Isabella Flores
Southwest Airlines has had several livery designs over the years, including Desert Gold, Canyon Blue, and Heart. The Sports Illustrated livery was short-lived, lasting only a few weeks and featuring Israeli model Bar Refaeli on the cover of the 2009 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition. The aircraft that wore this livery was the N922WN, a Boeing 737-700, which has since been converted to a 737-800.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Original primary livery | "Desert Gold" (Gold, Red and Orange, with white pinstripes separating each section of color) |
| Word placement | "Southwest" in white on the gold portion of the tail |
| Left side of the aircraft | "Southwest" along the upper rear portion of the fuselage, "Airlines" on the tail |
| Right side of the aircraft | "Southwest" on the tail, "Airlines" on the upper rear portion of the fuselage |
| Later revision | "Southwest" on both sides of the tail |
| Boeing 727-200s variation | Ochre instead of gold with stylized titles on the forward fuselage and an "S" logo on the tail |
| Second livery | "Canyon Blue" replacing "Desert Gold", with gold "Southwest" text and pinstripes |
| Pinstripe pattern | Curved instead of straight horizontal line |
| Blended winglets | Painted to include "Southwest.com" |
| Third livery | "Heart", with blue belly and a heart symbol, yellow and enlarged red and yellow stripes, silver-gray pinstripes |
| Special liveries | More than any other US airline, often named ending in "One" (e.g. "Sports Illustrated One") |
| Special livery colors | White winglets, red and yellow ribbons, blue, red, and yellow |
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What You'll Learn
The evolution of Southwest Airlines liveries
Southwest Airlines has undergone several livery changes over the years, evolving from Desert Gold to Canyon Blue and, most recently, to Heart.
The original livery, "Desert Gold", was introduced in June 1971 and featured gold, red, and orange colours with white pinstripes separating each section. The "Southwest" wordmark was featured in white on the gold portion of the tail, with the airline's name presented differently on the left and right sides of the aircraft. This livery was also known as the "Baby Shit Brown livery" and was designed to reflect the spirit of the southwest United States.
In January 2001, Southwest Airlines unveiled its second livery, "Canyon Blue", marking the first primary livery change in the airline's 30-year history. This dramatic shift to a bold blue colour scheme was considered a daring and potentially costly move. The orange and red stripes from the original livery were retained, while the pinstripes were updated to a curved pattern. The interior of the aircraft were also updated to match the new colour scheme, with deep blue carpets, redesigned windscreens, and brushed aluminium surfaces.
On September 8, 2014, Southwest Airlines introduced its current "Heart" livery, developed in collaboration with multiple strategic firms. This livery features a bold combination of blue, red, and yellow, with a giant heart logo on the belly of the aircraft. The heart has been a symbol of Southwest Airlines for 43 years, representing warmth, innovation, and a bright future. The red colour is intentionally the most prominent, embodying the hospitality and customer service of the airline. The blue represents their innovative spirit and commitment to constant improvement, while the yellow and silver accents complete the vibrant design.
In addition to its standard liveries, Southwest Airlines is known for its special liveries, often named with the suffix "One". These special liveries showcase unique designs and partnerships, such as the "Sports Illustrated One", "Slam Dunk One", and "Beats One".
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The 'Baby Shit Brown' livery'
The "Baby Shit Brown livery" was the original launch design for Southwest Airlines in 1971. The colour scheme featured shades of gold, red, and orange, with white pinstripes separating each section of colour. This livery was also known as "Desert Gold". The upper forward section of the fuselage was left blank, while the brand name was placed on the vertical stabilizer.
The "Baby Shit Brown livery" was eventually replaced by the "Canyon Blue" livery in 2001, which featured a bold blue colour with red and orange stripes. This new livery was designed to stand out and be unique, and it marked a significant shift in colours for the airline. The interior of the aircraft was also updated to match the new colour scheme, with deep blue carpets, redesigned windscreens, and brushed aluminium surfaces.
Over the years, Southwest Airlines has introduced several special liveries for its aircraft, often in collaboration with various brands. These special liveries include the "Beats One", based on the headphone brand Beats, and the "Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary Livery". These special liveries are usually given unique names, such as "Ex-Slam Dunk One" and "Ex-Winning Spirit".
Southwest Airlines has also introduced updated versions of its primary livery, such as the Heart livery, which was unveiled in 2014. This livery features a giant heart logo and a colour scheme of blue, red, and yellow. The heart logo is placed on the belly of the aircraft, and the word "Southwest" is written on the forward fuselage for the first time in the airline's history.
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The 'Desert Gold' livery
The Desert Gold livery was Southwest Airlines' original primary livery. It featured a colour scheme of gold, red, and orange, with pinstripes of white separating each section. The word "Southwest" appeared in white on the gold portion of the tail, with the airline's name also placed on the left side of the original three 737-200s along the upper rear portion of the fuselage, and on the right side, the word "Southwest" was on the tail. The "Desert Gold" livery was unique in that the upper forward section of the fuselage was left blank, with the brand name placed on the vertical stabilizer instead.
