The BIG Kahuna

So Mercedes has decided to distance itself from Chrysler (thank God) by “sprucing up” their iconic logo (will it still be iconic if they change it?).

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Here is a quote from this article:??

MERCEDES-BENZ IS SEPARATING ITS ICONIC three-pointed star logo from its name. That’s the most obvious visual change the German automaker is instigating worldwide on Nov. 1. It is the first major revision of Mercedes-Benz brand identity in 18 years, per the company, which recently divorced itself from Chrysler.“The new brand identity of Mercedes-Benz revives our entire presence and ensures an unmistakable image which combines tradition with a future-oriented approach,” says Klaus Maier, executive vice president/Mercedes Car Group, responsible for sales and marketing, in a release.

Gosh, I really wish people would stop calling logo design ?brand Identity?. Because it?s not brand identity! Sure the logo is part of the overall identity but brand identity is much bigger than the logo. This is what really gets under my skin. Klaus Maier doesn?t know the difference and neither does the agency that worked on the project.

My skin crawls when a company says ?spruce up? or ?freshen up?. Geez, how do these people get paid what they do?

Then this?person goes on to say:

Donna Boland, spokesperson at the company’s U.S. arm in Montvale, N.J., says the move has nothing to do with recent changes in Daimler’s corporate structure. “This is something that historically, we have done from time to time, to refresh and sharpen the brand profile; it is necessary when you have an iconic brand that is among the top ten most recognized brands in the world.”??

Yea, the biggest brands in the world are known for changing their logo from time to time to ?refresh and sharpen? the brand profile. That’s just nutty! She should?look for a new job?right now.

Listen if you want to change the logo that?s fine. And this may or may not be a good idea. You have one of the most recognizable logos in the world. Your logo is part of your brand equity. You want to fool with it so be it. Personally I?d never ever touch that logo.

That logo means one thing: Money.

Hey Coke, isn?t it time for you to refresh your logo? How about you Nike, that swoosh has been around way too long!

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 18th, 2007 at 10:17 am and is filed under Branding Blunders. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.