BRAND LOGOS -RESURRECTED 
Remember the ‘Guess the logo’ game that became extremely popular nearly a decade ago?
Let us start this newsletter with a quick and exciting exercise! Recognise the following brands with just the help of the logo:
Were you able to name them all? You might not remember the name in the first go, but you recognise them. That is the power of a logo! A logo is an identity of a brand that holds the most recall value amongst its other elements.
According to Renderforest, logos are the most recognisable brand identifiers at 75%, followed by visual style at 60%, brand colour at 45%, and unique voice at 25%.
Here's a fresh, brainy and quirky take on the resurrection of brand logos!
FRESH GAI EXPLORES WHAT’S NEW IN LOGOS 
Logo - revitalised
Google Play recently upgraded its logo, marking the completion of 10 years of Google Play after rebranding from Android Market. Although the new logo is still made of four triangles, Google has retained the newer, muted tones of the same colours. It is more like a revitalisation of the older logo.
Branding vs Blanding
As more and more brands are giving their logos a refresh, Twitter is raging on about something else. Are logos beginning to lose their uniqueness and start looking similar since all the brands want to do is adopt minimal design techniques regarding wordmark logos? A Twitter user, David Perell, posted the following image, sparking a debate on the blandness of logos:
The recurrence and overuse of Sans Serif font make all the logos essentially look the same. This particular image brings attention to their uncanny resemblances when we see them together in only black and white.
But if it is the latest trend of this era, is there anything the brands can do to retain their identity? Let’s find out with Brainy Gai.
BRAINY GAI TALKS ABOUT BRAND IDENTITIES IN DEPTH 
The essence of a brand
According to graphic design statistics , 86% of customers say that brand authenticity and a unique logo design affect their decisions in choosing and endorsing the products they want.
A logo carries the essence of a brand. The logo and the brand work together in synergy to create a professional identity for a company. It is used to convey a brand's message visually and to foster customer loyalty. A logo should have the power to:
- Grab attention
- Make a solid first impression
- Create an emotional connection with the consumers
- Evoke some memory
- Help you stand apart from the competition
Not ‘touch me not’ assets anymore
Although there was a time when the brands classified the logos as a ‘touch me not’ asset, there is a wave of change engulfing the industry now. Centuries-old brands regard their logos as holy grails, something very critical that should not be messed with. It is their legacy and heritage. But now, even they are taking a liberal approach towards their logos & emblems and trying to evolve.
Rebranding a logo impacts the business, which could be good or bad.
Levi’s - The Two Horse Brand
Levi’s is one such brand that has a rich heritage and has evolved its logo yet stuck with its brand colour and legacy. Till the overalls company officially registered itself as Levi Strauss & Co., it was referred to as the ‘Two Horse Brand’. They used this logo for the first time in 1886 and have kept it unchanged except for introducing new elements like a unique stitching pattern on pockets and batwing design to differentiate themselves from the competition.
Minding the GAP
An example of a rebranding fail is the revamped logo of GAP! This change did not only upset the consumers but also led to a loss in sales.
Let us explore how brands have played with logos over time with Quirky Gai!
QUIRKY GAI EXPLORES SOME UNCONVENTIONAL LOGOS 
Some brands go over the top when toying with their digital assets
McDonald's logo swap
McD’s golden arches are iconic and should never be played with. In 2021, McDonald’s changed their logo temporarily on their social media profiles to the one created by a TikTok influencer. It turned out to be a short-term, eye-grabbing event.
Socially distanced logos
Remember the little exercise we did in the beginning? During the pandemic, graphic designer Jure Tovrljan had fun with brand logos and recreated them by infusing them with protocols like social distancing, wearing masks and staying at home.
Here are some more logos that he manipulated:
The iconic Olympic rings
Good Year became a bad year, literally!
No prize for guessing the brand here!
In this age of agility, it is pertinent for brands to leverage new techniques and tools and be ready to respond to the industry’s dynamism. But jumping on trends without backing them up with logic and matching it with marketing is a sure-shot formula for failure.
A few things that a brand should remember when resurrecting its logo are:
- Follow design principles
- Make the logo scaleable
- Play with the font, and if possible, marry the logo with the wordmark
Let us bring craftsmanship back to designing!!
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Total 2 Comments
EzySchooling2022-11-16
Thanks for sharing information in this intresting and engaging way.
Archana Arora2022-08-30
All blanding can be taken care of with a lot of brand campaigns done well for the 'bland' brand. It's about who makes an effort to remain top of mind and which brand occupies that special mind space no other brand is able to take over.