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Top Corporate Brands prefer minimal logo redesigning – Less is more!!

Michael J. Taylor — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 08:47:32 +0000

While designing a logo for any corporate brand or company, certain principles should never be neglected or forgotten. We all know our target audience and want to own a logo which makes us outstand among our industry competitors. Therefore we keep following new logo trends and ideas to make our company logo appear updated and successful.

However, abstraction and minimalism are the effective aspects which help us create true aesthetic corporate logos. Worldwide logo designers are utilizing the concept of minimal art to revive the corporate identity of top brands. The new approach of adding simple elements and subtle changes to famous company logos is widely appreciated nowadays.

Below I showcase top corporate logos which have undergone minimal redesigning lately without losing their elegance and charm.

Mozilla Firefox Logo:

This foxy holds a strong ranking among the list of world famous logos and is always appreciated for its classiness and choice of colors. The logo is said to be undergone process of redesigning but the transformation is so subtle that you won’t be able to point out any evident change. So let me point out the features of the new Firefox logo: less furry, glossier, more defined flames in the tail, fiery tones of orange and aqua tones are made evident.

Sony Ericsson adds colors to its company logo:

As a top brand “Sony” has always opted for major changes in its logo and packaging. So, once again it is ready to refresh its brand identity but this time it plans to add color to its Green Liquid Density. The brand will now be featured in pink, blue, orange, and purple. Dave Hilton, UK marketing director at Sony Ericsson, clearly expressed that they wanted to freshen up their advertising but have a belief that too much of change can backfire a stable corporate brand identity.

Carrefour New logo:

With more than 15,000 stores in 35 countries Carrefour is a French international supermarket claimed to be world’s second largest retail group in terms of revenue after Wal-Mart. Carrefour in French means “crossroads” and one of the reasons for the fame of this logo is its shape. It shows two opposite arrows inside a diamond shaping the “C” letter with the negative space between them. Carrefour logo with its red, blue and white colors and clean fonts has remained the same since it was created in 1966. However, this September, along with a new campaign titled “Positive is Back,” Carrefour has introduced a new word mark and a slightly modified icon.

The changes are so minimal that on a first glance you might not be able to notice them; therefore I have mentioned them here. The old blocked Serif fonts are replaced by smooth, curvy and friendly typeface. The sharp curves of the new icon have been replaced giving a smooth look to the logo. Lastly but most importantly, the icon has been released in a wide range of gradients.

The changes are so minimal that on a first glance you might not be able to notice them; therefore I have mentioned them here. The old blocked Serif fonts are replaced by smooth, curvy and friendly typeface. The sharp curves of the new icon have been replaced to give a smooth and sleek look to the logo. Lastly but most importantly, the icon has been released in a wide range of gradients which I stumbled across on famous site “Brand New” These new icons have started appearing on the packets and advertising billboards of Carrefour.

In the end I would like to know your opinion …corporate brands should opt for minimal redesigning for their logos to continue with their old charm or after every few years they should get a major redesign for their company logo?

VistaPrint new logo – Claimed to be the worst redesign of 2009!!

Michael J. Taylor — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 11:57:39 +0000

On 24 th June, 2009, Vistaprint Limited (Hamilton, Bermuda) the small business marketing company, unveiled its global brand strategy with some noticeable changes including a new logo, tagline and a complete Website redesign. The main aim behind this new look and feel is to highlight the wide range of products and services available for small and home businesses.

The company offers small businesses personalized printed products such as business checks, business letterheads, rubber stamps, promotional apparel including hats and T-shirts; and marketing services, websites, design and postcard mailing. It is believed to be catering more than 19 million small businesses and consumers by offering them the easiest ways to promote their business at the most affordable prices.

However, we are here to talk about the redesigned logo of VistaPrint. The logo has been highly criticised with its idea of showcasing arches of CMY(no K) gushing out of their name. Although the earlier version was also not much impressive but this time sophistication lacks badly and the symbols says nothing about the company’s high targets.

