Simplicity is the buzzword as brands go for a big makeover

In a world where consumers are increasingly interacting with brands online, several brands across product categories have undergone a logo and identity makeover with new taglines to establish deeper connect.

Most recently, online grocery platform Grofers unveiled a new visual identity which is a simplified version of its old logo. While the orange colour has been retained, the name of the company now appears in lowercase. “The change is a reflection of this innately curious spirit that wants to collaborate, solve problems, and stubbornly refuses to take no for an answer,” the company said.

Increasingly, brands are looking at a clean and simple visual identity getting away from clutter to appear more accessible, friendly and easy to remember in an overconnected digital world.

Auto firm Kia India has dropped the word Motors from its name while consumer goods giant Reckitt Benckiser Group removed Benckiser from the logo which makes it simple and easy to recall. However, Reckitt continues to use what it calls its “energy Pink”, the brand’s primary colour signifying its perpetual energy.

“Retaining pink also helps shift the brand perception towards younger and vibrant space,” said Ashwini Deshpande, co-founder & director at design agency Elephant Design.

KIA has gone dramatically different from its existing logo and in the process has made badging easier. “Its new logo has all three letters attached to each other. Just one piece to be put on vehicles instead of three separate letters & ellipse where spacing, alignments etc needed to be matched each time,” Deshpande said.

She said that no visual identity can now be designed without starting at the app icon or its presence on mobile phone. According to her, no positioning would be effective unless it can be encapsulated in a short hashtag.

Bhupal Ramnathkar, founder and chairman, Umbrella Design said that the young generations were already moving swiftly towards digital media as their primary source of information absorption, inter-personal relationships and communities of practice.

“The previous generations are now being forced out of their entrenched ways and rushed into a new paradigm. Companies will have to move quickly to regain traction in these times,” he added.

Automobile brand Renault’s diamond shaped logo has been redesigned for the nineth time. Uncluttered, with no signature or typography, this new logo has been designed to live in movement.

“The flat treatment facilitates its animation, for example on video or digital media, but also on vehicles, for their welcome sequence. This new logo will be gradually applied to Renault vehicles. By 2024, the entire Renault range will carry this new emblem," said company’s design director Gilles Vidal.

Shekhar Badve, founder director, Lokusdesign believes that companies are taking a tactical approach looking at whether their logos/taglines are multi-platform including desktop, phones and other devices.

“Whether their brand identity seamlessly transfers from one device to the other. The logo has to be of a minimum size or the tagline or brand name should be legible on smaller devices. Brands are also looking at their app icons seriously whether it stands out on a customer’s phone or colour of the app icon doesn’t clash with any other brand and create confusion,” he added.

Brands are also looking to create more sustainable equity by become sensitive to customer expectations when it comes to service. IPO-bound airline GoAir, for instance, has rebranded itself as Go First with a new logo and tagline ‘The airline where you come first’. The purpose of rebranding is to attract young flyers as the airline starts to operate the carrier in an ultra-low-cost airline model.

Badve said that companies now want the whole service experience to be redesigned from revamping consumer touch points, amplifying them and engage with customers.

“Clients are actually becoming proactive in collaborating with agencies to not only change their visual brand identity but also streamline the backend operations (logistics/technology) to support changes in customer touch points and improve the overall consumer experiences,” he added.