100 Years of Lufthansa

We handled the book project from start to finish. Over the course of several years, we collaborated with Prestel Verlag, the Society for Corporate History, and Lufthansa to bring the publication to life. We developed a design concept that paired the academic texts with a variety of visual elements. In addition to the design, we contributed our expertise in the field of design history.

A color scheme based on Lufthansa’s corporate colors distinguishes the three main chapters, which are printed in light gray, yellow, and blue. A band around the book and three color-coordinated ribbon markers extend this color-coded system to the book’s presentation. We developed a custom design that includes everything from generously illustrated chapter openers to typographic details and is complemented by our own editorial formats, such as highlighted quotes, info boxes, and thematic image spreads.

This publication is based on scientifically sound texts by renowned historians. The first chapter covers the years from 1926 to 1946—from the company's early development to its problematic relationship with the state during the Nazi era. The second part focuses on the postwar period and the reconstruction of the young Federal Republic of Germany, as well as Lufthansa’s rise to become a leading international airline. The third chapter examines the past few decades and the present. It explores the economic challenges of recent years, as well as the innovations through which the company is positioning itself for the future.

The content is organized with illustrations, maps, and diagrams that add variety and offer different approaches to the topics. Thus, the layout successfully combines scholarly information with a distinctive visual language.

A highlight of the book’s design is the six fold-out pages, each of which is dedicated to a specific topic, such as the evolution of uniforms or aircraft paint schemes. These pages provide space for extensive photo spreads and supplementary content without interrupting the flow of the main chapters.

Above all, the project comes to life through its visual elements. We curated a selection of striking images from the company archives' thousands of historical photographs and documents for the publication. These carefully selected photographs, historical advertising materials, and archival documents provide insights into different eras, allowing readers to experience the evolution of the brand identity firsthand.

We also contributed articles about the history of the Lufthansa brand, including its groundbreaking collaboration with Otl Aicher and the development of its first systematic corporate design.