The Desert Gold livery has also been referred to as the "Baby Shit Brown livery" and the aircraft painted in these colours have been nicknamed "Mustard Rockets". This livery was designed when cheat lines—thick lines running down the very centre of the fuselage—were in style, so Southwest Airlines opted for a new and different approach by running the stripes along the bottom of the plane.
Southwest Airlines introduced the Canyon Blue livery on January 16, 2001, marking the first primary livery change in the airline's 30-year history. The new colour scheme replaced the former primary colour, Desert Gold, with Canyon Blue, and changed the Southwest text and pinstripes to gold. The orange and red stripes remained, but the pinstripe along the aircraft was curved rather than a straight horizontal line.
Some Southwest Airlines aircraft feature special liveries, such as the Sports Illustrated livery, and are named with special decals. These aircraft are usually given names ending in "One", for example, N922WN – Ex-Sports Illustrated One. All special liveries painted prior to Spirit One originally wore the standard Desert Gold, red, and orange colours on the vertical stabilizer and rudder.
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The 'Canyon Blue' livery
Southwest Airlines introduced the Canyon Blue livery on 16 January 2001, marking the first primary livery change in the airline's 30-year history. The new colour scheme replaced the former primary colour, "Desert Gold", with Canyon Blue, and changed the Southwest text and pinstripes to gold. The orange and red stripes from the original livery were retained. The pinstripe along the aircraft was also updated to follow a more curved pattern, rather than the straight horizontal line that separated the colours in the original "Desert Gold" livery.
The first aircraft painted in the Canyon Blue livery was the Spirit One, a Boeing 737-700. For aircraft equipped with blended winglets, the winglets were painted to include the text "Southwest.com". By early 2010, Southwest had completed repainting its entire fleet with the Canyon Blue livery.
The Canyon Blue livery was a dramatic shift in colours, helping Southwest stand out from other airlines. In addition to the exterior colour change, the interior colours of the airline were also updated, with deep blue carpets, differently designed windscreens, and brushed aluminium surfaces.
The Canyon Blue livery was eventually replaced by the Heart livery in 2014. The Heart livery features a giant heart logo and the colours blue, red, and yellow.
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The 'Heart' livery
The Heart livery, introduced in 2014, is a bold evolution of Southwest Airlines' previous Canyon Blue colour scheme. The airline's branding team was tasked with creating a new visual identity that would reflect Southwest's status as an industry trailblazer and trendsetter. The result was a livery that featured a giant heart logo and emphasised warmth, innovation and a bright future.
The Heart livery consists of four colours: bold blue, summit silver, sunrise yellow, and warm red. These colours were chosen to convey a message that Southwest employees could feel and rally around. The warm red, the most prominent colour, represents the warmth of the airline's hospitality and customer service. The bold blue represents the airline's innovative spirit and focus on constant improvement. The yellow and silver colours add a vibrant and modern touch to the design.
The design process for the Heart livery involved five different brand and strategy firms: GSD&M, Lippincott, VML, Razorfish, and Camelot Communications. The new livery features a darker shade of blue than its predecessor, with enlarged red and yellow stripes in a reverse pattern. The belly of the aircraft, previously painted red, now features a blue background with a giant heart logo, which has been a symbol of Southwest for 43 years. The pinstripes are changed to a silver-grey colour, and the Southwest text, now in white, has been moved to the front of the fuselage.
The Heart livery was officially unveiled on September 8, 2014, and was met with an overwhelmingly positive response from Southwest employees. The heart symbol on the belly of the plane was a particularly popular element, reflecting the airline's pride in showing heart in everything it does. The new livery marked an evolution in Southwest's brand identity, conveying a message of warmth, innovation, and a bold spirit.
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Frequently asked questions
The original primary livery was "Desert Gold" (Gold, Red and Orange, with pinstripes of white separating each section of colour). In 2001, Southwest introduced the Canyon Blue livery, the first primary livery change in 30 years. In 2014, Southwest introduced the Heart livery, which features a giant heart logo and the colours blue, red, and yellow.
The warm red represents the warmth of Southwest's hospitality and customer service. The bold blue represents their innovative spirit and focus on constant improvement. The yellow and silver colours are also part of the Southwest heart symbol.
The Southwest Airlines Sports Illustrated livery was a special livery that featured Israeli model Bar Refaeli as the cover of the 2009 Sports Illustrated swimsuit model.
Southwest Airlines has used a variety of special liveries, including the Lone Star One, Beats One, Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary Livery, and the Coco livery. These special liveries often have unique names and are designed to stand out and be memorable.
