The saying “out with the old and in with the new” does not go well with the recent trend of companies redesigning their once fascinating logos to now simplistic designs. Older companies have felt the need to update their logos to attract the new generations’ attention. The reactions to these new designs show that younger generations prefer the original design. Completing the second decade into the new millennium, the logos have become lifeless. Uninteresting logos will attract no one and will only disappoint loyal customers. The rebranding to iconic trademark logos has failed in creativity and in reviving the relevancy of the company’s product as well.
Twenty years ago most logos had more intricate designs with interesting and attractive detailing to the consumer. Now companies have gone for a more minimalist design with simple shapes and fonts complimented by their company’s traditional neutral color. For example, the Starbucks logo in the 90s had a black-and-white center photo of the iconic mermaid paired with a green-and-white outline of the company name separated by stars. Compared to the current design which is just green-and-white with the Starbucks mermaid as the main design. This demonstrated a decline in imagination and innovation within the company. Without taking time to rebrand and come up with new, exciting designs that have eye-catching colors and details, companies will fail to attract new excited customers.
When competing with today’s new coffee companies, Starbucks and many other companies have failed to keep up with their fresh new designs. Burger King 20 years ago had a vibrant design with the name of the company in red between bright, yellow burger buns and swooshed together with a rich, blue semi-circle. Now they have gone back in time to just reuse a previous design in the 90s: an orange hamburger bun squishing together the red title design. Recycling is good for the environment, not for reviving the relevancy of one’s company. Again, this rebrand is a sad representation of society which shows that the fast food chain is stuck in its old ways and refuses to evolve with the future.
The traditional and beloved designs from Coca Cola, McDonalds, Firefox and Nickelodeon demonstrate this absurd trend of minimizing a once captivating logo to a now lackluster design is a contagious and lazy pursuit for rebranding. In order for older brands to keep up with the evolving marketing tactics of modern companies they should take note of the colors they are using, the intentional fonts and attractive accents in the outline.
The companies Poppi, Crumbl, and Adult Swim are more relevant than ever because their designs have taken note of what is alluring to today’s audience. Google with its consistent redesign of the logo with relevant historical dates or fun honorary days throughout the year keeps internet users engaged with the brand in an entertaining and informative way. This is how to keep society engaged with a company: keep it fresh and exciting, not calm and boring.
