Cleveland Hopkins Unveils New Logo and Brand as $1.6 Billion Airport Transformation Gets Under Way
Why It MattersAirport authorities are tying rebrands to major capital programmes, and keeping general aviation fields such as Burke in the system identity shows how such facilities remain entangled in hub planning.
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport unveiled a new brand and logo on Thursday, timed to coincide with the development of a new terminal that is set to open in 2032. Megan O'Connell, the airport's assistant director of marketing, communications and guest experience, said it made sense to introduce a new brand as early phases of Hopkins' $1.6 billion transformation are completed. Those projects include a new parking lot scheduled to open next year and a new parking garage in 2029. O'Connell said the brand and logo can also help guide architects as they design the new terminal.
The new logo keeps the previous logo's blue and green color scheme and adds the tagline "Where the Land meets the Sky." It incorporates the three-letter airport codes for Cleveland Hopkins (CLE) and Burke Lakefront Airport (BKL). O'Connell said Burke was included because the small lakefront airport remains part of the Cleveland Airport System, adding: "This is not a statement about the future of Burke." Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb has long advocated closing Burke, though those efforts have stalled in recent months.
The logo will be rolled out gradually across airport signage, social media, employee uniforms, vehicles and other materials, a transition that could take several years. The airport worked with Cleveland-based Recess Creative on the brand development, at a cost of about $50,000, not including expenses to update signs and other infrastructure. The previous logo, which featured blue and green triangular shapes alongside the airport codes, was at least 20 years old. Last year the airport surveyed travelers, employees and other partners and received more than 1,300 responses.