Well, I want to appreciate their attempt to replace the thin lines and lowercase of their old logo but they failed bringing up any progressive change. A blog well-known for announcing redesigns has highly criticised the logo: “The typography looks like the bastard child of Tobias Frere-Jones’ Interstate and Avenir.”

However, the old and the new logo do not have much difference and both are claimed to be equally unappealing. Many people balme VistPrint.com for providing cheap, fast and mediocre quality. So they think their redesign well-explain their services…do you think so?

Do write in to give your honest comments…Do you think VistaPrint New Logo is the worst logo redesign of year 2009?

22 Redesigned Corporate Logos – The Good and Bad ones!!

Michael J. Taylor — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:27:06 +0000

We all know that a redesign can do big wonders if we get it right, however in other case, results can be terrible and shaking.

Please don’t consider this post as another display of remarkable redesigned logos which you have been seeing at number of other blogs. The interesting part is that I bring you not-so-famous redesigns….hopefully, something new for you all to enjoy.

Well, you must have seen several examples of great redesigns but I bring you a combination. Following are 22 redesigned corporate logos, displaying the old and new version both. I leave it up to you all, to categorize them as …good and bad ones.

Well, after researching so much for you guys to bring these redesigns, I think I should assign some work to you all as well.

It will become really exciting if you rate these redesigns under two categories… the good ones and the bad ones.

Johnsons Baby:

Not a very obvious redesign but the new, softer look is more appealing.

Jack in the Box:

The lively and funky look of the new logo is a smart redesign option by Duffy & Partners.

Steinlager:

The packaging and logo, both have been made bigger. Although not a bad change but old version looks better.

Pyramid Beer:

The new redesign is emphasizing more on the Pyramids but the real change has been added by new fonts.

AppleBee’s:

This is a great example of a subtle redesign as the concept stays same but excuted with a modern feel.

QVC:

It’s a huge brand but its revamp was not acknowledged much. However, I consider it a nice and simple change.

Detroit lions:

You all will agree that the new logo defines more details and elements while the old lions logo seemed flat and boring.

The Bahamas:

I failed to find the old logo but had the information that this is the new version. The new impressive look makes me to see the old one too

Direct TV:

I wouldn’t describe it as a major revamp. All seems to be the same… concept, shape and fonts.

Argentina:

For this logo I failed to find the old version and will really appreciate if you could find it for me. Well, let me tell the ribbons here express the speed, smooth movement and innovation.

Sierra Mist:

The old logo is also not much appreciable but the new one seems to be a real blurred blunder.

Mail Chimp:

I think the new chimp says more about the service and I think this change must have arrived long time back.

Envato:

This sleek redesign is adding more reliability and personality to the brand.

Gatorade:

The logo and packaging both have been changed for Gatorade and I remark it as an improvement. The new simplified G with a lightning bolt and bulky fonts, is delivering a positive effect.

Kraft Logo:

The Kraft logo redesigning has been criticized for all its new additional elements and customers have clearly disapproved it telling they preferred the previous, heavily type faced logo more.

Tropicana Logo:

Although Tropicana Logo was redesigned to make it look more down to earth but unfortuantely the idea failed. The iconic image of an orange with a straw, has lost its recognition in this new concept

Lays Baked:

I don’t consider it a logo redesign as it appears to be more of a packaging redesign. However the new look is much tidy and sophisticated.

Sunkist:

The new smooth swirls are making the drink look more enjoyable and inviting for the customers. I think the new swirly look is for better.

British Telecom:

I think such elaborate redesigns present the dynamic aspect of a company. It is a far much better idea then just having a horn blowing man for a logo.

Fanta:

So many elements in this new logo make it appear too busy and less attractive.

Discovery Kids:

Although I am very much in love with the new Discovery Logo but at the same time “Discovery Kids Redesign” failed to attract me much. Although it’s a neat and simplified redesign but not much appealing.

Mountain Dew:

The new ‘MTN DEW’ design is part of the Pepsi re-brand but personally I did not like it at all and deny

Cheap Corporate Logos cost you more – Don’t take the risk!!

