A New Look for a New Image

Recently, the car company Audi changed its company logo. Audi seems to have followed the lead of many other big time companies that have changed their company logos. However, unlike Pepsi, Audi seems to have changed for the better, with just a few minor changes.On the left is Audi's former company logo. This company logo can most likely be attributed to Audi's racing history. Audi's have long been popular in the motor sports scene due to their superior speed and handling. Many rally-car drivers preferred Audi for this reason. You can see this in the logo. The font looks to be italicized- with the A and the d slanted- which gives the sense of motion. Also, the four interlocked rings have a more matte finish, making it look more metallic (as stated in Brand New). This finish makes it look as though the metal is stronger and more durable, something a racing car should be.
However, over the years, Audi has become known more as a luxury vehicle, competing with companies such as BMW and Mercedes. This more luxurious feeling is shown most definitely in the new logo. For starters, they changed the four interlocked rings from a more matte finish to a more chrome-based finish. This obviously gives the sense of luxury, as the metal is more illustrious, shining much more than the matte finish. The change is also seen in the new font. The font is now noticeably smaller and a much plainer, more elegant typeface. This is much more befitting of a luxury car company, as apposed to the old, big and italicized typeface.
In my opinion, the change that Audi made to its company logo is a good change.
All too often we see a company try to change its logo to express a new image, but fail in the process. This is evident in the new Pepsi logo. The company recently changed its logo to express a new younger, modern image. To try and push their new logo, Pepsi set up ads that featured Bob Dylan's "Forever Young" infused with a new hip beat and lyrics by Will. I Am. However, even with the millions of dollars they spent on this shift, and although it was just a minor tweak, Pepsi has been criticized heavily for the change. In contrast, Audi's change in their logo fits the image they want to convey, which is luxury. If you compare it to the logos of BMW and Mercedes-Benz, they all look pretty similar- the typeface that is.
Audi and Mercedes now both have very similar logos. They both have a very simple, yet elegant looking typeface, along with a chrome feel to it which evokes a sense of luxury.
So, in my opinion, good job to Audi for a successful change.

http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/index.php?page=2

Reaction to Lupton's "Thinking WIth Type"

I never really thought too much about typeface until reading Ellen Lupton's "Thinking With Type." The world of type, for me anyway, is pretty much limited to Times New Roman. However, after reading Lupton it has become clear that typeface does much more than just create words or a logotype on a piece of paper. We are bombarded on a daily basis by typeface. Often times, unbeknownst to us, we form connections and emotional value to them.

For instance the Coca-Cola logo is known all over the world. It has changed over time sometimes even depending on the holiday. The one thing that has remained since 1886 is the logotype. The typeface that Coca-Cola uses is known as Spencerian script. It was developed in the mid 19th century based on a form of formal writing that was popular in the United States at the time (see www.logoblog.org for more information). I think I can safely say that if any of us saw any other word put in the Spencerian script, we would automatically think of Coca-Cola.

I suppose that it is quite easy to take typography for granted. After reading Lupton I think it will be really hard to ignore the impact it really has. The first part of the book Letter, offers the historical background of typefaces. I found it interesting they originated from calligraphy and how it serves as a functional basis for design.

Lupton and the importance of typeface

After reading Lupton and after talking about typeface in class, it's hard to believe that I never really took notice of different fonts, word arrangements, etc. All my life I've been exposed to typeface in numerous ways (ads, different websites, books, etc.) But only now have my eyes been open to the importance of typeface.
The font, the spacing, the arrangement-it's all important to how the message is conveyed. Never before have a realized this so clearly. In the past I have been ignorant to the fact that typeface is so important. I never looked at an advertisement or a company's logo and thought, "That's nice, but the typeface looks off." Now, I'll look at a logo or poster and think if the typeface conveys the right message.
What really opened my eyes to this was the example of Hummer. If the Hummer logo was any different, a thinner font or more spaced out, it wouldn't fit the product Hummer sells (which are over sized, gas-guzzling SUVs).
As we have said, typeface is used in different ways to convey the type of a certain product. this is ertainly evident in movie titles. The way in which a title of a movie is written often hels to predict what type of movie it will be. Look at the poster below for "30 Days of Night." This movie was classified as a horror movie. On the poster, you can see that the title is written in blood read and in a font that looks as though it were speared on, which gives it an eerie tone.


