The Emotional Branding Genius Behind Kiss and Fly
Photo Credit: Flickr
Airports have plenty of functional spaces—curbs, lanes, zones, waiting areas. Most of them sound exactly like what they are: transactional, utilitarian, forgettable. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t play with language that does more than instruct. SFO’s “Kiss & Fly” is a perfect example of brand strategy hidden in plain sight.
From Utility to Emotion
Compare these two phrases:
“Loading and Unloading Zone”
“Kiss & Fly”
They technically mean the same thing: a place to drop someone off. But emotionally? They couldn’t be further apart.
“Kiss & Fly” transforms a moment of movement into a moment of connection. It taps into the ritual of goodbyes—quick, affectionate, symbolic—and wraps a logistical function in the language of relationship. That’s not signage. That’s storytelling.
Branding a Moment, Not Just a Location
Most wayfinding language focuses on what you must do. “Kiss & Fly” focuses on what you feel.
It subtly shifts the traveler’s mindset:
Instead of rushing… you pause.
Instead of thinking about traffic… you think about the person you’re sending off.
Instead of frustration… you get a moment of warmth.
Something as simple as a name transforms a standard direction of traffic into a moment for personal connection. The name gives emotional permission to have a human moment—then keep moving.
Photo Credit: SFO
Turning a Stress Point Into a Signature Experience
Airports are full of choke points: curbs, queues, bottlenecks. Branding them purely functionally reinforces stress. Branding them emotionally reframes the experience.
“Kiss & Fly” does three things brilliantly:
Softens the goodbye
The name acknowledges the tiny heartbreak of parting while giving it a graceful narrative.Makes the option more appealing
A passenger is more open to being dropped off somewhere other than the curb when the alternative sounds like a thoughtful gesture.Creates a memorable, shareable touchpoint
It gives SFO another branded moment—something travelers might mention, photograph, or tell friends about.
The Power of Naming in Movement Design
Good naming isn’t just semantics—it’s behavior design.
By branding the zone as “Kiss & Fly,” SFO doesn’t have to sell the idea of an alternative drop-off area with dry instructions. The name itself does the shaping. It signals care, speed, and a soft landing all at once.
It’s proof that even infrastructure—often the most overlooked part of the passenger journey—can benefit from emotional branding.
A Goodbye That Feels Good
At its core, “Kiss & Fly” is an elegant example of what happens when airports design for the experience, not just the flow.