The “uninvited redesign” has become a fixture on the Internet over the past few years.

It’s even become a way for established agencies to secure work. In 2011, Boulder ad agency Victors & Spoils did a hypothetical rebrand for Harley Davidson that helped them nab the actual gig. And this spring, upon news that American Airlines would file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, they reached out to AA’s CEO Thomas Horton in much the same way. “We’ve decided to act as if we’re working together already,” wrote CEO John Windsor. “We’ve put this brief to our crowd of 6,000+ creatives--offering $10,000 of our own toward the ideas we think can best help American Airlines become a more nimble airline.”

The invitation has spurred dozens of redesigns. One of the best came from Cyprus-based designer Anna Kövecses, whose no-nonsense, vaguely retro aesthetic lends itself to the company’s historic brand. The concept won the young designer $1,000 from Victors & Spoils, along with valuable media exposure. “My aim was to strip down the AA identity to the core and this meant building down the whole design to match this core as well,” Kövecses says over email. “For me, this core expectation has turned out to be safety. I wanted to design something that makes people feel safe because it visually meets up to the extremely high technology of aviation, the security and flawless on and off board services provided, and reflects the great history and experience behind American Airlines.” In muted greys and blues, set off by a wood grain highlight texture, the boarding pass and website exude a quiet calm. Simple, readable Helvetica signage and subtle nods to AA’s post-War heyday round out the identity.