brands people crave
3-Logo-Redesigns-You-Can-Learn-From

3 Logo Redesigns You Can Learn From

Do you feel like your logo could use a redesign?

If you do, it’s helpful to understand why you want to redesign your logo. Is it because your current logo was designed ten years ago and looks like it? Maybe your business has evolved and you want your new logo to reflect the changes.

You can learn a lot from the following logo redesigns — not just because the new logos look great, but also because they redesigned their logos with purpose. The resulting logos represented not just a change in logo design but also a fundamental shift in their businesses.

If your logo is outdated…learn from Pizza Hut

In 2014, Pizza Hut made some major changes to their brand and their stores. They launched a marketing campaign called “The Flavor of Now,” which included 10 new pizza crust flavors, as well as new toppings, recipes, drizzles, and a new look for their website, boxes, and uniforms.

David Gibbs, the CEO of Pizza Hut said, “We are radically reinventing the pizza category with a menu transformation that more than doubles our amount of ingredients and flavors, a world-class digital ordering experience and an entirely new look and feel to our brand.”

As a part of their brand reinvention, they replaced their old logo, which included the words “Pizza Hut” in black with an image of their red, slanted roof, and a yellow underline. The new logo was much simpler. It maintained the bright red color and the shape of the roof, but replaced the rest of the logo with a round shape that looked like a pizza covered in red sauce.

The new, flat and simple logo reflected their desire to modernize their brand. Of course, Pizza Hut’s last logo and brand redesign was back in 2014, so I think they’re due for another redesign to make their logo look even more modern and up to date.

What you can learn from Pizza Hut’s logo redesign

Pizza Hut’s logo redesign came as a part of a massive brand overhaul — it wasn’t just a new logo, but part of an entirely new brand identity. They maintained some of their signature symbolism while simplifying their logo.

If you’re redesigning your logo, think about how your redesign fits into your overall brand identity. Are you making a change to your overall brand? How can you maintain parts of your former logo while modernizing it?

Remember, logos should evolve with your brand. Even if you’ve already gone through a redesign, your logo may still need an update to look relevant to your customers.

If your logo is going to be featured on an a new or different medium…learn from Netflix

Netflix’s logo has experienced 3 different iterations.

The original logo, which featured white letters with shadows on a red background, was designed when Netflix was primarily a service that delivered movies in the mail. That logo worked well on paper envelopes containing DVDs. The shadows made the logo pop out, and the overall look brought to mind the movie industry.

The next logo, the word “Netflix” in red on a white background, simplified the logo while maintaining the colors of the original. It rolled out in 2013, when Netflix had shifted its focus and was primarily a streaming video service for your laptop. The new logo looked more modern, and reflected the brand’s shift to a web-based service.

The third logo isn’t a replacement for the second one, but rather, an additional mark that represents the Netflix brand. It’s a simple red “N” on a black background, used for Netflix’s mobile apps. It works well on mobile devices and is more distinctive than the icon containing entire word “Netflix.”

What you can learn from Netflix’s logo redesign

As Netflix’s business evolved, their logo was primarily seen on different mediums. They adapted their logo to work on envelopes, then on web browsers, and finally, on apps.

Where do potential customers see your logo the most? On your website or social media? On physical products? When redesigning your logo, keep logo placement in mind, and design it to make the most impact based on the medium where it will be seen.

If you want to expand your offerings…learn from Starbucks

As Starbucks grew into an internationally recognized brand, they wanted a logo that would allow them to become known as more than just a place to buy coffee. Before 2011, the Starbucks logo featured their signature siren in black, with a green circle reading “Starbucks Coffee” surrounding her.

The designers at Lippincott surveyed Starbucks customers and found that one of the most distinctive parts of the logo was the green color. They used that knowledge in their choice to make the entire logo green.

As Starbucks was well known throughout the world, they also chose to omit the words “Starbucks Coffee” and simply display the siren on her own. In removing the word “Coffee” from the logo, Starbucks was able to rebrand as more than just a coffee shop.

The new Starbucks logo also took into account Starbucks copycats. The Lippincott design brief reads, “When we began working with Starbucks, coffee shops around the world were exploiting variations of the Starbucks name and logo…the new proprietary design language allows Starbucks to remain simple, yet striking. Our design ensures the global brand can maintain its distinct identity across all their environments, including the digital space.”

What you can learn from Starbuck’s logo redesign

In designing a new logo for Starbucks, Lippincott went to the people who mattered the most – Starbucks’ customers. If you’re contemplating a redesign, customer feedback should be an important part of your process.

Starbucks also faced the problem of copycats, which was resolved with a siren that had a distinctive design that made it stand out from other logos. Make sure that your new logo is unique and distinct from other logos in your niche.

If you’re contemplating a logo redesign, ask yourself the following questions:

  • Why do we want to do a redesign?
  • How can we maintain the visual language of our brand while conveying the changes we want to make?
  • Where will our new logo be seen? How can we design it for those mediums?
  • What can we learn from our customers that will guide us in our logo redesign?
  • How does our logo redesign fit into our brand as a whole?

Are you thinking about a logo redesign?

If you’re looking for a strategic branding agency who will help you redesign your logo so that it matches your evolving brand, let’s talk.