Frontier Airlines is well known for its animal liveries on its fuselages and tails. Each of the ultra-low-cost carrier's 135 aircraft is adorned by a unique animal, many of them from endangered or threatened species. How did the idea come about?

One of the main drivers behind Frontier Airlines' decision to paint animals on its tails is brand recognition. Like most clever marketing ideas, this one is both reasonably simple and inexpensive to execute. When an aircraft passes by with a dolphin painted on it, for example, people take notice and ask questions - they quickly learn to associate the imagery with the brand.

Driving brand recognition since the mid-1990s

Back in the 1990s, when Frontier Airlines began painting animals on the tails of its aircraft, the carrier's fleet was made up of Boeing 737-200s and 737-300s. By the early 2000s, the airline was transitioning to Airbus aircraft, but the animal imagery was retained. Throughout that time, Frontier Airlines ran a TV advertising campaign that featured the animals talking to each other. The campaign was a success, and brand recognition soared as a result.

In 2014, Frontier Airlines transitioned from a full-service airline into the ultra-low-cost carrier we know today. Yet, despite the major image overhaul, the airline's management team knew it was on to a good thing, and the animals stayed as part of the updated livery.

Strategic approach

From that point on, the thinking behind the animal liveries became more strategic - each aircraft would feature the images of only one animal, and that animal’s name would be written on the aircraft’s tail. That had the dual purpose of both identifying the animal and the aircraft. The animals also began to creep from the tails onto the aircraft fuselage.

Frontier Airlines at DEN
Photo: nyker | Shutterstock

Concurrently, the animals stepped off the aircraft and into other areas of Frontier Airlines' marketing efforts. This really became apparent with the rise of the Internet, which opened up a host of agile and relatively inexpensive marketing and promotional avenues for the airline.

As part of its advertising, both online and offline, Frontier Airlines gave the animals names and backstories. The animals also transitioned into cartoon-like characters, such as Foxy the Fox or Flip the Dolphin, who, in a Groundhog Day-esque storyline, was perennially destined for Chicago.

Meet the newest members of the family

Among the recent additions to Frontier Airlines' animal family are:

Frontier Airlines A321neo
Photo: Frontier Airlines

Still going strong

After almost 30 years, Frontier Airlines' use of animals has become a defining part of its brand identity. The carrier has also helped to raise awareness of some of the endangered species that call our oceans, forests, and plains home.

Some passengers may, however, consider it to be an odd combination - cute and personable animals contrast sharply with Frontier Airlines' sometimes less-than-personable service and product offering. Since becoming an ultra-low-cost carrier, the airline has been known to push the boundaries of customer service and, as a result, has not always attracted the best media attention, but the animal imagery keeps the brand alive and fresh.

Frontier Airlines Airbus A320neo
Photo: Robin Guess | Shutterstock

Frontier Airlines shows no signs of dropping the animals. Data from ch-aviation shows that the carrier's fleet is currently 135 aircraft strong (nine Airbus A320s, 82 A320neos, 21 A321s, and 23 A321neos), which makes for a lot of animals! Luckily for the carrier, the concept is cheap to execute and helps it to stand out in a crowded market. That is as relevant now as it was in 1994.

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What do you think of Frontier Airlines' animal liveries? Do you have a favorite? Share your thoughts by commenting below.