On June 4th, Discovery Communications launched Planet Green, the "first and only 24-hour eco-lifestyle television network," and with original programming on TV and a robust online presence Planet Green demonstrates that there is more than just gloomy, end-of-the-world content surrounding the environment. The new identity, designed by New York-based Open, is a green circle paired with a heavy-duty (and beautiful) sans serif designed by Chester Jenkins of Village. The logo, to some, may seem like an over-simplified or easy solution, but with a name like Planet Green, I doubt there was a more perfect — and most importantly, ad hoc — solution. And unlike the recent circle logo from Euronews this one doesn't feel pretentious nor operate on pure quirk — the quirk actually comes from things like their green or greener press web site and the on-air graphics by Thornberg & Forester. How does such a simple and effective logo come to be in the twenty-first century? I asked Open's proprietor and recent winner of the Cooper-Hewitt's National Design Award for Communication Design, Scott Stowell, a few questions. Oh, and before anyone cries foul, this logo was designed before the We logo but both happened to be released at similar times.

Armin Vit: Without sacrificing any secrets from this part of the process, how did you bring in the project to Open?

Scott Stowell: Last year, we were hired (along with some other design and advertising firms) to develop some ideas for Planet Green. We showed lots of work on the identity, on-air design, and advertising, most of which didn't get used. But we did a lot of thinking about the point of view and tone of the channel, some of which I think comes through in the logo.

AV: How long was the project, from briefing to launch? And what were some of the key benchmarks that you had to meet throughout (logo, on-air graphics, etc.)?

SS: The whole project took about six months. For the first couple of months we developed and presented concepts, and the rest of the time was filled with issues related to the logo: color, typography, guidelines, etc. We also produced a package of animated elements for Planet Green to use in ad-sales presentations before the launch.

AV: Could you also describe the type of decision-making process? Who was involved in it? Was there focus groups or other type of testing for the work?

SS: Open was connected to Planet Green through a consultant with whom we've worked on many projects for television. She brought us in to work with a marketing team that had been put together for the launch of the network. Ultimately, though, we presented our ideas to Eileen O'Neill, the president of the channel. We weren't involved in any testing at all.

AV: What was the thinking that led to the final logo? Was there any apprehension towards the simplicity of a circle?

SS: We came up with that logo idea very quickly after we first heard from Planet Green. Serifcan Ozcan, one of the designers here at Open, first thought of the green dot right away. We spent a lot of time coming up with reasons why they had to pick it, but surprisingly they went for it without much hesitation. Once they did, we had a lot more work to do (see below).

Tom Green gives his opinion of the logo.

AV: Talk to us about some of the geekier details, where the following questions are all followed by "why?": What typeface did you choose? What PMS number is the green? How did you arrive at the final lock-up with the circle on the right? (Yes, geeky).

SS:
• Many, many options for the type were considered, including the idea of no type (I hope that will still happen some day) and the idea that it could be any typeface at all. In the end we realized that such a surprising logo needed solid, consistent typography.

• We were looking at Chester Jenkins' Apex family, and he suggested we look at a new version that was still in development. That one was perfect: clean, fresh, friendly, and really efficient, thanks to its large x-height. Planet Green licensed it and renamed it Planet Green (for now).

• The green is PMS 376, but it started as a CMYK tint: c50 y100. For reasons of ecology and efficiency, we wanted to make sure the logo could be printed in as few colors as possible, and reproduce in pretty much any context. Plus we like the limited/flexible palette of four-color process.

• As for the type lock-up, that grew out of the need for the logo to exist as a bug in the lower right corner of the screen — as well as a desire to have the lockup to be a solid unit. There are two different main lock-ups — the type can also sit on top — and lots of ancillary ones for HD, on demand, etc.

Sample lock-ups and color applications

AV: In the past you've designed the identities of Bravo and the now-defunct Trio. What did you learn from those projects that helped you this time around?

SS: Trio, Bravo, and Planet Green all had different parameters. On Trio we were given a new logo (by No. 17) and had to build a world around it. For Bravo, we got to create the logo and its environment. And for Planet Green, we just made the logo and set it free. Then Thornberg & Forester made a fun on-air package that works really well with the logo.

