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} @media only screen and (max-width: 781px) { .tb-grid,.tb-grid>.block-editor-inner-blocks>.block-editor-block-list__layout{display:grid;grid-row-gap:25px;grid-column-gap:25px}.tb-grid-item{background:#d38a03;padding:30px}.tb-grid-column{flex-wrap:wrap}.tb-grid-column>*{width:100%}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-top{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:flex-start}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-center{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:center}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-bottom{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:flex-end} .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="fb68e9a873867b36d5c13c01005648e2"] { grid-template-columns: minmax(0, 0.3333fr) minmax(0, 0.3333fr) minmax(0, 0.3333fr);grid-auto-flow: row } .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="fb68e9a873867b36d5c13c01005648e2"] > .tb-grid-column:nth-of-type(3n + 1) { grid-column: 1 } .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="fb68e9a873867b36d5c13c01005648e2"] > .tb-grid-column:nth-of-type(3n + 2) { grid-column: 2 } .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="fb68e9a873867b36d5c13c01005648e2"] > .tb-grid-column:nth-of-type(3n + 3) { grid-column: 3 } .tb-grid,.tb-grid>.block-editor-inner-blocks>.block-editor-block-list__layout{display:grid;grid-row-gap:25px;grid-column-gap:25px}.tb-grid-item{background:#d38a03;padding:30px}.tb-grid-column{flex-wrap:wrap}.tb-grid-column>*{width:100%}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-top{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:flex-start}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-center{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:center}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-bottom{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:flex-end} .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="3d9c399fe625e1b972f817a0680229f6"] { grid-template-columns: minmax(0, 0.5fr) minmax(0, 0.5fr);grid-auto-flow: row } .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="3d9c399fe625e1b972f817a0680229f6"] > .tb-grid-column:nth-of-type(2n + 1) { grid-column: 1 } .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="3d9c399fe625e1b972f817a0680229f6"] > .tb-grid-column:nth-of-type(2n + 2) { grid-column: 2 } .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid-column.tb-grid-column[data-toolset-blocks-grid-column="3034fbe886c11054e95b46b09d3e4112"] { display: flex; 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}  } 
Back in the summer of 2009, my almost-boyfriend broke the ice with: So, what do you think of the new Pepsi logo?
The release of Pepsi’s new logo that year proliferated conversations, and often debate, within the design community and beyond. All eyes were on Pepsi as we all rejected or embraced the million-dollar rebrand. Though widely considered one of the most notable rebranding flops, the logo lasted 14 years and here we are, still talking about it.
All companies that stand the test of time will eventually face the decision of whether or not to evolve their logo and branding. But when is it time to do so? Should it be a simple revision or a total rebranding overhaul? And, most importantly, how do you ensure success and avoid upsetting the masses?
When It’s Time
There are several factors that go into deciding when it’s time to evolve a logo or brand. But it boils down to asking one simple question: Does my brand/logo give the first impression that I want it to? If the answer is “no”, you know it’s time.
Often, the reason for considering a logo refresh is the desire to catch up with recent trends—or to abandon outdated design trends that were popular when it was originally created. We see this often in the flatness or dimensionality of a logo. Almost every recognizable brand has had a “dimensional” or a Skeuomorphic version of their logo, followed by a “flat design” iteration over the last 30 years. These shifts in brand are somewhat expected by the consumer and don’t typically cause much of a stir.
Alternatively, a company may choose to rebrand when there’s been a change in their mission, vision, or values. What once represented them well, now no longer does. One recent example of this is the vacation rental website, VRBO, who said, “It was time to refresh our brand to better reflect that we’ve become both a household name in travel and a modern technology company.” Not only did VRBO overhaul their visual identity, but they also effectively renamed themselves by changing the pronunciation from “V-R-B-O” to “Verbo”.
Another example of a full branding overhaul is…did you guess it? AdsIntelligence! Formerly known as BorczDixon, we were named, as most agencies (and law firms) were at the time, for our founding partners in 2001. As the company grew and evolved over time, Bruce and Jay wanted our name to better represent what we do for our clients. That is…we add intelligence to your advertising. And thus, a star was born. Did it come with some cost and risk? Of course. Was it worth it? We think so! Oh, and we’ve evolved our logos throughout the years too…please enjoy this trip down memory lane:
When It’s Gone Too Far
I think we can all agree that there’s a right time and place for branding and logo evolution. However, a big branding overhaul certainly comes with risks. In the case of Pepsi’s new logo, there wasn’t at risk of loyal Pepsi drinks suddenly switching to Coke because they didn’t like the new look. However, that is not always the case. Many other companies, such as Tropicana and Gap, have suffered from branding overhaul disasters.
In 2009, Tropicana thought to adopt a more minimalist approach and simplified their logotype and abandoned their iconic “straw in orange” image. It is/was so iconic, that they found themselves in trouble when consumers could no longer instantly recognize their packaging. Losing its recognition on the shelf caused Tropicana’s sales to drop by 20% in just two months and its competitors saw gains. After only 46 days, Tropicana reverted to its previous branding. Not exactly what they had hoped for after a $50 million investment.
In 2011, along with a new bottle design, Tropicana struck a comfortable balance in evolving their brand. (They kept the straw!) And just this year they introduced a new bottle, with a further evolved and modernized brand – that is again causing an uproar from consumers. At least this time, it’s over the reduced size of the bottle (down to 46 oz. from 52 oz.), and not the design itself!
It didn’t go well for Gap either, when just a year later in 2010, it shed it’s classic condensed serif lettering within its navy square for a more “modern” reinterpretation. This is an instance where the company thought the brand needed to evolve from “classic to modern” after having seen a drop in profits but seriously lacked any further research. Maybe nostalgia had something to do with it (I mean, I still love my fleece logo hoodie from the 90s), but consumers and designers across the world instantly rejected this new, unexplained change. In only 6 days, Gap trashed the estimated $100 million rebrand and returned to its iconic blue box. In 2016, Gap learned from their past transgression, and they did successfully evolve their logo by simply dropping the blue box, and adding some letter spacing, but otherwise keeping the beloved typeface.
The Takeaway
There are countless successes and failures of popular (and lesser-known) company rebranding that we can learn a lot from. But most of the time, brand evolutions happen so subtly and gradually, you almost don’t notice them. And when it’s not so subtle, remember to inform your consumer or audience. Explain the reason for change, and why they should be excited and embrace it! Make it an opportunity to reintroduce your company and reinforce your brand values and core principles.
If there’s one thing we know, branding gets people talking (and in my case…married). You may not even know how much you value certain brands, your own or others, until change takes hold. Change can be scary, but when rebranding is done thoughtfully and with purpose, more often than not, it’s a risk worth taking!
Ready to take the leap in updating your brand? Give us a call. (Don’t worry, we won’t charge you $50 million.)