Michael J. Taylor — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 10:12:56 +0000

Growing awareness for logos is getting logo designing companies busy with more projects and luring to win more customers. This call for tough competition has made logo design companies come up with cheap offers for logo designing.

Now, here defending the customers, I would probably say that they are not designers and don’t have an exact idea of corporate logos value. As you know, my blog aims to educate and share the realities of corporate world. Therefore, this time I decided to tell you why we should avoid chasing cheap logo design packages.

Ignoring the value a logo adds to the corporate identity of a company, all the designing companies are following the “cheap offer” tactics to attract their customers. However, I would warn you not to fall for this trap.

Here are some valid and sensible points to stop you from getting proud of getting a logo designed from the Internet for $25.

A logo is the heart and soul of your business: The professional company logos always speaks for the expertise and success of a business. Don’t miss the chance of leaving a lasting first impression.
Your logo is to stay for long: A logo is a symbol that will stand on every piece of printed or electronic collateral for at least the next 10 years. You can’t keep on changing your logo often or the investment you make on your business image, marketing and goodwill will be lost. Thus, Take a second look at your logo…is it good enough to be your signature for next 10 years?
Logo says your aims: Experienced logo designing companies’ lead you through the design process, helping you visualize how your company will be seen by the world. It becomes easy for you to express your exact goals and aims to the viewers through your logo.
A logo is an invitation: It should be appealing and inviting for your targeted audience and if your design fails to do so then you are in real trouble.
A logo should win the trust: Logos by established design firms win viewers confidence and make them believe that they are in most experienced hands.
Logo is your company’s attitude: The detailed designing process of your logo – the brainstorming of ideas, rough sketches and tweaking of the final logo, leaves a hint about your company’s attitude and personality.

It really itches me when the sweat and hard work of a logo designer is under estimated. I would like you review these stages of the logo design process and decide if it deserves its price. This is how the process goes:

Filling the questionnaire to provide details about your business.
Conducting research on your industry, competitors and targeted audience.
Checking onto other similar logo designs that have been successful with the same current styles and trend.
In accordance with the research you are presented with initial Sketches & Concepts
Never ending brainstorming and searching for more creative ideas keep their minds racing.
Then they present the sketches and basic logo ideas, along with open options for amendments.

Then arrives the happy ending of this process…if you have got your corporate logo designed from a professional company it will surely give you a reason to celebrate.

Corporate Brands win with creative ads – Pepsi and Coke

Michael J. Taylor — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 10:50:42 +0000

If you aim to achieve a matchless corporate identity in this busy world of brands, you need to make your presence feel strongly. To survive in this era of tough competition we have to work deadly hard to make our brand unforgettable for the customers. In my last few posts, I have been discussing all the sources to help you achieve unique corporate identity but today I bring you another way of promoting a product.

The recipe of creative advertisements can keep the customers motivated and convinced about a brand. Many social brands have entered our lives with wrapped up emotions and beliefs. Creative advertisements help the big corporate companies reach the minds of their customers in a very subtle but unforgettable way.

Undoubtedly, Pepsi and Coca-Cola are the most successful brands of the world. Respectively, introduced in the year 1886 and 1903, both were rivals to each other trying to dominate the carbonated soft drinks market. Since the very first day, both the brands got into global advertisement war through print ads and video ads, trying to lead each other.

I would like to share the clever concepts these corporate brands have been using to advertise their products. You have to share which of these two you think has been leading the market until now and why, because Pepsi and Coke, both have been putting in their best to get to the top.

Pepsi Ads:

It is believed that Pepsi ads follow what’s new, what’s hot and what’s trendy. Decades back, noticing Coke’s progress Pepsi decided to focus the youth market. Since then they have been casting big celebrities in their ads and I must say it hasn’t been a bad idea.

