Changing up the Logo Brand and it’s COLOR
Back in the day, we used to create a brand (or logo), and then subsequently create the ‘book of standards’ or ‘usage guidelines’ for advertising the brand in the marketplace.
For example, some of these guidelines used to be:
Bad Logo Usage
- Never Stray from the Color Palette
Improper Design Usage
- Never Switch the Colors
- Never Use the Design on Similarly Colored Backgrounds
- Never Rearrange Elements of the Design
Believe me, over the years we did hundreds of logos like this and we would cringe and want to pull our hair out every time a company veered from the guidelines. We would vent to our associates for hours. We were mortified. How could they do such a thing?
Well… that was then.
These days we are seeing a very different mind-set.
I am a member, and take part as a judge, for the International Academy of Visual Arts. And over the course of the past five years or so, I’ve started seeing a new trend amongst the top brands.
What we used to pull our hair out over is now a new growing trend. Changing up the brand and it’s COLOR!
Now, don’t get me wrong…I’m not talking about a doing a major overhaul here. But just simply changing the color of your current logo or adopting a temporary accent for an event. Maybe your company is growing and you have new divisions. Possibly you have multiple products and they deserve to be differentiated. Perhaps you have an upcoming event or holiday you wish to highlight. Whatever it is, do it. Don’t get hung up on the dreaded past guidelines.
Look at the success of some the biggest brand names out there. For example, Google. Google periodically changes their logo on their home page with artistic versions of their logo. ‘Google Doodle’. A Google Doodle is a special, temporary alteration of the logo on Google’s homepage that is intended to celebrate holidays, events, achievements and people! They’re works of art and some of them are absolutely beautiful.
The company states that it has become such a success that anyone can now suggest and submit ideas for Google Doodles. What a great way to get consumers to interact with you!
Coca Cola, McDonald’s, Starbucks, Disney, and even Apple are doing the same.
Color evokes emotion. And everyone responds differently to color. Therefore you get multiple reactions. So if you’re touching more bases with color, it only makes sense that MORE people are going to be attracted to your brand. It’s subconscious to the person viewing your brand, and they are attracted to it for whatever reason! Maybe they LOVE PINK! And suddenly they see McDonald’s serving coffee in a cup with a new pink logo. You know what? That person is more likely to buy it. But someone else may LOVE PURPLE and be more apt to buyMcDonald’s coffee in a cup, with the new purple logo, the following month. Alternating color appeals to a broader audience.
Look at what Coca Cola did simply by adding people’s names to their cans. They made it personal. People love it!
As you can see, big brands are realizing this benefit and doing it more and more. Why stay stuck in the dark ages when your business can reap more profit.
So I say, “Color it up… and you’ll soon see your business take off and your bank account too!!”
Misti Morningstar
President, Morningstar Design Inc.
member International Academy of Visual Arts
twice awarded as one of Maryland’s top 100 MBE Businesses
All logos are the copyrighted property of their respectful owners.
Misti Morningstar 