We saw a lot of
brand revisions over the last 12 months.
Some good, some not-so-good.
Nearly all following a trend in “less is more/
K.I.S.S.”
marketing design.
But while many brands decided to go under the knife this
year, there’s many more that did not, but
should have.
And so, without further
ado, here’s just a short list of the
brands we’d like to see transformed in 2013.
In alphabetical
order:
Bed Bath &
Beyond
I almost always mistakenly say Bath & Body Works. Anyone
else? Talk about a lack of brand equity!
Bed. Bath. And Beyond. The name itself is an alliteration
of 3 B-words of public domain. How about Boring Bland and Bloated? And speaking
of bloated, the word “BEYOND.”
I get
what they’re trying to do here; intimate their store carries EVERYTHING. But it
just looks lazy and out of date.
They need something that’s more compact, even when
stacked. The words themselves are uninspired, so BB&B should work to build
some sort of brand personality out of the font/character style and colors they
choose. Partner the name with a mascot even? It couldn’t hurt.
Buick
I’ll never understand why GM would give the ax to Pontiac
only to leave Buick standing. Pontiac drove
excitement, what’s Buick drive? Grandmas and grandpas to church, that’s
what. And not very fast.
I’m guessing that I’m not Buick’s target market. But
really, I want to know where GM sees this nameplate within its brand ecosystem.
While Cadillac is old luxury, is Buick the other 99%? Our grandparents loved
them, but that was 20+ years ago. As our parents take their place in the family
tree they’re not just going to concede themselves to driving mom and dad’s car.
And so, a new Buick for a new generation of Buick owners! That’s what we need.
The circle + 3 bands of armor could be completely
reimagined. Maybe it’s a rectangle with a tighter crop on the shields? Maybe in
includes a new palate of color? Maybe the word “Buick” comes back in dropped
casing? How to get there is up to you. Just get there.
Burger King
I'm pretty sure my Burger
King Kids Club (BKKC) membership documents boasted the same corporate seal
back in 1992.
The primary blue + red + yellow just feels greasy and
chock full of saturated fat. Use brand revision as an opportunity to more
clearly articulate your position in the face of competition. It doesn’t have to
be drastic like
Wendy’s
Q1 forecasted change (ick). Maybe,
like
Arby’s, it’s just a matter of growing up a bit.
Instead of basic, garish color, opt for a silver,
almost-metallic finish? Or maybe rich earth tones? Down play “Burger King” for
an abbreviated “BK” in a stately new font. Finally put a crown on the thing (subtle, yet kitschy).
Neiman Marcus
Is it too early to call the
Target-Neiman
holiday partnership a flop? It was a decent attempt at meeting next-gen
luxury buyers where they are today, but with store shelves still stocked,
year-end mark downs were imminent. It might be time to take brand redefinition
a new direction.
 |
| 50% off and STILL not moving? |
A quick stroll down Chicago’s Michigan Ave this time of
year will help size up the competition. For Saks, it’s a simple-stoic
Christmas, classic luxury. Nordstrom is warm charming eclectic (oh, and obsessed with birds). Then on the other end of
the spectrum, Bloomingdales hosts a bright and boisterous, high-energy holiday.
These auras transcend the stores’ holiday motifs into everyday branding. And so
I ask again, who is Neiman-Marcus?
Neiman’s is taupe walls and tan dated marble floors.
Neiman’s is your rich (great) aunt’s store – where she can still buy loose knit
sweaters with sparkles and extra-high shoulder pads. It’s stuffy with heavy
perfume and always at least 10 degrees too hot.
I realize for heritage retail brands it's a giant leap of
faith to stray on logo. But there's no equity in ultra-80's squiggle fonts. It looks
like it should be spelling out “you can do it!” on the wall of a jazzercise
class. You’re on your own with this one, guys – but there’s got to be something
you can do to breathe some new life into NM.
Pizza Hut
I know, we loved the 90's too, but they aren't coming
back. Actually, the clothes might, but let’s not wait up, OK?
The font feels like it belongs to a Mexican fast-casual
restaurant. And seriously, what’s with the squirt of yellow mustard at the bottom?
And the jalapeño pepper dotted “i?” Do you even have jalapeño peppers? The
iconic roofline has been reduced to a misshapen mess that even the most
agreeable Red Hat Society gal would
refuse to wear.
Put simply, the logo is sloppy and doesn’t compute well
in the age of digital. Cleaner lines, less scribbles. As the menu expands,
maybe consider dropping to “The Hut?”
Verizon Wireless
I suppose they’re too busy ruling the air to come down to
earth for a brand tune up. The logo is not half bad. It’s just over-exposed.
We see it daily; across every advertising channel
imaginable. 34(ish)% of us see it every
time we go to return a text. Sprint refreshed when it purchased Nextel and
AT&T recently refined casing and their globe. So maybe it’s just that Verizon
seems to be the only one still using last generation’s logo. If there’s any
industry where you want to feel young, hip, and cutting edge, it’s mobile
telecom. And yet, every time I see the Verizon logo, I think of my first cell phone,
the Qualcomm Kyocera (circa 2000).
It was cool on flip phones. Now what do you got for smart
phones?
So there you have it. 6 brands on my new logo wish list for 2013.
Do you have any
others to add?
Please, share with us!
….and Happy New
Year everyone!
Cheers,
Daniel
