 'Say yes to the world' (2018)
Lufthansa moves to 'Say yes to the world'
2018
From 2018 Lufthansa puts 'Say yes to the world' at the heart of its communication, a claim built on openness and individual travel stories.
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Logo Redesign (2018)
Logo Redesign
2018
This version of the Lufthansa logo returned to the brand’s classic design, combining a wordmark with the iconic crane symbol inside a circle. The crane, shown in dark blue, represented elegance, lightness, and flight, while the circular frame conveyed balance and completeness. Compared with earlier versions, the lines became thinner and more refined, and the blue tone was darkened. The wordmark was also updated with narrower letterforms, including the removal of the lower serif on the “a.” The typeface was created by Hannes von Döhren, while the logo redesign was led by Ronald Wild.
Carsten Spohr becomes CEO (2014)
Carsten Spohr
becomes CEO
Lufthansa adopts 'Nonstop you' as its claim (2012)
Lufthansa adopts 'Nonstop you' as its claim
2012
In 2012 Kolle Rebbe replaced Lufthansa's elite-sounding claim with 'Nonstop you', putting the customer at the centre.
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Lufthansa's 'There's no better way to fly' era (2000)
Lufthansa's 'There's no better way to fly' era
2000
McCann Erickson gave Lufthansa 'There's no better way to fly', its English claim from around 2000 until 2012.
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Lufthansa's 1988 warm-up and the flying canary (1988)
Lufthansa's 1988 warm-up and the flying canary
1988
A 1988 study found Lufthansa seen as a cool business airline, prompting a warmer, yellower identity that staff nicknamed the flying canary.
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Logo Redesign (1963)
Logo Redesign
1963
In 1963, Lufthansa redesigned its logo by enclosing its iconic bird symbol within a circle. The bird was placed at the center of the emblem, and the lines were made bolder and more prominent. The circular icon appeared to the left of the Lufthansa wordmark, while all elements adopted a deep blue color, creating a cleaner and more unified corporate identity.
Otl Aicher turns the crane into a design system (1962)
Otl Aicher turns the crane into a design system
1962
In 1962 Otl Aicher and Entwicklungsgruppe 5 rebuilt the Lufthansa crane into one of Europe's first corporate design systems.
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Wir sprechen überall Ihre Sprache (1960)
Wir sprechen überall Ihre Sprache
1960
The campaign emphasized Lufthansa’s commitment to being “a leader in service.” The slogan “We speak your language everywhere” reassured passengers that they would be well cared for, no matter where they were in the world.
Reflecting the reading habits of the time, lengthy newspaper copy was used to reinforce and explain the service promise expressed in the headline. Alongside striking illustrations, the growing use of photography led to the inclusion of real images of pilots and flight attendants, helping to build trust and strengthen the airline’s image.
Logo Redesign (1953)
Logo Redesign
1953
The original logo featured a stylized flying bird resembling a stork, crane, or heron, symbolizing the company’s aviation focus. With its long neck, legs, and outstretched wings, the bird conveyed motion, freedom, and an aspiration toward the sky. Beneath the figure appeared the company name in large lettering, while all elements were set within a blue rectangular frame.
Fly to the Seaside Resorts (1940)
Fly to the Seaside Resorts
1940
At the time, scheduled flights operated by Lufthansa primarily served destinations within Europe. One of the era’s most iconic campaigns, “Fly to the Seaside Resorts” (“Fliegt in die Bäder”), promoted regular flights to spa and beach destinations.
Although the slogan may seem plain by modern standards, it worked effectively alongside hand-drawn beach scenes to inspire dreams of summer vacations. For many people, who rarely traveled at the time, the advertisements evoked the allure of a relaxing holiday on the North Sea or Baltic Sea coasts.
How Otto Firle's crane became the Lufthansa mark (1918)
How Otto Firle's crane became the Lufthansa mark
1918
In 1918 the architect Otto Firle drew a stylised crane for Deutsche Luft-Reederei, the mark that would carry Lufthansa for a century.
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Founded
1926Deutsche Luft Hansa AG formed in Berlin in 1926 from the merger of Deutscher Aero Lloyd and Junkers Luftverkehr, taking the crane and the colours blue and yellow.