Zoinks!!

Look to the skis! Their is a new metal bird up there. Well not so much as being new as looking a bit different. We all know American Airlines for their plane Jane double A logo with the eagle centered between the two letters. They have been sporting this look for the past 75 years though it has evolved a bit.

The new image really speaks for itself. It is definitely my favorite rebrand of the year thus far. With such a simplicity in design the new American Airlines mark kicks butt! With such a minimalistic appeal, the mark reads as so many iconic images that are American. A star, eagle, runway, “A”, and a wing are some that I have picked up on. The new look is definitely something that will be seen internationally and immediately recognized as American!

My only place of dislike is the way that they are planning on incorporating the new logo onto their fleet of jets. Sticking with a minimal look would be ideal and I think that the company started in that direction. They did fall short however. The tail of the planes are atrocious! I understand the intent, but to cover the whole back end of the plane in a flag just doesn’t do it for me. I think this definitely could have been executed in a much classier manner. Take a look for yourself. 

So Zoinks is kind of my new year resolution. Whats Up Wednesday is going to be the day of the week that I take a look at the new logos, rebrands, new company identies, basically my day to take a look into the world that I love! So sit back and relax because we’ve got some great stuff coming your way!

So for all of my fellow coffee/tea drinkers this one is for you. So lets get some interesting history on Tazo Tea Company before we delve into their new look! So back in 1994, yeah it seems a long time ago, Tazo was founded as a small start up tea and tisane company in Portland, Oregon. The company grew and started to approach investors. In 1999 Starbucks purchased the company. Now there are Tazo Tea shops popping up all over the country slowly but surely with the first opening in 2012.

The old logo uses a modified Exocet typeface in white set on a black background. The marketing of the tea was thought to be very new aged when Tazo first began production. So where is the company going now that they are owned by Starbucks? Lets take a look.

The new look of the identity definitely takes after that of Starbucks. Very crisp and clean. Utilizing white space and a nice San-Serif font. All around The new look is definitely targeting the new age tea drinker. The look though it is no longer as detailed and organic as the old brand this one still maintains the zen look that tea generally has.

VH1 has also come a long way in their identity. Always seeming to be the little step child of the more mainstream MTV. Video Hits 1 has now passed the visual identity of MTV, I say that mostly because I dont like the MTV logo. Well dont let me blabber on about it here you go!

No those are not all of the VH1 Logos that they have used over the years, but the most iconic I would say. Slight modifications have occurred throughout the years. My personal opinion is that anything would be better than that mess of a logo that VH1 has been rocking for the past 10 years. The new look definitely goes back to the original image that VH1 first released in 1985. It has been said that history repeats itself and we all know as designers we pull from the old and modify to produce quality design. VH1 has done just the same. The only down side that I can see with the new look is that it reads as Vl+1. The incorporation of the + definitely allows for the company to grow and keep up with their target audience.

And that does it for our very first Whats Up Wednesday. Check back next week for more identity updates!

This is my top ten list of Iconic Rebrands of 2012! Each has made it’s way into the countdown for a specific reason! Take a look!

#10 Brooklyn Nets

Dont try to fix what isnt broken! Though I’m not a fan of the new look and there were a few sports teams that updated their identity this year This one stood out because it was just the worst of the rebrands!

#9 Comcast

This is a relatively new identity and lets be honest its not that great. With the update of the typeface and the addition of the NBC Peacock Comcast has hit the bottom of my top ten for most disappointing identity rebrand of 2012.

#8 eBay

I’m not a fan of the old logo at all, nor am I a huge supporter of the new look. None the less, eBay hits the countdown as one of the laziest rebrands of 2012. 

#7 State Farm

Like a good neighbor State Farm is here! Landing in the bottom half of my list. This identity remained true to the old, but gave themselves a little self-esteem booster!

#6 Arby’s

I do greatly enjoy the new typeface though that apostrophe is HUGE and super gaudy and the 3d effect is, well, its what it is. I think a lot more could have been done with this one, but I appreciate the attempt.

#5 Twitter

A gutsy move, but one that Twitter could totally do. Everyone knows the little Twitter Bird and the Fail Whale. Moving away from a text logo to purely an icon is something that very few brands can/should do. Twitter nailed it! 

#4 Wendy’s

Man she is looking good for 43! I love the new type treatment and the icon stays true to the original Wendy. The SigEp, Dave Thomas would be proud!

#3 Windows 8

OK not a rebrand so much, but the Windows 8 logo blows the previous versions of Windows out of the water. I am also a Mac user so its a big deal for this OS to make the countdown.

#2 Microsoft

With the new launch of the Microsoft Surface and a million other new products and software, Microsoft has really redefined themselves.

#1 USA Today

As one of the major news papers in the country USA Today was in desperate need of a new identity that would properly represent them on multiple platforms! Yah the old logo was great for a paper, but now that most news is consumed as digital content USA Today needed to update! Check out my post about USA Today’s new look!

What are your thoughts?

When I can, I love to be a news junky. With most of my news and information coming from the digital world it is nice to see that the USA Today logo is finally catching up with the rest of the world. A total re-hall of the entire brand, USA Today now looks the part as the second largest newspaper in the U.S.

Staying true to the typography the new identity did a little kerning and updating! The new ID can easily be utilized all over. Whether it is on the web or on the side of a bus. The new brand works exceptionally well. Don’t take my word for it. Check out all of the icons and the new layout for yourself!

So when all is said and done, this news paper is not only going to keep their old readers, but will definitely gain a much younger audience. I think the thing that really appeals to me the most is just the simplicity and then how well the brand expands and is able to continue growing and changing as technology does. 

Mad props to USA Today and the designers behind the new brand: Wolff Olins and Fantasy Interactive.

Ok so this is precisely why I went into graphic design. It is the power to create something that every person in the world recognizes. After watching this video it just refreshed my memory and made me so glad that I call myself a graphic designer…now to just get a job at a branding company!! Check out this video courtesy of Ladd Design

So I was perusing the internet last week and stumbled upon a website/company who is re-branding and has already done the early phases of implementation. Yes that is right, StumbleUpon has completely revamped their website and created a new logo to represent the brand.

Lets take a closer look at the new mark!

NEW!

OLD!

Ok so lets get into this. The new logo with a completely different color shows us an “S” and a “U” just like the old one but this icon is a little more simplified. The sans serif font is modern and clean. Both the icon and text work nicely together and the black and red color palette are pretty standard. The new icon continues to represent the flow of webpages from one user to another through the design that to me looks like plumbing.

The whole idea of the re-brand process and updating the website was all in part to the fact that StumbleUpon is now the largest social networking website in history surpassing that of Facebook. The new layout design is all about image and utilizing new features to enhance your experience with the site.

The new logo is pretty basic and does in a sense leave me wanting something more, but it works really well with the entire design concept and the entire company identity overhaul!