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

Say It Ain't So, Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon, the network that defined our childhoods (or at least mine), is changing their logo in favor of a more polished design. Gone is the trademark orange paint-splat. Horrible news, I know. Here's what the planned update will look like:

(source)

Now, I'm not a casual Nickelodeon viewer anymore (bring back Legends of the Hidden Temple!) but this new logo just isn't cutting it for me. Nick established itself as the spot for off-the-wall, zany kids programming. The paint-splat captured that image perfectly: lighthearted and fun.

The update, in contrast, comes across as very uptight and stale. The reserved typeface and loss of graphic backdrop signals a shift in the network's objective. Perhaps Nick is trying to adjust to its new target audience -- a younger generation that lacks the spunk we had as Nickelodeon viewers. The channel's schedule now features derivative garbage that is producing droves of horrible, boring "tweens." So much for objectivity on my part.

Anyway, the new logo isn't only a modernization, it's a sign of quality degradation. Creative programming no longer rules over at Nickelodeon. Goodbye, The Adventures of Pete & Pete. Hello...iCarly? Really, Nickelodeon? A missing paint drop isn't Nickelodeon's only problem. But, it was the one thing connecting it to its glorious past.

So, who's up for an episode of Rugrats and a juice box?

Google's Mysterious Logo

Google regularly and temporarily changes its logo to emphasize significant events or dates. The latest ones appeared on September 5 and September 15. The September 5th logo, as shown below, consisted of a UFO that hovered over the letter “O.” Thus, many people discussed about the sudden change of the logo through facebook and twitter. Many commented that something related to a UFO must have happened that same day in history. Although the same typeface was used, the drawing of the UFO was quite noticeable. 

Image Source: Google Images

The September 15th logo consisted of typefaces that were formed by the shape of crop circles.  This subtle new logo was based on the talk about the spaceship last week. As one can tell from the image, the letter “L” is drawn by a truck, further implying that crop circles could all be a hoax. Furthermore, on its twitter page, Google posted the latitude and longitude of Surrey England, the place where a person saw a flying saucer on September 15 in 1985. 

Through this Google example, I learned how powerful logos can be. Without a lengthy explanation, the logo itself gets its main point across. Billions of people use Google daily, and everyone started to question the mysterious new logo. It caught so many people's attention. 

 In a sense, I personally think that a graphic designer has a lot of power and control over people. With whatever typeface or design they create, people are interested in them, and they really get involved in it. Moreover, they can shape people's thoughts as well. Such as the example above in the September 15th logo,  the hidden letter "L" signifies that crop circles are created by humans and not by aliens. The designer does not have to provide a long explanation. With the little truck, he or she expresses his or her beliefs. It actually reminded me of the saying "A picture is worth a thousand words." Although Google's latest logo may not necessarily be considered as a picture, it definitely conveys a lot more than its simple design. 

Sources:

http://www.mediabistro.com/baynewser/google_stuff/latest_google_logo_touches_off_new_firestorm_in_amateur_sleuth_community_131244.asp

http://www.examiner.com/x-10080-DC-Technology-Examiner~y2009m9d5- Googles-mysterious-unexplained-phenomenon-flying-saucer-logo-today

Current Event: From Stonyfield Farm to Just Stonyfield

Stonyfield Farm, known for its organic dairy products, recently changed their logo. One of the biggest differences is how they dropped the word "Farm" from their name, and now refer to themselves solely as Stonyfield - but I'll touch upon that subject later. The other noticeable difference is the change in colors. The colors of the new logo are more bright and strong than the dull and faded colors of the old one. However, I prefer the colors of the old design over the new because I think the dull colors gave the logo an old-fashioned look and made it seem more personal. The new colors make the brand seem fake, as if it is not really organic. In addition, the colors are kind of distracting. The blue and the snowy white used on the new logo makes me think of winter, not of a sunny farm with cows.

One of the more clever changes on the new logo is how the letters 'y,' 'f' and 'i' are connected. I like how these three letters flow effortlessly into one another, but because I also liked the simple connection between only the letters 'f' and 'i' on the old logo, I do not think this was a necessary change. Also, as a result of getting rid of the word "Farm," the word "Stonyfield" dominates the entire logo in their new design. Admittedly, putting "Stonyfield Farm" on the old logo did make it seem a little squished, as if it just barely fit within the blue banner; but the font size they used on the new design seems too big. Combine that with the noticeably smaller cow they also changed, and the new logo looks and feels unbalanced.

