Another Earth = another minimalist logo

I love the simplicity of this movie’s wordmark. Just one little trick with the O, and the name and the mark work together to convey a single meaning. Nothing too fancy and not overly clever—not trying too hard.

You’ve probably received those email forwards about “awesome minimalist logo designs” [1, 2, 3], but often they feel to me as if they’ve been backed into, little more than rebus puzzles with a “TM” added to imply that someone’s using them as logos. They’re like solutions waiting for a problem—like someone came up with an ad and then waited for a client to sell it to (yes, I am still beating that dead horse). And maybe part of the reason I find it hard to believe that those are “real” logos is that most brand managers and business owners aren’t interested in logos that are riddles. And they’re right not to be.

So it’s refreshing to see something like this elegantly executed and easy to interpret. Is there a second, deeper meaning to the logo? Maybe (I haven’t seen the movie or read much about). There’s an air of mystery in the ads and the name. The logo, despite its simplicity (or because of it?), makes it all even more intriguing. Like good brand design should, it makes me curious to learn more—not just smile and say “oh, I get it!”

Five silly reasons to hate Starbucks’ new logo

1. It’s different.
You’d think this kind of knee-jerk reaction would be limited to amateurs, but even Laura Ries writes, “when it comes to branding, the best kind of change is usually no change at all.” Really? Companies change, market conditions change, competition changes, consumers and their preferences change. The world changes. But logos shouldn’t?

2. They got rid of “Starbucks.”
CoreBrand contends that “dropping the Starbucks name from their logo will only serve to confuse consumers who are not as familiar with the company” (posted on Branding Strategy Insider). Seriously? Starbucks has 16,000 stores. Nike, Apple, McDonald’s and others have dropped their names, and seem to be ok.

Besides, this will aid the company’s global expansion efforts by focusing on a universal design rather than a language-specific name. “Starbucks,” or a localized name like “星巴克,” can still be printed nearby, like on the opposite side of the cup.

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Li-Ning is one of 2010’s top brand stories in China

The fourth-quarter issue of Labbrand’s LABReport contains an article on the top five brand stories in China for 2010.  I’ll post them here individually over the next month or so, but if you’d like to read them all right away, including our point of view on the underlying trends involved, please follow the link above (and subscribe to receive LABReport for free, while you’re at it!). This article was written and researched with help from Kevin Gentle and the rest of the Labbrand team; thanks for your help, everyone!

I’d love to hear feedback on what stories we missed, where you agree or disagree, etc. Here’s the section on Li-Ning:

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Mind the Gap(’s new logo)

The picture above is not the new Gap logo. It’s a version that I created myself, in PowerPoint, in about 15 minutes. I just used the logo-design steps I outlined in one of my old, sarcastic posts titled “How to build your brand for free.” While it’s tough to objectively judge a logo, I do wonder whether the ability to quickly replicate it in a Microsoft Office program should be cause for concern.

It seems the new logo, announced earlier this week, has mostly experienced a negative reception from the general public. Time’s NewsFeed may be one exception (if they’re not kidding):

But “generic” and “looks alike” are not usually words you want to hear in reaction to a logo. And since the same words could be used to describe the vanishing uniqueness of Gap’s clothing, the brand may be squandering one of its few remaining strengths: a link to its own past. I’m not saying the logo has to stay the same, or that it should look like something from 1969, but if this dramatic change conveys “a streamlined, technologically dominant future,” can we expect a matching change in Gap’s overarching strategy (including products, of course)? If not, I have trouble seeing this as anything more than desperate attention seeking.

For contrast, check out something Levi’s has been up to lately. It’s not a logo redesign, but I love how this campaign at once romanticizes the company’s history and makes relevant connections to the present.

[Thanks to Shireen for pointing out the new Gap logo.]

“Branding” = ?

About a month ago, the following question was posted on Linkedin: “What is the difference between MARKETING and BRANDING?” Here are excerpts from four of the first five responses, admittedly taken out of context:

1. “branding [precedes] marketing…”
2. “Marketing is just one component of your brand.”
3. “…branding is one of the many important components of marketing.”
4. “marketing is about product information…but branding is about the product uniqueness…both are about positioning of the product”

My response came next. Here’s part of it:

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Two names, one logo

Integrating Chinese and non-Chinese names in logo design

[Originally published on BrandSource: Labbrand's Blog of Branding Insights. Please visit that site to comment.]

Many brands operating in China—both foreign and domestic—choose to use two names to represent themselves to Chinese customers: one composed of Chinese characters and another that is alphabet-based, such as an English name. Coca-Cola, for example, does business in China with its American name as well as “可口可乐.” Of course, some brands opt to use just one name in either English or Chinese, but brands with both face the unique visual identity challenge of having separate logos for each or incorporating the two names into one, simple logo design.

The Options
After developing Chinese and alphabet-based names—both significant undertakings in their own right—companies operating in China must choose whether to create a “blended” logo—one that includes both names—and then make additional decisions about how and when to use their logo or logos. These decisions can be depicted as a decision tree.

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