The making of KAYAK’s “Flippy”

KAYAK invented metasearch—the original unbiased travel search engine that searches every nook and cranny of the web to bring you the most travel booking choices, all in one place. It changed how we all book travel and altered the competitive landscape in online travel forever.

KAYAK instantly became the gold standard of travel search when it launched in 2005. Its name and orange identity has always made it stand out in a sea of ho-hum blue-branded and traditionally named online travel competitors.  

Inspired by the classic flip departure boards used at airports and train stations, Plaid gave KAYAK an award winning brand identity with an active voice and physical movement to reinforce the superior search result that the site delivers. Fondly referred to by KAYAK as “flippy,” the brand look led to a unique visual language, new KAYAK site features and a national advertising campaign.