The Gap only debuted its unfortunate new logo a few days ago, but the criticism has been coming fast and furious. Gawker calls it one of “branding’s greatest misses,” Ad Age has posted a meta-analysis of the negative reactions, and it’s even inspired Craplogo.me, which allows you to Gap-ify (or is that “crap-ify”?) a word of your choosing. But probably our favorite spin-off so far is @gaplogo, a surly Twitter account that hits back at the haters. Some recent wisdom: “People, I may be ‘ugly’ but I think we can all agree that spec work/crowd-sourcing isn’t the solution. What is the solution? More scotch.”
To celebrate this epic failure of design sensibility, we bring you a recent history of regrettable moments in corporate rebranding. Tell us which you think is the worst, and add your own (least) favorite examples, in the comments.
Tropicana
Image via Design Crit
Sometimes, redesigned packaging is so bad it actually dramatically decreases sales. That’s what happened last year, when Tropicana abandoned their classic orange-with-cartoon straw image for slick, sans serif lettering and a tasteful goblet of OJ. Sales of the Pure Premium line saw a 20 percent dip in under two months, and the company was forced to reinstate the old packaging. We doubt they’ll try anything new for quite a while.
Comments (6)
Some logos shouldn’t be messed with. If it looks outdated, then yes. But some are classic, like GAP. They can stand the test of time and are such a part of the brand. It just feels wrong!
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It is ridiculous to change a successful Corporate Logo. Sales are going strong….so let’s mess it up? EVERY ONE of the logos you have cited look worse than their previous logos. If they want to change a successful logo, at least go to a proper artist to design the new one. The Absolute campaign was a successful one. It is similar to the TV shows that are doing well, so they change the time, and then it loses half of it viewers!
I agree with all of these, with the exception of the MTV rebrand. I loved that one, it moves them fully into the new millennium, (a place they should have been ten years ago,) and remains dynamic in usage, as well as displaying a “youthful” feel that should be inherent in a network like MTV. Also, it looks really slick as it unfolds along the bottom of the screen. Full marks, from me, at least.
How about Vh1?
I also hate the whole trend to modernize candy and soda labels to add random swirls and splotches of colors. The classic ways sell me better.
Something I have noticed over the years is that our culture seems to be stuck in the past. We are constantly focused on pase events, wars, or historical figures. Every where you look some building or place, no matter how realistically insignificant it is, is labeled historical. We have an unhealthy affinity for nostalgia and the past and find insecure comfort in familiarity. Many of the branding blunders mentioned (not necessarily the gap one) are not design or marketing failures as much as they are failure to anticipate the clientele’s discomfort with change and modernity.
[...] it’s no Gap overhaul, but there are a few subtle changes; namely, the words “Starbucks Coffee,” which [...]
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