Take Two translates the day’s headlines for Southern California, making sense of the news and cultural events that affect our lives. Produced by Southern California Public Radio and broadcast from October 2012 – June 2021. Hosted by A Martinez.
Burbank's airport has been rebranded. Again.
Officials voted eight-to-one to change the name to Hollywood Burbank airport. This is the airport's seventh name change since it's inception in 1930, and the second time it's been the Hollywood Burbank airport. It previously held that name from 1967-1978.
Since 2003, it's been known as Bob Hope Airport, but apparently no one knew where that was. But fear not fans of the dearly-departed comedian, this is not a legal name change.
For more on the airport's new image direction we were joined by Michael Fiore, co-founder of Anyone Collective, the branding firm contracted by the airport.
Why did the airport need to be rebranded?
"Airlines were big components of changing the name and having a geographical identifier. The first thing they would say to us was, "You need to have a city name or a geographical identifier to that airport so people know where it is." That was the first thing that we talked about when we talked to them."
Why Hollywood Burbank?
"L.A. and Los Angeles ... that name came up a lot, but Hollywood seemed to be a better fit. The commission thought it was a better fit because it felt a little closer to Burbank. They felt that people knew where Hollywood was, people east of the Rockies. Again, the goal was, east of the Rockies we have to tell them where this airport is because people don't know where this airport is. ... In the rebrand phase and as we move forward we're going to tell them how close we are to Downtown, how close this airport is to all of the things they want to go to..."
Why keep the Bob Hope name?
"It's very difficult to change the legal name of an airport, so the airport's decision to change the branding name will allow us, or an agency like us, to start marketing the airport in a different light—give it a little bit of a fresh new identity so that people can be aware of it. Because they haven't spent a lot of time on marketing and branding this airport and creating awareness."
To hear the full interview, click the blue play button above.