We noticed, did you? Simplifying logos has become a strong trend, with brands changing their iconic logo to cleaner versions. It's become popular and the trend doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon. But why are brands going for this more minimalistic look? Some people dislike change, but is this change a good thing?
Having a simple logo can serve an essential purpose. When an image has less to it, the less we have to remember when identifying a brand. Can your customers draw your logo from memory? In most cases, very unlikely. A study asked 100 students to draw the Apple logo, but only one person managed to draw it correctly. A simple logo helps the company be more recognizable, which is the way forward to a successful brand!
With all companies having some form of online presence these days, our lives are constantly overloaded with content to digest. Busy logos can add to that bombardment, meaning people don't always have the concentration to spare. They need to be easy for people to read - less is more, is definitely the best approach!
Mr P has a makeover at Pringles
One rebrand that caused a bit of a stir recently was the new Pringles logo. Mr P may be unfortunately balding, but his new look has him looking as youthful as ever! For most of us, the brown-haired, brown-moustached Mr P was all we've known for a big chunk of our lives, but as we grow older and lose our hair, so does the man that lives on our Pringles can! It's a bold move from Pringles, but the logo looks fresher and crisper than ever! (pun intended). By keeping Mr P’s famous moustache and face shape, the identity remains memorable but is much easier for our brains to digest.
Pepsi (definitely not Coke)
Another brand with many changes to its logo is Pepsi. These days, most brand awareness is perceived through our smartphones. Brands are changing their logos to work at a much smaller size, which doesn't leave much room for tiny details. Hence the necessity for a much more stripped-back design. Pepsi has done this beautifully whilst still being instantly recognizable and keeping up with the times, It’s one of the reasons they’ve been in business for over a century. As well as the noticeable design changes, they've even opted to drop the word 'Cola' from their name In an attempt to establish brand differentiation even further. If you look at Pepsi’s original logo, it's almost tricky to read and wouldn't stand up against competitors these days.
Burger King's blast from the past
When Burger King hopped on the bandwagon and changed its logo, some said it looked exactly the same as their old one!
Burger King said they had explored lots of different design territories, but kept coming back to the brand's original iconic logo from 1969 and 1994 when Burger King looked its best!
They were so inspired by how it has grown to have such an iconic place in culture – from Back to the Future, Gremlins through to the more recent Stranger Things TV show. The new logo pays homage to the trademark heritage with a refined feel that is confident, simple, and fun.
At Zero Friends, we believe that negative space and simplicity are some of the most important parts of a design. We have stayed true to this with our recent rebrand. Our new logo consists of only two shapes - a circle and a rectangle, representing the strings of 1s and 0s used in the binary programming language. The simplistic style for our logo was the right pick for us, and we think more brands should take on this ethos in the future.
Overall, we think adapting your logo to a new, more uncomplicated design gives your brand many benefits. It makes you more recognizable at a glance, gives you numerous digital advantages in a world run by social media and says a lot about your brand identity. After all, if you can be recognized for something as simple as a couple of shapes, then nothing is impossible. As a design and marketing agency, we encourage our clients to have the future in mind and to consider the shift towards a more digital-driven way of thinking. If you are considering cleaning up your logo to something more minimal or want to rebrand your entire identity - Explore our portfolio, get in touch, and we could create something incredible together.
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