One way to test the effectiveness of your brand: ask a five-year-old what the logo means.
Posts Tagged ‘branding’
A new perspective on branding
Wednesday, February 1st, 2012Starbucks celebrates 40 years with a new look
Thursday, March 10th, 2011Starbucks turned 40 today and to celebrate, they began rolling out the rest of their rebrand—sans the company name.
Here’s what Howard Schultz, chairman, president and CEO, said about the Siren-focused identity.
As we continue to connect with more customers around the world in innovative ways, our brand is also evolving to address the changing global market. Our new logo, which customers will see in stores beginning today, reflects this evolution by honoring our deep coffee heritage while allowing us to grow in exciting new ways.
This isn’t the first time we’ve looked at Starbucks’ branding strategy. From the first signs that the brand was being watered down to the decision to debrand select stores, Starbucks has been struggling to get back to its roots. The new focus on the Siren speaks to that effort while relying on customers to make the connection between the logo, the company, and where it all began. The question raised by the new look: can the nameless logo bring strength back to the Starbucks name? I’m looking forward to the answer.
Logorama wins Oscar
Tuesday, March 9th, 2010The landscape is dotted with Malibu trees and MSN butterflies, and your AOL friends walk down the sidewalks while Michelin Man cops cruise the streets. This is the world of Logorama, the 17-minute film that took home the Oscar for Best Animated Short on Sunday.
Directed by French designers and filmmakers H5, Logorama features approximately 2,500 logos. When Adrian Shaughnessy of Design Observer reviewed the film in January, the heavily branded world depicted in the short caused mixed emotions:
I was struck by how many of the logos on show are rather wonderful — fine examples of the art and craft of graphic design. But this only served to reminded me of the essential conundrum at the heart of being a graphic designer; namely that the job is to create seduction and allure for our clients regardless whether it is a true reflection of reality or not.
Check out the world of Logorama for yourself to see how many of the logos you recognize thanks to our branded reality. It’s currently available for sale on iTunes, and you can also watch a preview on YouTube or Vimeo.
The power of storytelling: Google’s “Parisian Love”
Monday, February 8th, 2010For many people, the Super Bowl is less about the football game and more about the creative (and expensive) commercials. In fact, every year a group of advertising professors at Michigan State University rate the Super Bowl ads. And if you followed the Twitter buzz about the ads, you won’t be surprised that their No. 1 pick was the first TV ad for Google.
“Parisian Love” won over the audience with the way it tells a love story through a man’s Google searches. The ad works brilliantly because it is true to the Google experience while employing storytelling to make it emotionally captivating.
Unlike other commercials, “Parisian Love” wasn’t developed specifically for the Super Bowl. It’s part of a series of “Search Stories” by Google, and it first aired on YouTube more than three months ago.
We didn’t set out to do a Super Bowl ad, or even a TV ad for search. Our goal was simply to create a series of short online videos about our products and our users, and how they interact. But we liked this video so much, and it’s had such a positive reaction on YouTube, that we decided to share it with a wider audience. Source: Google Blog
What do you think? Did Google’s story of searching for love win you over, or does another commercial deserve top recognition?
MSU abandons logo change
Friday, February 5th, 2010Michigan State University Athletic Director Mark Hollis announced today that plans to redesign the Spartan helmet logo have been abandoned.
Criticism erupted last month after news leaked of a brand redesign scheduled to launch in April. At the time, the official statement from MSU was that the new helmet logo was “a single element of a comprehensive brand and identity project” conducted with Nike.
In today’s statement, Hollis addressed the concern over cost of a redesign, saying the university did not have to pay for the service. Hollis then responded to the criticism about redesigning an already powerful brand identity:
The recent disclosure of an updated Spartan logo from a trademark registration process has resulted in a flurry of concern and discontentment among some of our students, alumni, and fans. [...] Our primary objective is to achieve a strong and consistent Spartan brand, but rest assured that, as our mission statement attests, bringing Spartans together is one of our fundamental values.
Our identity and branding process is nearing completion and is on schedule for a complete rollout in April. The elements and applications of the brand design will be unveiled collectively at that time. After careful consideration, we will use the current Spartan logo design, first used in the late 1970s, to build our visual brand identity.
