There have been a number of high profile rebranding disasters in the last couple of years where consumers revolted and demanded their old brands back (rightfully so, they are the actual brand owners anyway). When the companies reacted they did it bringing their old logos back rather quickly, such as in the Tropicana and most recently Gap rebranding fiascos. But going back to an old logo 10 years later is quite an unusual branding move and JAL (Japan Airlines) has just done that.
The old JAL logo was designed in 1959 and 40 years later JAL felt it was time for an update. Unfortunately they went from a logo that conveyed a powerful meaning (in Japanese culture, the crane is viewed as a symbol of long life, prosperity and good health, and red is the color of happiness) to a nondescript logo design. It could have been a coincidence but soon after the new logo was implemented JAL started a steep decline that culminated with a bankruptcy filing in 2010.
JAL's president Masaru Onishi just announced that the old crane logo is coming back (untouched, just in case) and so returning to their core values. The japanese consumers didn't revolt when they took their logo away but ultimately they managed to get their logo back.
Read the full story in @issue
There have been a number of high profile rebranding disasters in the last couple of years where consumers revolted and demanded their old brands back (rightfully so, they are the actual brand owner
For 40 years Starbucks has been a model on how to use branding as a powerful strategic business tool. They have build a strong, distinctive brand and consistently implemented it while keeping it flexible and in constant evolution (not an easy thing to do). From the logo to the store design and everything in between (packaging, signage, displays...) the Starbucks brand is beautifully designed to provide a unique experience that has so well connected with consumers.
While this outstanding branding has helped Starbucks to be positioned as the "world's leading purveyor of the highest quality coffee", it's puzzling to hear its CEO, Howard Schultz stating that the purpose of the Starbucks updated logo design is "more suitable for the future" and allows to "think beyond coffee".
From the design point of view I applaud the simplicity and focus of the updated design, however I wonder how the brand name will look and where will go. It does now seem more of a global brand but lost the appeal of a local coffee brand which in my opinion it's a key asset. Eliminating the black in the logo it also eliminated a touch of boldness and elegance associated with the brand.
November 3, 2010
After the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed a ban on restaurant toy giveaways unless the meals meet healthy nutritional standards, a McDonald's spokeswoman officially stated: "It's not what our customers want" read the complete New York Times article.