It was interesting this time around to put some of the things we figured out from working with a logo (made by someone else or by us) into action. We made sure that some things were simple and consistent, but that there would be a lot of opportunities for motion that was appropriate and surprising. Thornberg & Forester did a great job taking advantage of that.

AV: What were the biggest challenges about designing this identity, given that "green" is something that everyone's doing with dozens of "green" initiatives popping up everywhere with new identities?

SS: Planet Green's mission is to make green living as mainstream as possible. The logo had to work anywhere and everywhere. And we had to get through not just the clutter of tv, but all the other "green" messages out there too. This was a perfect opportunity to make the biggest statement we could with the simplest possible solution.

AV: Thanks for your time Scott.

While it was the LA Lakers that lost to the Boston Celtics in this year's NBA Finals, perhaps the most devastated losers were the Minnesota Timberwolves that traded their 10-time All-Star for a handful of younger players: It was like watching your ex boyfriend or girlfriend break up with you, then seeing him or her marry the greatest catch, have kids, and live in a white picket fence house with a golden labrador retriever. So, maybe unrelated, a little facelift was in order for the Timberwolves, who unveiled a refreshed primary logo during last week's NBA Draft. It's a fun game of spot the differences, and there are some nice tweaks like the highlight in the wolf's face, and the lettering is less fangy.

Along with the revisions to the primary logo, the Timberwolves introduced two alternate logos. The first is just the wolf from the primary logo, and the second is an integration of the wolf with a basketball — it's interesting that, for the last dozen years, the Timberwolves were one of the few teams without a basketball in their primary or alternate logos. The second alternate is also a nod to the team's original logo. Designed by Adidas, the new logos are a nice update and extension from the original without reinventing the wheel. Hopefully, in the search for a new Garnett, the Timberwolves won't settle for a — bad pun alert! — rebound relationship.

Thanks to Sara Ronald for the tip.

In what has to be the most under whelming unveiling yet — and a bad case of stolen thunder — for one of the largest retailers in the world, Walmart (unhyphenated as a single word from now on) just uploaded a formal, band-aid of a press release to their web site confirming the logo change that surfaced over the weekend when The Wall Street Journal reported that the Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning and Development had received documents from Walmart with the intent of opening a prototype store there. An artist rendering on those documents showed a new sign over the facade of the proposed store.

Artist rendering of the new signage. All I can say, though, is "Really? This is the best Walmart can do when it comes to renderings?" Oy.

As a reason of why the logo change, the reports on newspapers all allude to Walmart's continued evolution and progression from its less-than-glamorous reputation and image as an invasive retailer with less-than-desirable employment and environmental practices. And the evasive press release does little to explain anything:

But what really matters is what happens out there in the stores. This update to the logo is simply a reflection of the refresh taking place inside our stores and our renewed sense of purpose to help people save money so they can live better.

So with no reasoning or no explanation of what the new star burst stands for, or why the decision to change to a single word, all we have to go by is the logo that replaces the 16-year-old sans serif that was as thick and heavy as the beige boxes it adorned for so long. The new logo is rumored to have been designed by New York-based Lippincott — and I will happily amend this as soon as there is more information available. The change to title case helps humanize Walmart with a name that reads more like John, Albert, Sarah or Wilbur; it really looks very different and sets a different tone. The wordmark is nice and friendly and has enough customization to feel more proprietary than out-of-the-box. The new icon, however, is very questionable. It reflects technology start-up or telecommunications company before it does discount retailing that will make anyone live better. Sure, it might represent a flower or a sun, but the execution is too modern and cold to be seen as a natural element.

The new store environment and applications of the logo will define how good this can be and if the whole package supports this initial tease. I remain skeptical yet optimistic, but not too much. To leave you with some inspiration, here are Walmarts' logos over the years, picked from this page — do note the tuscan-faced logo of the 1960s, wow.

Thanks to everyone who e-mailed over the last three days about this logo.

Opening this week in Sendai, Japan is a new exhibit space for the 53-year-old Sendai Astronomical Observatory (SAO), with a new identity designed by johnson banks in London. The first element of the identity is the logo, an arrow created from the name of the observatory in Japanase with the English translation hinged at a vertiginous 45-degree angle. What I love about this is the use of the usually cumbersome need of a logo to appear in two languages, into an integrated solution, as opposed to just repeating the name smaller in the second language. I'm also a sucker for hot pink, so I'm really drawn to wherever the arrow is pointing. Which brings us to the second element of the identity.

