Stale to Standout

Is it the Mandela Effect, or Does My favorite Company Look Different?

Have you ever noticed a brand you’ve known for years seemingly has a whole new look and or feel? Maybe you blame it on the Mandela Effect for the brand’s sudden change.

No, you did not go through some portal and end up in a parallel universe, it’s actually strategically done by Graphic Designers and the brand itself.

“A rebrand involves changing a company’s image, identity, or positioning. This commonly includes a new visual identity: The logo, colors, messaging, and even name are all candidates for change”
— Frontify

How Could Rebranding Go Wrong?

It’s actually pretty common for rebranding campaigns to go completely wrong. I’m not going to name any, but think about all the huge companies who have gotten tons of criticism for their new look. The general public’s opinion isn’t the only reason rebranding could be unsuccessful.

If the new logo is unrecognizable to the original, or if the new branding style doesn’t match the demographic it can easily make a rebrand a total flop. Lack of research in the brand and it’s competitors, or a lack of reason to rebrand could be the reason it goes south.

A rebrand shouldn’t feel like progress is reversing or that it was done for no good reason. Instead a plan should be made to meet specific goals that can boost your company to new heights.

So How Does it Go Right?

A successful rebrand is done if you’re rebranding for the right reasons, and take the right steps to succeed.

If a brand is expanding into new industries, adopting new values, becoming outdated, or struggling to resonate with the audience, those are good indicators it’s time for a rebrand.

Successful rebranding is like when you get a new phone; chances are you buy a newer model from the same brand you already had. It’s essentially the same item with a few new features on it… but it feels so refreshing because it’s new and up to date.

Let’s get into some of my favorite rebranding campaigns!

Burger King

In 2021, Burger King decided to redesign their visual identity for the first time in over 20 years. The new look was obviously inspired by the brand’s history. But what makes this so unique and successful if it’s already been done?

The goal of Burger King’s rebrand was to resemble the brand’s new mission of maintaining high food quality, sustainability, and restaurant experiences. JKR, the global branding agency that worked with Burger King, explains, “It was time for their visual identity to reflect the rest of their business by creating a brand world that modern consumers could feel good about.”

The logo might look almost exactly the same to the 1969 and 1994 one, but it’s not. Notice how the top bun on the newest version is bigger and fluffier; resembling a higher quality food.

Their actual brand guidelines explain how the new color palette was strategically chosen to represent the colors in their infamous Whopper, and the colors are purposely vibrant to showcase freshness and quality.

Their custom typeface is modern yet nostalgic. The Burger King Flame font has three weights; Flame Bold, Flame Regular and Flame Sans.

The photo on the left I a Burger King ad from 1975 using the Cooper Black Condensed typeface with swashes. The photo on the right is the landing page for Burker King’s current webpage. The typeface is similar, but it has a bit more personality to it.

Airbnb

Airbnb decided to launch a huge rebrand in 2014 which has been a huge success. Robert Shayo explains that their goal was to be seen as a more sophisticated company so they could compete with hotels, but to also enforce a community based culture.

Airbnb took a huge risk when creating a completely new look, but it worked.

The company’s logo is a symbol for their welcoming community. They call it the “Belo” logo which stands for their brand’s mission “Belong Anywhere.”

Below you can see how Design Studio created the Belo logo to represent people, places, love, and the letter A to represent the company itself.

In 2018 they announced their new custom typeface, Cereal. The typeface was specifically designed to be playful, open and simple. The design team also explained that typography is important for the brand because it needs to be consistent in both their online and offline material. The best part about the typeface (aside from it’s appearance) is the name was inspired by the company’s original name Air Bed&Breakfast.

Their color palette is vibrant and playful. The primary color is called Rausch, named after the street the brand was founded.

7UP

In 2023 7UP rebranded to appeal to a global audience and represent a more modern feel. Their campaign was inspired by their mission to create an UPlifting tone. They chose to create a sense of moving forward by angling the logo up. The packaging has bold contrast

The package designers chose to fill up space on the can by enlarging the 7 and creating a dramatic 3D shadow. They made the red circle larger as well to really emphasize the “UP.”

PepsiCo’s case study on the new visual identity explains that they chose to keep the recognizable green color for the main color but added vibrant colors that showcased the citrus flavor.

Liz Gorny points out that the citrus slices that were on the old cans have been flattened to appear as abstract shapes. These simple shapes reflect current design trends and society’s current love for minimalism. The circles represent slices of lemon and lime, and the bubbly carbonation of the drink.

Successful Rebrand = Success for your Company

A successful rebrand can push your company to success by revitalizing its image, aligning with new trends, and expanding its reach to new audiences. By differentiating your brand from competitors and reinforcing core values, a well-executed rebrand can grow your audience, boost employee morale, and save your company from becoming old and outdated.

Examples of Successful Rebranding and How it can Benefit Your Company

Designing Your Audience's Feelings