Diet Pepsi:

Pepsi Lemon Twist:

April Fool prank for Coke:

Mini Pepsi Cans:

Amazing Diet Pepsi:

Pepsi Max:

Coke Ads:

Every year Interbrand releases its annual list, rating the most successful organizations and valuable brands from all over the world. Over the past several years, the brand at the top of the list has been Coca-Cola. Given the amount of money and effort they have put in creating the brand, it’s not surprising.

Surprising is the fact that Pepsi also spend just about as much money on branding as the Coke and sell almost same amount of products but still Coca-Cola is more valuable brand then Pepsi.

But for now, let’s forget the ethical side and enjoy the creativity.

It’s my Coke:

Coke Straw:

Lemon Coca Cola:

Coca-Cola ad on apartment block:

A Classic never goes out of style:

Is Quality your trust:

Pepsi Vs Coca Cola:

Knock it!!:

Joy of Pepsi:

Pepsi murdered by a gang of Coke:

These advertisements for top corporate brands like Pepsi and Coca-Cola clearly prove that we should always come up with different ideas to keep our customers coming back. Don’t you think that we need to do a lot than just having a unique logo, amazing business card, creative brochures and flyers…what say?

Redesigned Kraft Logo – Does it make you smile or scowl?

Michael J. Taylor — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 09:31:21 +0000

I consider redesigning of logos a healthy and pleasant exercise, as it helps you maintain a unique corporate identity. However, one should be lucky enough to get the redesign work out successfully for the brand. It is a little rude to say that Kraft food products tried to come up with a joyful logo to make its customer smile with appreciation but unfortunately the redesign blunder made everyone laugh with annoyance. The new logo makes you wonder if the designer ran short of creative ideas while redesigning the logo.

Well, here I would like to mention that the new icon is not meant for the Kraft consumer products. They aim to keep their corporate logos different from their brand logo. The existing Kraft logo will still be used on cheese and all of those other Kraft products in your refrigerator. Do you think it is a wise decision?

Kraft has been always merging and taking over other food companies to become more successful and big. It has stick with its previous logo from last 40 years. This simple and recognizable logo has been doing great wonders for the company and its customers think it’s a VERY bad idea to chuck that history for the latest 21st century trend.

The press releases explain the beauty and aim of the rebranding as below. Have a read.

“With a new purpose and values setting a fresh direction, Kraft Foods also gave its corporate logo a facelift to more clearly deliver “delicious.” Starting today, people around the world will begin to see the new identity that deliciously features a smile, the natural reaction to delicious foods and experiences, and a colorful flavor burst. It signals to employees, consumers and investors what the new Kraft Foods are all about.”

Positive aspects of the redesign: Capital bold fonts of the old logo have been replaced by the lowercase text, adding a soft and welcoming look to the logo. The lower case letter “K” is believed to be the best part of the redesign. The red smile ends with a colorful burst of seven colors, each standing for a division of the company but at the same time it has been deeply criticized as well.

Negative aspects of the redesign: The most complained aspect of the redesign is that the logo seems to be very busy and it’s difficult to find the company name within the clutter. In fact, the company name appears like an afterthought.

The hackneyed and friendly red “smile” ending up into a colorful burst has made the logo just too childish. The “Tekton” font used in the tag line is also not much appreciated. Too many colors in the logo make it look more like a logo for a primary school rather than any big food company.

I think I have discussed my perspective over the redesign quiet openly without knowing what you all have got to say about it. So, I take my hands off and pass it to you.

Do you think the new Kraft Logo is good enough to make a powerful corporate statement for a strong and successful company like KRAFT?

Hidden Secrets of Corporate Logos – It’s fun to find them!

Michael J. Taylor — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 13:20:50 +0000

Usually clients ignore the clever concept behind a logo design and get annoyed paying for a simple logo without any frilly decorations. I would like to add to their knowledge that creative way of giving your message through an intelligent logo should never be underestimated.

If you look at some of the famous corporate logos, you will find them to be simple yet famous and recognizable.
Therefore, my friends straighten up your backs and specs, as I bring you some ingeniously unique logos with hidden message.