The logo, being a helpful arrow, can point into any direction and — like a kid or adult pointing at the sky when somehting otherworldly appears there — the SAO arrow points to a range of images that johnson banks have developed around the theme of "bringing the cosmos down to earth" where everyday objects are paired with supernovas, planetary rings and four-dimensional vortexes, creating a playful range of imagery that makes the cosmos even more appealing.

Another clever twist are the business cards and letterhead that translate the same idea of the paired images into a front-and-back game, although I doubt the identity guidelines recommend dog-earing the business cards. So aside from the remarkable skills it must have taken to bend Akzidenz Grotesk Condensed at that angle, I really like the flexibility and variety that this identity can render, as well as the integration of English and Japanese, and there is a very interesting, almost non-aesthetic aesthetic that creates a stark, vibrant visual language. A few more images can be found at johnson banks' web site.

Atlanta Bread Co., hailing from, you guessed it, suburban Atlanta, is a casual bakery-café franchise offering fresh, quality food fast. Originally started as a small sandwich shop in 1993, the company has since franchised into approximately 100 locations in 24 states. As they have expanded, Atlanta Bread has not only enhanced the retail experience of their cafés, but updated their brand identity as well — a process they have been slowly rolling out over the past few months, here is an early look at the change.

The old Atlanta Bread logo was a very heavy mark consisting of detailed wheat stalks (indicative of both bread and baked goods) rendered on a black background, with a roughened yellow border frame that divided it into two, almost equal halves. The typeface, American Typewriter Condensed, was clunky, set in all caps, and looked dated (even when it first came out). These criticisms aside, the old Atlanta Bread logo projected a handmade quality that was appropriate for the audience and the type of establishment that it is, and all within a nicely contained, immediately recognizable mark.

There were, no doubt, certain reproduction challenges due to the level of detail of the old Atlanta Bread Co. brand, particularly in smaller sizes, or in embroidery applications on employee uniforms. Perhaps in response to these issues, the company decided to implement a much simpler identity for the brand, as evidenced by their recently adopted “Bread Man” logo.

Consisting of an abstracted, asymmetrical figure embracing a circular “bowl,” this new identity looks like it is straight out of an aboriginal cave painting, and more appropriate for an Outback Steakhouse. In fact, it reminds me of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games logo. According to the company web site, the Bread Man “represents the heart and soul of Atlanta Bread… part global traveler, part old school baker and part next door neighbor.”

OK, the “global” part I get… as I mention above, this seems very “Aussie” to me. The “old school baker” is a bit more of a stretch, unless that circular shape is supposed to be a bread bowl. And I certainly don’t see the “next door neighbor” in the new mark, unless you are supposed to get that impression from the personable feel of the new logotype. The casual, handwritten script is certainly an improvement over the old brand’s typewriter characteristics, and the burgundy and olive green color scheme is very nice.

In my opinion, Atlanta Bread’s new brand has been heavily influenced by Panera Bread, their largest competitor. Panera’s brand (shown above, which has been in use for several years) features an abstracted person holding a loaf of bread. A similar type treatment, with almost identical typefaces, has been used. And if you compare the retail environments of both restaurants, you will see similar color schemes, patterns, and graphic elements. It seems to me that Atlanta Bread was too busy trying to emulate and become the alternative to Panera Bread, that they simply implemented an identity that has very little, if anything, to do with the organization’s roots.

Breastcancer.org, a 9-year-old, and 8 million visits a year online resource for breast cancer unveiled today a new identity. While this is technically a Before/After, the old logo was such a non-logo that I decided to just let the new logo shine. Unlike most brands I cover, I don't have any direct relationship or experience with breastcancer.org — which is a good thing, I think — so this is purely a reaction to the design and hearing about this site for the first time. Designed by Siegel + Gale, the logo is an intertwined pink ribbon forming a circle, giving a new execution and a fresh idea to the ubiquitous single pink ribbons in a loop. I also see a wreath, which can be seen as a welcoming sign on the door, but also as a crown, celebrating those who fight this battle. The color is both gentle and authoritative and the choice of Optima — a typeface I have been championing for some time now — is elegant, personable and familiar. For these and other gut reactions, I have to say this is one of my favorite logos of the year so far — it even looks great on the blue background, a color combination that, in theory, would be preposterous. The shading on the bottom-left part of the circle could be less flat, but it's a minor quibble. This really establishes the web site as a leader in its field and for its audience.