In contrast to this, look at the poster above for "Dude, Where's My Car?". In this poster, the lettering is big and bubbly, which gives it a fun effect. This is much more fitting for a comedy, which "Dude, Where's My Car?" is.

Lupton's Letters - Typefaces and Their Personalities

It seems almost too easy to ignore the importance of typeface. I, for one, never put much thought into the typeface I chose to use. It seemed so minor a detail in comparison to writing the actual body of the text itself. However, it is the typeface that decorates the page and brings it to life, ultimately attracting the reader or pushing him away. Typeface, and the way it is used, is essential to successfully delivering the intended message of the text. To discard this "minor detail" and pay little attention to the typeface, therefore, seems foolish.

A typeface has many distinct personalities that are portrayed through small details. For the most part, I thought these details were insignificant. So what if one part of the text was bolded and the other italicized? What did that really mean? These details, however, can change the entire vibe, the look and feel, of a text. For instance, the Louis Vuitton logo can be recognized almost immediately by two letters: L and V. They put their Louis Vuitton logo on nearly every bag they produce, but they change little details in the logo that gives the bags different personalities. In the picture shown above, the same Louis Vuitton logo is used to decorate the bag, but in different colors. The first bag looks sophisticated, and the usage of only two colors suggests a more mature feel. The second bag, on the other hand, looks playful, and the usage of many bright colors suggests a more energetic and younger feel. The first bag probably attracts the attention of people who are older, and the second bag is probably targeted towards a younger crowd. The mere change in the color of the typeface, therefore, has different effects on the bags.

Without a doubt, I have underestimated the importance of typefaces thus far. Fortunately, reading Lupton's "Thinking with Type" helped me realize the distinct personalities of different typefaces, and has made me more aware of their versatility.

As Told By Lupton, Interpreted by Lilian

I've always thought that typeface was limited to what was found in the font toolbar of Microsoft Word. Needless to say, I've always been a Windows user (though I am slowly switching to a Mac...), and I've always encountered moments of frustration when Microsoft Word doesn't provide the typeface I want.

Now, after reading the first chapter of Lupton's book, I realize that while I may not have used the ideal typeface all these years, what I did not realize is how much I've underestimated typography. Who knew that there would be this many different types of typefaces? And, who knew that just like human beings, typeface would have anatomy?

Just like music and other various aspects of life, the modern typeface that we have now did not just magically appear. Through different eras, different typefaces were formed. As Lupton wrote, the first typefaces were modeled on the forms of calligraphy. Despite all the new and hip typeface that has been created, my personal favorites have always been those that resembled calligraphy/handwriting just because such typeface has a more personal feel to it.

Though said typeface may appeal to me, they might not work in some situations. That's when typeface becomes more than just a font you use to type in a computer and becomes an important part of everyday life. Here's an example of a typeface that I found interesting:

image source: http://creativereview.co.uk

Most of us know Kate Moss as an international supermodel but it wasn't until she created a line for British's high street brand TOPSHOP that she became a brand herself. This woodmark is actually for her line for TOPSHOP; it has since then became her new identity formed by Peter Saville who collaborated with typographer Paul Barnes. In the article, Saville mentioned that for the brand, he needed something that was popular, boho and long-lasting. He consulted Barnes who then suggested Brodovitch Albro, a typeface by Alexey Brodovitch.

Personally, I feel that the typeface for this woodmark did not strike as particularly popular and boho, but it did seem different compared to the other brands I've seen. I would've like to see a more striking typeface but I guess my personal opinion probably doesn't matter since the line Kate Moss for TOPSHOP has been selling incredibly well in many countries, my own included!