Let’s get started…

1: Amazon Logo

This famous logo is extremely clean and simple, with the arrow making no sense to you. But if study it carefully, it says that amazon.com has everything from a to z and it also represents the smile brought to the customer’s face.

2: SUN Logo

The SUN Microsystems logo was designed by Stanford University’s professor Vaughan Pratt, who skillfully arranged the letters “U and N” adjacent to each other forming the alphabet“S”, when seen in perpendicular direction.

9:ED Logo: Gianni Bortolotti

The designer of ED – “Elettro Domestici”, “Home Appliances” in English, changed the concept of traditional logo designing through this logo. The designer has amazingly used the negative space to demonstrate the letter “E” and “D”

4:Amnesty International 30th Anniversary

This logo was designed by Pekka Piippo from Finland, for the Amnesty International 30th Anniversary of Finnish Division. Clever multiplication of 5 fingers on 6 hands mark the occasion of 30th Anniversary occasion.

16: Body Wisdom

In this case, a logo design for a high end day spa,the hands effectively convey massage, while the proximity of the “eyes” within the owl shape created by the hands clearly say “wisdom”.

6:Cluenatic

This logo is designed for a puzzle game that involves unraveling four clues. The letters C, L, U, E are arranged like a maze, to deliver an intriguing feel to it.

7:Fuga

It is a logo for Architecture Center Of Budapest. It might seem something like a maze but if you follow the white space, the four lettered company name will become evident.

8:Logo !N3K8

It is a business and IT consulting company based in the UK. The logo explains the word “intricate”

3: Big Ten Logo

This logo clearly displays the number “11″ flanked around the letter “T” acknowledging that the conference actually has 11 teams. Big Ten has been really creative with its logo as it ties together the name with some extra information about the product

.

10: Lafeyette Logo:Even

If you’ve ever visited one of the famous stores in Paris – Galeries Lafayette, you will notice that it’s logo represents Paris with its joined letters “t” to form Eiffel Tower. C’est magnificique!

11:Marriage Logo

What better logo can be used to symbolize a marriage with two mirrored “R” in the middle. No frills, no shadows, still so powerful and meaningful.

12: Toblerone Logo

Yummyyy…I am loving to analyze my favorite choclate logo.You must be thinking what is there to find out as it clearly shows the Swiss Alps? It might be as Toblerone originated in Bern, Switzerland – A city whose name is rumored to mean, “City of bears”. But when you look at it again you will find a bear in the logo. Incredibly surprising that we had it several times but never noticed it, right?

13: Piano Forest Logo

If you notice the logo closely you will observe the trees placement form the keys of a piano. An intelligent way to display two different terms, “piano and forest”, through a single logo concept.

14:NorthWest Old Logo

The logo reflected a clever way of splitting the alphabets, N and W (north west) along with a location pointed to by the red triangle in the upper left corner. The redesign lost the charm of the original.

15: Mosleep Logo

Very cleverly the designer have integrated a bed and the letter “M” in this logo. You cant miss to love it.

5:FedEx Logo

The last FedEx logo designed by Lindon Leader, is on top of my list. I am sure until now everyone must have noticed the hidden white arrow between “e” and “x” letters, symbolizing the “movement” but I find this concept irresistibly intelligent.

17: Eight Logo

This logo is too good to be ignored….it is very cleverly designed with a typeface where every letter is a variation of number 8. A smart font choice indeed.

18: Hartford Whalers

At first glance, the old Hartford Whalers logo clearly shows a whale’s tail and a green W. Look closer, though, and you’ll see that the white space forms an H, for Hartford.

20: Yoga Australia

At first glance the logo is a simple picture of a young girl doing her yoga but if you watch it carefully the body posture is creating the Australia Map.

I am sure you must have enjoyed discovering the hidden messages within these corporate logos. These examples can help you draw inspiration while conceptualizing your own logo because a clever logo helps you gain clients instant trust and confidence.

Hope you also find a logo delivering a deep message about your corporate identity.