Two of the larger independent branding firms — Laga (formerly known as Lipson Alport Glass & Associates) and Desgrippes Gobé (sometimes known as d/g) — have merged to form Brandimage – Desgrippes Laga. Yes, that's the full name. The new firm now counts with 300 employees across New York, Chicago, Cincinnati, Paris, Brussels, Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong and Shanghai. Leading the firm are Joël Desgrippes and Laga's Jim Barrett, and there is no mention of what happened to Marc Gobé who was the more public face of d/g. Read on if you are ready for some press-releasing.

According to Barrett, Brandimage was selected as the name of the new company because it represents what the agency ultimately provides to its clients. "Through our exclusive Brand Vision approach we unite thinking and imagination, logic and emotion, and intent and outcome holistically to create a real brand strategy," says Barrett. "Then we bring it to life through our Brand Presence process that takes different expressions of the brand across all points of consumer interaction. That is how we build strong brands and deliver rich emotional brand experiences to consumers."
— Press Release [PDF]

"Brandimage draws its strength in the synthesis of European sensitivity with American innovation and the pioneering spirit of Asia."
— Desgrippes

I always wondered what the combination of European sensitivity, American innovation, and Asia's pioneering spirit would look like. And, unfortunately, now I know: Purple Helvetica Extended. Bland, clunky, pedestrian. I'm really, really surprised at how unsophisticated this new identity is; d/g has created some convincing designs (most notably for me, the Travelocity logo, and less notably the Payless logo) in the past and their wordmark was pretty decent and while I can't picture anything that Laga has done in the past, I don't remember being down right appalled by the result. I realize a lot of it is subjective opinion, but mine is that Helvetica Extended is a not a good typeface — and even if there is no such thing as a "bad typeface" and that it's all in the use, well, this one doesn't succeed at that either. In deep sleep dreaming with puppies and chocolate ice cream I can think of a dozen better typefaces for a wordmark designed in the year 2008: Scala, Section, Apex Sans, Whitney, Titling Gothic, Neutra 2, Soho Gothic, Underground Pro, Bau, Stag Sans, Gotham or, heck, Helvetica Medium.

An execution like this might be expected from a long-drawn process between a branding firm and the mythical client who assumedly has no design taste that waters everything down… but this result from a branding firm branding itself? Yikes. And I haven't even talked about the star yet: It's unnecessary, distracting and also poorly executed, there is no rhyme or reason to it. In contrast to Brand Union that used the term "brand" and created something daring, whether you liked it or not, Brandimage is a step backwards in naming and design for two firms that were doing a decent job in representing themselves with previously sophisticated wordmarks — Laga's old logo was actually quite remarkable.

Reinventing a large branding firm from within should yield, at least, sophisticated results and, at best, defying results — surely not uninspired results.

If you live outside of New York City, you may only be nostalgically familiar with this frozen dessert retailer by way of mentions on Sex and the City and The Apprentice. And if you're from the 1990s, Tasti is the rumored unaccredited culprit on the "Yogurt" episode of Seinfeld. To the uninitiated, this dairy based treat is "Not frozen yogurt, because it doesn’t contain yogurt. Not ice cream, because it contains less fat," according to Tasti faqs. So let's just call it substance.

Over the winter when normal people weren't craving frozen desserts, or blogging about them, Tasti D-Lite launched a new website and identity program. This came on the cusp of its acquisition by SPG Partners, declaring that they will "facilitate the growth of the brand to markets both domestic and international." Subsequently, existing stores are falling into rank and converting to a franchise model which will presumably allow for tight implementation of the new brand.

That said, the new logo is tempting — sort of like peeping at a dessert through a key-hole. Forms, and elements from the previous identity are reassuringly present; including the sweet pink and rich blue. The dollop holds its own without a thick badge, and the expression is now less Droste Effect without the fancy glass bowl. Avenir is refreshingly light as a support to brand the otherwise slick and generic symbol. The lockup is proportionally top-heavy with the huge dollop of product floating over the loose type.

