Notable 2018 Rebrands
Here’s just a shortlist of a couple of stand out re brands from 2018.
1. Cotton on: Agency Cornwell was tasked with re brand the international retail clothing brand Cotton On to bring a consistent connect experience.
Cornwell claims “The colon was used to link the world of Cotton On - the cities, the stores, the people and the ideas that collectively inform the brand. It became a strong graphic device, that extended beyond the logotype, used to introduce new ideas, locations and products in brand communications.”
I’m not really sure about this explanation, sounds a bit like post rationalization but I will say it’s a fresh logo with a modern feel and the colon has definitely lent itself to becoming a consistent brand element across all of its collateral.
2. Gumtree: “Thank god someone finally did it!” is probably what most had said after seeing the fresh new Gumtree logo.
Koto was tasked with the job and I think most of us can agree has put together something that is exciting, modern and contemporary. The colour is punchy and unique, with a perfect fluro green that reinforces the online tech feel.
It wasn’t a warm reception all round though. Some did liken it to a small green brain or a random cloud, but I can’t say we agree. Great job and roll-out. Please call Craiglist - It’s in desperate need.
3. Technicolor: You probably didn’t even notice it but back in 2009 that little logo that shows at the end of the credits of many of your favorite movies went through a re brand.
Still retaining it’s very colorful logo history, I wasn’t really sure of the new application.... And then I saw a couple signage examples. I was sold. Sometimes it is hard to grasp the opportunity of a logo from a flat file. Good on the board of Technicolor for pushing forward with this very unique logo mark.
4. Aldi: Oh my….I can’t deal. Sorry guys, but this is not better.
Number one: gradients don’t make things more modern. The flat colour of the original logo looks more on trend in fact.
Number two: Why is there a border or so many colours?
Number three: And this one bugs me the most….why is the logo icon and text not centered in the square?
That is all.
5. 7/11: The biggest change is not the logo itself but it’s application.
I wanted to say great job 7/11 for the sexy new black stores popping up all over Sydney. A real step above the old white store.
6. MasterCard:
MasterCard’s new branding looks slick and simple. It retains iconic red and yellow with a modern touch, softer typeface and all lowercase.
7. Animal Planet: I wasn’t really sure about the last re brand and even less sure about this one.
It’s great they moved away from the elephant with the image of the planet. Must have been a branding nightmare. Then to the sideways ‘M’ which much have been an expert level of post-rationalisation to get that across the line.
To the now blue elephant.
The agency Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv claims “The historic Animal Planet logo—an elephant with the globe—retained a great deal of recognition and affection. Moreover, the core concept was appropriate, as an elephant is a majestic, exotic, and intelligent animal, wondrous enough to represent the entire animal kingdom. In this fresh and distinctive rendition, the new leaping elephant captures the joy and energy of the beloved Animal Planet brand.”
Now I get it. Modern, simple, fresh, all lowercase text, but it has been a decade since anyone has seen the old logo. A whole new generation of young animal lovers that have no connection to it at all. To claim you are bringing it back with a blue elephant is a bit of a stretch. The retention of green I’d say would be more important, it has transcended multiple generations and is synonymous with the brand.
I definitely get the curvature representing the planet. Especially if you have seen those images of the sun crowning over the earth in space but the other references are a bit out there. Blue conjures thoughts of water. Considering Animal Planet's greater focus is typically land dwelling animals, you feel another disconnect there also. I also do not feel it holds the same level of esteem. This was a professional organisation which created significant influence and awareness on animal protection….why does it now look like a kids toy store?
Just a couple thoughts from the team and I at Designeri.am. Hopefully you enjoyed the read and it has planted some thoughts for your next rebrand.
