I would venture to say most people don't even know if they are flying Boeing, Airbus or McDonnell...or even care.
They know the difference between "prop job = puddle jumper" and "jet". They may know the difference between "Big" jet and "Little" jet... But most people simply don't care.
But, they would notice if it was a plain white or bare metal airplane and that would come across to them as "something wrong" with the airplane. So...paint is a must for the general public too.
And some others do care about logos and paint, and the airlines do paint for them...be it controllers, marketers or spotters like us.
A retro/special logo is strictly for marketing....they can show that an airline has a long history and therefore is here to stay, or they can show that they recognize a region or hub, like the Southwest specials. And they can be joint marketing like Southwest Shamu or the Simpson's Western Airlines special. The Frontier animals create a bit of buzz as well. Anything to get your airline noticed.
I like it too! So it must good, right?