Perhaps taking its cues from Pinkberry or other premium retailers of frozen substance, the size is restrained on cups, and applied daintily. As contradiction of terms itself, the product demands that the brand be equally flexibile. While low-fat can only be said of the cold, creamy substance, one is always prompted to top their Fluffernutter™ with Butterfinger™ or any other number of high fat candies and whatnots.

The duplicitous tagline, "dessert your guilt" is a fitting oxymoron for a product which is promoted as light+delicious+healthy+sinful. If Tasti can speak to multiple audiences' cravings for health and indulgence with diplomacy, their magic recipe for frozen dessert product will spread across all continents at the fastest rate that venture capital will allow.

When the new logo first hit the street on cups and napkins, I asked the Tasteologist at my local Tasti what he thought of the new logo, and if he could speculate whether this new look might impact business. He furrowed his brow and said, "If it's hot, people come in. That's all I know."

Thanks in advance if anyone from corporate headquarters wants to send me more coupons — they will be put to use. Seriously.

Update, 06.18.2008: It has been brought to my attention that The Spalding Group's McCainStore.com "is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee," and that the merchandise sold is representative of their own version of Sen. John McCain's campaign logo (and not the official one). I had received an e-mail announcing the new store the day after John McCain's interview on ABC, and I made the assumption (in part based on a visit to the company web site) that the campaign had indeed updated its brand. I apologize for any confusion that this may have caused.
— Ryan Hembree

Now that the dust has settled on the Democratic Presidential Primaries, the general election for the office of President of the United States has finally begun. Senator Barack Obama, with his populist message of hope and change for America, will challenge Republican senator John McCain for America's vote. Between now and November, signs, banners and billboards will proliferate across the land, from shop windows to front lawns, pitting neighbors, families and friends against one another as politics take center stage.

In terms of branding, Obama has a clear advantage over McCain. His iconic "sunrise within an O" mark is symbolic of hope and the dawn of a new day in politics. Until recently, McCain's brand, while more conservative in execution, was very appropriate to the candidate's background, drawing inspiration from a naval officer's uniform. McCain himself admitted during a recent interview with Charlie Gibson on ABC's World News Tonight that he has a "brand issue" to contend with and, because of it, is clearly the underdog.

In response to this admission, the McCain campaign has launched a new identity, one that we can assume is meant to help improve his image with younger voters and Independents, two demographics that will make a difference in this year's election. One of the biggest issues each candidate is campaigning for or against is the war in Iraq, which has become quite unpopular among constituents. It seems that McCain's new brand is meant to downplay the aspects of his military background, as well as the idea that he would continue the "war mongering" policies of President Bush.

Motivation for the brand revision aside, it is interesting to note the differences between the graphic qualities of the old and new brand that make it, in my opinion, more generic and much less effective for the candidate. The new McCain identity was developed by The Spalding Group, a firm that has designed campaign identities for the past six Republican presidential candidates. As such, it falls back on the conventions of "politics as usual" by incorporating a single, flattened star with drop shadow as the brand's logomark (not a very unique solution). This star appears in varying sizes depending on application, sometimes overshadowing the candidate's name, and contrasts with the old, dimensional star that looked as if it came right off of a general's uniform.

Eurostile is used as the logotype (along with a fake small cap for the "Mc"), apparently to make it look more progressive or innovative — and, as designers know, Optima is not a popular choice. And while the white and yellow on a color background color scheme has been maintained, it is not used in all applications, falling victim to the patriotic red, white, and blue color scheme preferred by every politician running for elected office.

Will this new, "improved" campaign identity for John McCain help him connect with the younger, more sophisticated voters that he needs to win the White House this November? Or will this new brand that downplays his military background and conservatism be seen as an attempt to manipulate voters? Only time will tell.

Having grown up around media that included the presence of the Dolby logo — as I'm sure many of us have — I now recall that my impression of the double-d logo lead me to believe they had something to do with general tape and reel-to-reel technology, given the cassette-like look of the logo. My impression was likely not rooted in corporate intention as the original logo was designed by the founder, Ray Dolby, and had no specific conceptual underpinning. Either way the double-d has become a rather ubiquitous fixture in modern media environments, having successfully made the recent transition into the digital world. While we continue to see the presence of "Dolby Digital" in and around the movies, their brand presence with the stroked rectangle around "DOLBY" and uncomfortably justified "DIGITAL" has seemed a bit stale for a company that is trying to continue to define high-quality and audio surround sound. Enter Turner Duckworth, with their experienced touch and attention to brand and collateral details we have a refined update to the logo and respective visual identity system that retains the brand equity Dolby has established.

