A recent rebranding for the mega global brand McDonald’s was just introduced. Although the logo itself remains unchanged, the scale of the brand refresh is significant and far-reaching. Color usage was dramatically reigned in with a substantial new focus on the “golden arch” yellow. Photography moved to more contemporary, active shots depicting more at home and on-the-go along with more carefully art-directed in restaurant scenerios. Branding firm, Turner Duckworth also introduced a bold, creative use of the renowned Golden Arches. A new set of flat-design icons featuring a range of McDonald’s menu times was also created. Patterns were also developed for both digital applications and branded apparel. Finally, a new typeface, Speedee, was designed, inspired by the Golden Arches and the brand’s wordmark. Intended to streamline the use of multiple fonts, it is friendly, accessible and flexible in all applications, especially digital. We have only praise for this effort. It brings a new vitality to an overly complicated and unmemorable brand identity. Now, let’s get some of those fries!
Category: Identity
Another refresh for the digital world
Santander, a leading bank based in Boston, recently introduced a significant rebranding initiative. The longstanding flame symbol have been revisited with a modestly reworked version designed for clarity and diverse applications including digital. New typography is also a welcome change to the bank’s identity. A new sans serif now sits next to the redesigned symbol. A full family of fonts were created for Santander’s marketing efforts. The application of these typefaces across applications delivers much improved consistency while supporting the new logo. Photography standards were reexamined and new emphasizes more active shots projecting both busy lives of customer and an optimistic viewpoint. New color icons add some interest with simple red versions offer flexibility with applications. Overall, this refresh delivers on digital-friendly simplicity as well as a nice evolution toward a more modern, friendly brand presentation. Kudos to the well orchestrated effort…
Taking on an entire city’s brand
The city of Oslo welcomes a new visual identity with a simplified logo and identity system inspired by the city’s architecture. The comprehensive identity refresh by agency Creuna is intended to better communicate what the city provides to residents and how it works. The city’s logo has been redesigned for the first time since 1924 with a simplified St. Hallvard, the city’s patron saint. The new logo is better suited for small usage and digital use. The overall design system features three basic shapes which were inspired by architectural details found at many of the city’s landmarks like Oslo’s City Hall, the Vigeland Sculpture Park or its industrial Barcode district. Collectively, the shapes cleverly come together to form the word “Oslo”. There is also a new color palette inspired from Oslo’s cityscape, as well as a custom typeface, Oslo Sans. New distinctive illustrations provide another key component to reinforce the overall visual identity and design system. A new set of icons support the new system with a distinctive presence, whether online, in signage or diverse city communications. In short, a smart and beautifully realized identity program. Congratulations to all those involved. We hope to see it all one day soon.
Identity matters
Brand identities by Massimo Vignelli.
Essentially black & white
Visual Identity for Bergen International Festival, an annual international music and cultural festival in Bergen, Norway. Designed by Creative Endre Berentzen and Eric Amaral Rohter.
Staples rebrand falls flat
Rebranding Doyle Dane Bernbach
A fascinating look at the recent rebrand of the advertising giant, DDB (Doyle Dane Bernbach. The identity refresh is true to DDB’s extraordinary heritage and legacy, reflecting its classic approach with innovative thinking that salutes its storied past and an exciting and increasingly digital future ahead. The agency’s full name, Doyle Dane Bernbach, is retained within the redesigned mark in contrast to most agencies’ move to acronym of former principles’ names. The agency smartly retains the legacy of its founders who remain as two of the most celebrated figures in the history of advertising. We applaud the modernized identity and creativity demonstrated in this introduction. It will clearly serve as a flexible platform from which great creative work will undoubtedly flow.
Community + technology
Kellyco@work | CINCH (brand identity, digital, promotion, social media). Designed new brand identity for consumer payment app that brings together residents, locally-owned businesses and local causes to foster meaningful community growth. Site content and design had goal of both reaching targeted consumers, as well as businesses. Tagline was also created following a series of user focus groups on brand perception. Promotion materials, presentations and social media standards were also developed.
McKinsey’s elegant refresh
McKinsey, the global management consulting firm has recently introduced a refreshed brand identity. The renowned consultancy that advises on strategic management to corporations, governments, and other organizations looks to better define its services along with its current philosophy. While most businesses have experienced significant change in the last five years, change for McKinsey has been especially extreme transitioning from big corporate strategic consulting to substantially more work in digital, analytics and design. The firm’s logo itself has not changed drastically (two lines vs. one line). Everything else seems to have either changed dramatically or evolved more subtly. A new approach to photography, data visualization, color palettes, fonts and other graphic elements give the brand an important new fresh point-of-view. A deeper blue is paired with white space to deliver high contrast and dramatic effect. Overall, it is a beautifully-executed, sophisticated refresh that demands attention and instills confidence.
Mailchimp evolves with personality
New identity for Mailchimp (by Collins) recently introduced. It’s keeping its logo-cum-mascot Freddie the Chimp (slightly modified), for starters, and using an analog typeface from the 1920s as its new typeface, and illustrating its new brand with a series of almost childlike drawings that look unpolished and rough by design. Mailchimp worked with both internal illustrators and artists from around the world to create drawings with a sense of perspective that’s slightly off-kilter–one that makes them appear like they were drawn by either a famed contemporary artist or a kindergartner. The new identity is both intriguing and polished. Not your typical tech approach to a maturing tech brand. Will be interesting to see how the larger corporate clients and prospects take to the new effort. We say, keep your quirky on, be yourself, Mailchimp.
