Radical logo redesign: MuchMusic

MuchMusic is a very popular TV channel which used to mainly broadcast music related programs. Now, it gradually changed to showcase reality TV and movies. Recently, MuchMusic adopted a new identity to its logo, breaking ties with the old logo which gained tremendous recognition over the past 15 years.

Coca-Cola turns 125 this year and they are celebrating in style. This fall the company will launch a limited edition Diet Coke can with what some are calling a revolutionary design. Originally launched in 1982 as the first extension of the ‘Coke’ brand, executives wanted to present a new look and feel to keep the brand feeling fresh. From a branding perspective, it appears the special design builds brand esteem (one of the four pillars of brand equity).

Facing increasingly fierce competition in the airline industry, Swiss Air Lines has made a strategic move to maintain their leadership position in Europe. They have decided to drop their old logo and adopt a simpler and more straightforward one. A new tagline “Our sign is a promise” was also created to match the new logo. This new visual identity will be applied from October 2011 on ward, but there has already been online debate about the new logo.

The famous little blue bird of Twitter has been making a remarkable journey around the virtual world since 2006. Many people simply called it Twitter’s bird, but now, it’s officially named “Larry”. A tweet by the admin account announced it in a very casual format. Larry is now the brand mascot for Twitter and it sure has big plans for the future.

Nokia announced last week that it will be changing its typeface. This is a big move for a brand with such strong brand recognition, as such changes often send out a ripple effect through the blogosphere. Launching a new typeface not only has brand visual identity implications, but image and PR repercussions as well. By looking at the launch of the new typeface as a case in point, the interconnectivity of brand strategy and design becomes apparent.

Some call it the worst re-branding strategy since the New Coke, others wonder if it isn’t part of a giant hoax meant to divert attention to the company. One thing’s for sure: Gap’s new logo leaves no one indifferent.

The Quaker Oats Company has a firm place in American culture, with a history dating back over 130 years. The brand’s mascot, the iconic Quaker man, was actually America’s first registered breakfast cereal trademark in 1877.
Quaker’s brand image is thus one of old fashioned wholesomeness, quality and tradition. Recently, however, it has introduced a new logo, with an added tagline and modernized typography.

At the end of 2009, the Ministry of Transportation announced that China would standardize the naming and numbering of national highways as an attempt to improve the service level of the national expressway network.