In a galaxy far, far away this is how the logo looked in its application.

The double-ds have been merged together, removing the visual separation and additional noise that was present in a logo that has to appear at extremely small sizes. This merger allows more lateral space for the Ds to have a wider form that marries well with the new typography. In addition, the "DOLBY" wordmark has been liberated from its bounding rectangle, employing a lighter-weight typeface for better legibility. The letterforms are boxier, with more squared-off and larger open counters, which lends itself to a more current "tech" feeling (whether the face is as timeless as the previous typography remains to be seen… 50 years is a good run, and what's "techy" today is easily dated tomorrow!). The only detail of "DOLBY" that rubs me noisily is the separation of the "B" crossbar which, while certainly quirky and ownable, becomes more of a distraction overall and hurts the otherwise supreme legibility Turner Duckworth has crafted at small sizes.

The other consideration for this logo is its extended family of lock-ups comprised of stacked product and service divisions. It is certainly a tough challenge to set up a system for these names and descriptors which often find themselves in the company of others, and while the typeface reads well at these small sizes, the structural rule/s in place seem more of a visual crutch than a visual element that is helping the overall hierarchy or brand. Overall, while there may be some details that don't seem quite ironed out yet, I think this rebranding shows impressive restraint and intelligent handling of the existing brand equity.

If you are curious, a closer look at the typography.

Corporation RTVE (Radio Televisión Española, Spanish Radio Television) is the organization in charge of Spain's public radio and television; running eight TV channels, six radio stations and an internet portal. Over the weekend RTVE unveiled a new identity for their corporation as well as a cohesive family of brands for their TV, radio and internet properties.

Designed by SUMMA, the logos are unified through custom typography and subtle gradients, as well as the slightly beefier "e" that stands for España. While in other identities the roundy and gradient choices would have simply been part of this ever growing trend, SUMMA does a good job in rationalizing their execution:

The new corporate identity is based in the concept of light that spreads in all colors of the spectrum. Light symbolizes life, energy, warmth, passion and movement. The goal is to be affectionate and friendly and stablish a strong bond with the audience, but also technological and modern.

Like a moth to the light, I am very attracted to this new identity. There is indeed something very warm and friendly about it, and at the same time feels fresh and rejuvenated — I would be remiss to say that the overall work does feel like something the offspring of Wolff Olins and Siegel+Gale would have produced… but that is certainly not a bad thing. The logos are also meant to be in fluid motion, specially the ones for TV, further solidifying the idea of light and energy.

Additional applications of the identity.

As a sidebar, I wanted to point out something that caught my eye in their press release — sorry, it's in Spanish — as an elegant way of describing a rebranding.

In Spanish it states:
No se trata de un cambio de símbolo, sino del símbolo de un cambio.

In English it translates to:
This is not about the change of a symbol, but about the symbolism of change.

And I will leave you with that. What can I say? I'm a sucker for design poetry.

With title apologies to David Sedaris.

Euronews, a 15-year-old news channel with an unconventional approach — i.e., their "No Comment" segment features news clips presented without segues or comments, it just rolls — launched a new identity last week. Designed by Paris-based advertising agency FFL, the new logo is a white circle paired with the awful choice of either ITC Bauhaus or its rich version, Chalet 1970 — elements indicative of transparency and simplicity in the delivery of news that Euronews strives for, or, in their words, "The new euronews signature epitomises the fundamental values of the channel: honesty, integrity, neutrality, transparency in the broadcasting of information and,in particular, respect for the viewer who is looking for information over spectacle." This page has a nice collection of brand statements and positioning about the channel and the new logo as well. I have never watched Euronews, so I will have to go by what I've read so far, and it feels like the positioning and the logo are on par with each other and, above all, signal confidence. I really don't like the typeface choice at all because it is trying too hard to be different, and because it does not reflect the goal of simplicity, and the white circle could be a little pretentious, but it fits the quirky attitude of the channel.

Thanks to Ranwa Hakim for the tip.