Personally, I like the old-fashioned feel of Stonyfield's old logo - it looks more real, more personal and more thoughtful. The message got lost in the new Stonyfield logo because, despite the word "organic" plastered underneath the cow, the product does not look like it would be organic. Although the new design makes is appear more modern, I believe that the old-fashioned and conservative look of the old logo was what defined Stonyfield Farm products.

From: http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/

Current Event: Rock on with Guitar Hero's New Logo

Introducing the new and improved Guitar Hero logo...it's bolder, stronger and more eye-catching. (Pictures found at Brand New Blog http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/. Posted by Armin.) The left is the old picture and the right is the new. I think the new logo is crisper and easier to read. The uniform space between the bottom of "guitar" and the top of "hero" is very a good use of space along with the up and down motion it provides. The entirety of black for the letters shows the strength of the game and its superiority. 

Furthermore, it is closer to resembling the logos of bands "that rock" (pictured below). These are prominent bands that when you think of them, you automatically pair with the word "rock" which leads to guitar. The old logo almost seemed bubbly or too youthful along with the letters almost crashing into each other and the gothic-like font. I believe this new logo with its darkness and straighter up and down letters will attract more middle-aged customers. 

It may be a stretch, but I also believe the new logo's shape is similar to the chest portion of a broad-shouldered man or the top portion of the body of a guitar. This is important as it may subconsciously (or consciously) trigger one to think of either strength or the particular object which the name is built upon, thereby increasing the brand's awareness and capacity to overcome competitors (ex. Rock Band). 

Current Event: An uplifting image from a tragic event

The events of September 11, 2001 are widely regarded as one of the greatest tragedies in U.S. history, at least in recent memory. So how does one immortalize everything surrounding that event with a logo? The National September 11 Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center enlisted the help of designer Landor, in New York, to create a new identity for the museum, set to open in 2011, that would portray not only remembrance for the victims but also the strength and rebuilding that the nation has shown. The new design is as follows:

http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/memorial_period.php

The new design is very simple, some might say too simple. I think it highly effective however. Personally, I think something like this needs to be treated with as much solemnity as possible without being depressing and negative. This logo does exactly that. The simplicity of the new logo compared to the old one, below, has a rawness to it that speaks much more than a multi directional and complicated logo would. The change in color for the 11 is also a very nice touch showing remembrance in representing the towers but also a look forward as they are almost faded in comparison to the black lettering. The new logo was adopted in place of this:

http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/a_new_voice_for_the_world_trad.php

The old logo was by no means a bad one, just not the right one. Listing the full name of the museum and tilting the graphic in an artistic way gives it the feel of a company logo. In a way, I realize that it is a company logo for the museum but the museum is a memorial and not a business which is why I don't think the old logo fit as well. 

It is difficult trying to encapsulate so many ideas and emotions with a single logo, especially in the instance of a national disaster. The new logo for the "9/11 Memorial" does about as good of a job as it can considering the circumstances and I think it well thought out and effective.  

Current event and graphics were obtained from Brand New: Opinions on Corporate and Brand Identity Work. 

Current Event: Logo Design And Branding Trends 2009

Now, I know half of 2009 is already gone, but in order to keep up with the design world, observing logo design and branding trends of 2009 is a must. According to the article Logo Design & Branding Trends 2009, 2009 is pushing for "more is the new less"; this much is obvious as we scrutinize the various logo designs and branding trends that the author of this article has selected.

In the article, the author pinpoints nine trends of 2009: psychedelic pop backgrounds, origami, tactile logos, arabesque, classic modernism, pictograms, 80's geometry lesson, typography logos, street art and puzzle patterns. With each trend, the author describes them and shows pictures to illustrate said trend. Of all trends, my favorite is the psychedelic pop background trend because I like the many colors that are used, and also because such look appears youthful and slightly bohemian.

After having read the article, I tried to think if any of the new logos that appeared in 2009 followed these so-called trends. It didn't take too long before I spotted that India-based Videocon's new look which came out in July 2009 took on the classic modernism trend. In the same month, the City of Melbourne also had a new logo to replace their previous logo designed in the 1990s, and its new logo seemed to have taken on the origami trend. In May 2009, Target's private brand Up & Up also followed one of 2009's logo design trend which is pictograms.



What really pulled my interest in this article is not the article itself but the numerous comments that were posted up. There were quite a few commentors who said that these new trends were in fact not "new" at all and were not original and there were others who said that there shouldn't be trends for logos as logos are supposed to look iconic and timeless or companies would have to change their logos every so often.

In a nutshell, although the article did shed some insight on some interesting logo designs, I have to agree with some of the comments posted in the article. Trend or no trend, I think that the ultimate goal of a logo is to represent whatever it's supposed to represent, and to represent them well.

Image source: Logo Design & Branding Trends 2009, Brand New