by Lindsay Peyton

The newly painted Boeing 737-800, designed to reflect the first major brand change for Alaska Airlines, will debut tomorrow at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport along with a new logo and airport design for the locally headquartered flight company.
The company unveiled its new design to a crowd of about 1,800 employees during a special meeting held at 3 p.m. Monday.
Alaska Airlines CEO Brad Tilden stood in front of a packed house before curtains parted and revealed the new plane.
ìThis is a big day,î he said. ìToday is a celebration ñ not just of where weíre going in 2016 and beyond, but also of what got us here. ì
Tilden said that having a refreshed look will help the company stand out as it expands to new markets and reaches out to attract new customers
"We're 84-years-old, but the best is in front of us," he said. "This is a high beat, confident expression of where we're going."

Sangita Woerner, the airline's vice president of marketing, said that updating the brand was a challenge, since it had not changed in the past 25 years.
She explained that the iconic Eskimo featured on the tail of the plane has been Alaska's brand beacon since 1972 and will remain a prominent part of the brand.
"Having a human face on our brand is really important," Woerner said. "It's actually really powerful. We're not getting rid of our Eskimo. We're going to be louder and prouder of who he is and display him in a big way."
She explained the image reflects the attention to customer service the company provides.

"We want people to see the warmth and kindness of his face, the sense of understanding," Woerner said. "Our Eskimo does represent our genuine caring service."
His profile has been modernized -- with a new vibrant palette added around his parka trim, using colors named atlas blue, breeze blue and tropical green.

The lettering of the logo has also been updated.

Alaska Airlines collaborated with Seattle-based branding and design firm Hornall Anderson for the past 12 months to create the new brand.
"It has been a massive effort, and I think it's paid off," Woerner said.
In the next month, the airline will deliver four Boeing 737s with the new paint theme ñ and the number of updated aircraft will total 40 by the end of the year.
All 111 airports Alaska and its regional partners serve will be rebranded, a project that is expected to be completed around the end of the year. The entire roll-out of the refreshed brand is expected to take three to four years.
The airline is also in the process of updating the interior of its cabins and adding free entertainment with newly released films, as well as incorporating signature dishes created by local chef Tom Douglas on the in-flight menu.
Alaska Airlines, with its partner regional airlines, serves more than 100 cities. The company has added 90 new markets in the past five years.

To see Alaska Airlines' new look, visit www.alaskaair.com/welcome.