Boondoggle


Wednesday October 6

So nobody likes your new logo?

Gap

GAP launched it's new logo. Big whoop, wanna fight about it? 

I guess a lot of designers do. It has almost become a webclassic to rant about a new logo. People don't like change and apparently a lot of designers and designafficionadas neither. Too bad since the designcommunity is perceived as open minded towards innovation and change. 

So when I read about the rant about the new GAP logo I thought about how DG countered negative feedback on the new logo of the flemish radio, Studio Brussel. The Stubru fanbase was very found of the grungy look and feel of the old logo and didn't like the new smooth logo. So DG went out and put stickers with the new logo in the toilets of public venues accompanied by a poster that said: "This is your chance to piss on our logo one more time." And magically, the criticism stopped.

A new logo is a lot about perception. Crafting a logo is, IMO, one of the hardest metiers in graphic design. Don't worry about the criticism. Think about what spin you can give the launch. What is the story about your new logo? Don't make it a story about how your company has changed and how your company has to be reflected in the new design and how your company blablabla...

All will be lost in the big rant. Plan your logo to be about what conversation it will spark, whether fans hate it or love it. Plan your logolaunch to be a conversation and not a press release on your company values. 

Comments

Louis, have you seen this yet?

https://twitter.com/gaplogo

They had a stubru-like reaction planned from the beginning.

Posted by francesco 6 Oct 2010 21:12:44

Hi Francesco,

Actually I didn't :)

But this morning I noticed on their fanpage they are starting a crowdsourcing project for new (and better) logo designs on their facebookpage. http://www.facebook.com/gap

More or less what ISO 50 started yesterday on his blog. A lot of entries there already.
http://blog.iso50.com/2010/10/06/gap-redesign-contest/ Coincidence?

Posted by Louis Ingelaere 7 Oct 2010 09:52:08

Mmm, ik heb er zo mijn gedachten bij... Deze comment doet heel duidelijk een belletje rinkelen: "Remember the "you got rid of the whopper?" commercials?"

http://www.bk.com/en/us/campaigns/whopper-freakout.html

Posted by francesco 7 Oct 2010 13:57:33

the power of social media! http://www.gapinc.com/public/Media/Press_Releases/med_pr_GapLogoStatement10112010.shtml

Posted by guido 12 Oct 2010 10:39:49

GAP has been in the market for quite sometime. And as the times passed, we need to go to a more competitive market and one strategy to do it is to change a new logo that can capture the eyes of the consumers. The new logo looks great and very catchy. This is a good phase and I am hoping that this will be accepted by the market. Thanks a lot for sharing the new logo of GAP. And to GAP, more power.

Posted by CFD Trading Strategies 4 Jan 2011 07:14:54

I dont like it :) I might be old-fashioned and loving tradition, but I like the old logo much better. Why change something successfull?

Posted by Mercedes 8 Feb 2011 09:25:27

GAP launched it's new logo. Big whoop, wanna fight about it?

Posted by Homecoming Dresses 3 Mar 2011 02:59:31

It is just a natural thing to change such business logo. Hence, they owned it so it's up to them whether they will going to change or not. Anyway, Nice one. You've got a nice logo.

Posted by vermogensbeheer 9 Mar 2011 16:40:00

I prefer to choose the old logo, its simple design, and its more attractive than the new one, this is base on my opinion.

Posted by pmp certification 3 Apr 2011 03:56:29

me too, Iike the old logo, Its simple but more attractive.

Posted by free pmp exam questions 3 Apr 2011 19:05:51

it's all about buzz, because the logo did ot change, it it was not the intention to change it; but that's overall the great idea...

Posted by Robert Pennekamp 14 Apr 2011 09:44:23

Yes, good point, Louis. Changing a well-known logo will really give people something to talk about, so why not give them something good? Most likely, they will ponder on how it looks like, not how it reflects the company's mission and vision. So those who are thinking of a logo overhaul, they should focus more on what the eyes see.

Posted by Kathryn McDwell 25 Apr 2011 06:54:34

I think old one is more decent.

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Posted by Recruitment Jobs Singapore 25 Jun 2011 15:12:13

No offense, guys, but I like the old logo better. But I am not saying that the new one is really bad, I just like the old logo better. That's all. Just my opinion, though. Age of War 2

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Posted by armani perfume 29 Jun 2011 06:32:59

My opinion is that the new logo look much better than the old one. For me it means that GAP now has a modern logo that represents the future. Maybe I'm overdoing it a little bit, but that is what the new logo means to me.

Posted by Printlion 2 Jul 2011 20:01:12

I will say honestly that I do not like the new logo, it lost its brevity and recognition, the new logo will not be so good to stand out from other brands.

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Posted by Online Directory Listing 14 Jul 2011 12:17:12

Honestly say I do not like the new logo, which has lost its brevity and its recognition, the new logo will not be good to differentiate from other brands.

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