Right or wrong, the fans got the last word after all.
Apple’s latest innovation: the iPad
Thursday, January 28th, 2010There was much discussion (and premature, unsanctioned confirmation) about what must-have, can’t-live-without product would be revealed at this year’s Apple conference. On Wednesday, CEO Steve Jobs officially introduced Apple’s take on the tablet: the iPad.
Apple’s latest “magical and revolutionary device” was met with both oohs and ewws. Design and tech specs aside, let’s take a look at some of the reactions from publishing and branding perspectives.
Digital reading
The publishing industry continues to evolve as traditional print practices are challenged by the demand for online content. With the iPad, Apple is making sure it’s a part of that shift:
- New York Times: Books on iPad Offer Publishers a Pricing Edge
- Pentagram: Five Ways the iPad Will Change Magazine Design
- Mashable: A First Look at the iPad for Publishers
Apple isn’t just entering the e-book reader market — it’s also challenging Amazon with its new bookstore app, iBooks. Publishers Penguin, Simon and Schuster, HarperCollins, Macmillan, and Hachett have already made deals with Apple.
What’s in a name?
As for the name of the new tablet, my initial reaction to “iPad” was “iNotepad”. But the negative responses to the name choice should give Apple pause:
- Fast Company: Apple’s iPad Name Not the First Choice for Women. Period.
- Wall Street Journal: Apple’s ‘iPad’ Name Draws Snickers
- BusinessWeek: Apple’s iPad Name May Lead to Fujitsu Trademark Feud
The tablet won’t start shipping until late-March, which gives the company time to listen, react, and hopefully improve upon people’s first impressions. What was yours?
MSU brand redesign sparks criticism
Friday, January 22nd, 2010When Tropicana redesigned their packaging, customers protested. And when IKEA changed their font from Futura to Verdana, both fans and designers lamented the switch. These are just two recent examples of people making themselves heard with the help of the internet, with mixed results.
So imagine the reaction when news leaked yesterday that Michigan State University (MSU) plans to launch a redesign of the Spartan brand this April.
Current and redesigned helmet logos
News of the redesign, which was a two-year collaborative effort between MSU Athletics and Nike, spread quickly thanks to fan sites and social media. It wasn’t long before angry Spartans joined the Facebook group “JUST DON’T – No new Nike-influenced Spartan helmet”.
As fans took to the internet to give their opinions, news outlets tried to get more details about the redesigned logo. MLive.com and Detroit Free Press quoted MSU Athletic Director Mark Hollis and Director of Athletic Communications John Lewandowski, respectively, saying the new helmet is “a single element of a comprehensive brand and identity project”.
This isn’t the first time the MSU helmet logo has changed — the most recent was in 1983. But whether this branding strategy is about changing a single image or revamping everything from colors to fonts, there is a question that has yet to be answered: why?
Not only is the Spartan brand already a powerful identity, but MSU announced in October a plan to restructure in light of the state’s poor economy. Included in the plan was the elimination of 13 master’s degree programs and 16 undergraduate degree programs. While it’s still unclear how Nike’s involvement with the redesign factors into the overall costs, this brand project will cost money to implement. How is a major re-branding effort part of the plan to cut the budget?
My guess is that MSU isn’t happy about the premature timing of this announcement, but I hope the surge of criticism encourages them to examine — and explain — the logistics behind the redesign. And who knows? Maybe the fans will get the last word.
Sweet Tweets
Wednesday, January 20th, 2010With Valentine’s Day less than a month away, it’s not surprising to see companies are already stepping up marketing campaigns to cash in on what is often referred to as a “Hallmark holiday“.
But I was surprised when USA Today announced a new angle that couples tradition with social media. Sweethearts, the 145-year-old brand of candy conversation hearts, will add “Tweet Me” to its repertoire. In the new relationship, Twitter is the talkative one with its 140 characters.
“We’ve always been short and sweet,” says Jackie Hague, vice president of marketing at New England Confectionery, maker of the Sweethearts brand. “In this case, the technology merged with the ritual.”
The partnership doesn’t end there — the confectioner also created an iPhone app that links with your Twitter account so you can customize your candy messages. The virtual candy grams can then be sent privately to the recipient or posted in your Twitter stream. And for those without iPhones, there’s MySweethearts.com.
From a marketing standpoint, the Sweethearts and Twitter match makes sense — both have limited space for characters, and there’s no denying the multitude of catchphrases possible (Tweethearts, anyone?).
But as much as I love both the candy and the social network, I wonder about the audience for the online survey done by Sweethearts last summer. Where were Facebook’s 350+ million users voting for “Friend Me”? The common phrase didn’t even make the top 10.
Branding redesigns: Minute Maid vs. Tropicana
Wednesday, January 6th, 2010It has been a year since Tropicana’s branding redesign by parent company PepsiCo. In an attempt to “create an emotional attachment”, the company’s design failure resulted in a loss of customers, and they quickly reverted to their traditional look. But it was too late — sales dropped and Coca-Cola was there to pick up the market share with its Minute Maid brand.
Now, Coca-Cola is hoping to benefit even more from Tropicana’s failure, this time in lessons learned. Minute Maid launched its new look in the US in mid-November and will launch globally during 2010.
Based on extensive consumer research, the new visual identity was created to enhance brand preference, improve shelf stand out, drive cost efficiencies and create consistency across a world-leading family of juice brands and products.
The modernized design builds on elements of the Minute Maid visual identity, including the black rectangle and white logotype lettering while adding a green horizon mark, refreshing fruit photography and natural imagery to underscore the juice brands as a source of delicious fruit.
While I wasn’t able to find any sales numbers post-redesign, Tom Farrell, design director for the Coca-Cola global design group, told Brand Packaging that retailers and consumers are responding positively. I think this can be taken as a good sign given that Tropicana’s customers spoke out with their wallets immediately, causing the brand double-digit losses in just one month after the redesign.
Personally, I like the Minute Maid redesign and think the in-house designers did a thorough job of updating the brand while staying true to its roots — unlike Tropicana’s move to a more generic look with an awkward “orange” cap. What do you think: has Minute Maid won the juice rebranding war?
In the Workplace with Justin Parnell
Monday, October 26th, 2009Name: Justin Parnell
Title: Brand Marketing Designer; Freelance Graphic & Web Designer
Location: Denver, CO
Tell us about your educational/professional background.
I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Communications at Regis University here in Denver in 2006. My entire life I wanted to be a writer, so my primary focus throughout college was journalism and public relations. My sophomore year I took up an internship with Exclusive Resorts (ER) as a copywriter developing member and employee communication materials. Around the same time, I became editor-in-chief for the university’s newspaper, which kick-started my initial passion for design.
Despite having no technical training and education in graphic design, I jumped at an opportunity to become an in-house designer with Exclusive Resorts after graduating. Working in such a rapid-paced, young, and enthusiastic work environment, I actually doubted my decision for several months. One of my personal peeves is lacking tools and knowledge to do something, especially in a field I feel so passionate about. With the patience and critique of my two former design teammates, literature, blogs, and reverse engineering every ounce of creative I could get my hands on, I was quickly able to gain confidence in becoming a well-established designer.
Tell us about your current job.
I hardly consider what I do a job . . . or work, for that matter. Design really has become my hobby and just an extension of who I really am. I’m very fortunate to be one of two designers at Exclusive Resorts, working alongside a team of writers, managers, and strategists.
As an in-house designer at ER, I’d like to say I make a living from removing excessive spaces after a period. Aside from this mischief, I assist or lead the concept, design, and production of all prospect marketing, member communication, and employee communication. Much of this includes print and online advertising, sales collateral, product collateral, direct mail, e-mail marketing, and monthly newsletters.
When my fingers are not typesetting, coding, color correcting, or drawing in Adobe Creative Suite, they are leading the art direction on architectural photo shoots. The obvious gem of my company is the product itself—stunning luxury homes in some of the world’s greatest destinations. I’ve had the great honor of directing shoots at The Arrabelle in Vail, Colorado, the Fairmont Heritage Place at Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco, California, Ho’olei in Wailea, Maui, and The Ritz-Carlton Club and Residences in Kapalua Bay, Maui alongside truly remarkable photographers, Eric Jamison of Studio J and Tony Novak-Clifford. (more…)
