London Logo Design Blog » Branding

British Airways Embraces Tradition

Logo Design Company London — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 14:51:04 +0000

This seems to be the year for airlines to change up their logo design and brand. Sometimes, however, a change in brand can be accomplished without completely rebranding. British Airways’ new advertisement campaign is a good example of this principle.

The new advertising campaign features ‘videos’ of old time flights in retro black and white. You can tell from the first second that the advertisement is attempting to create an old-fashioned feeling. In just one minute and a half, you are taken through a century of commercial flight, with the images becoming progressively more modern. Even the Concorde has a cameo. Toward the end of the commercials, images of modern and old time pilots are juxtaposed. The implications are clear: British Airways is maintaining the tradition and magic of flight even while using modern technology and equipment. At the end of the advertisement, we get a glimpse of the revived BA crest as well as the former strapline: To Fly. To Serve.

Tradition is appealing to many people in the UK market, more so than many others. The crest is intended to bring back the sense of tradition that British Airways once enjoyed. However, while most people in the UK want a traditional experience, we also want to be assured that our airway is using the latest equipment and safety measures. The advertisement does a great job of reintroducing the traditional crest and strapline while assuring the audience that BA is still using the most modern and safe technology.

The coat of arms may be overkill; it seems that every large business in the UK has tried a crest-based logo design at one time or another. British Airways has a lengthy past, but translating this into a heritage-based identity might not be successful. However, it should be noted that this is not meant to replace the current BA logo design so much as to augment it. It is just another part of the British Airways visual identity. The coat of arms has been in existence for decades, although it has been used sparingly in modern times. An advertising campaign such as this one is an effective way of introducing it without compromising the brand’s reputation for safety and modernity.

The company crest has been modernized into a three dimensional, metallic shape that will appeal to the contemporary UK market. However, we wonder whether this new campaign will be enough. When we hear people complain about modern airlines, the subject of service usually comes up. People are treated rather poorly on modern flights. Is this commercial an attempt to assure consumers that they will receive the type of attention that we once expected from a flight? If so, is it direct enough to make that statement?

The real lesson of this brand modification is that UK businesses can make changes to their brands without completely changing the core visual identity. If you are unsure about how to approach the rebranding process, talk to a UK logo designer or branding consultant.

Brand Crisis! Dealing with Social media Disasters Before They Happen

Logo Design Company London — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 15:52:37 +0000

When people in the UK think of branding crisis, high profile incidences such as the BP oil spill come to mind. However, social media crises are becoming increasingly common. They can affect businesses both large and small. A new report from the Altimer Group suggests that that 76% of this year’s social media crises could have been minimized or avoided altogether if the company involved had trained their staff to respond appropriately.

But first, what is a social media crisis? By definition, it is a business crisis that is caused or exacerbated by social networking. A good example would be the public relations crisis that Nestle faced a little over a year ago when Greenpeace criticized their use of palm oil by posting a video of an office worker biting an orangutan’s finger rather than a Nestle candy bar.

Nestle responded by having YouTube remove the video and directing visitors to its social networking pages to an official response. Some responses to negative posts were made, but these were attacking and very unprofessional. When the number of negative comments reached epic proportions, the company began to delete them.

In short, Nestle acted both defensively and offensively, but never proactively. Like many UK companies, Nestle did not have a plan for dealing with social media crises. Here are a few things that should be a part of every company’s public relation crisis plan:

Delegation of duties. When you have a social media crisis, you will need to have a person seeking out the negative buzz on the internet and (if possible) another one responding to it. All responses on the internet should be made in a positive, professional tone with no immaturity or attacking language.
Respond in kind. It is usually the best plan to respond in the same format in which the attack on your company was made. For example, create a video response for a critical YouTube video and post it as a response. This way, every person who views the video will also view a link to your side of the issue.
Be human. Now is not the time to sound like a corporate wonk. Although it is important to behave professionally, you should be as personal as possible. People will attack an impersonal corporation before they will go after a real person.
Respect freedom of speech. When Nestle lobbied to have the Greenpeace video deleted and later began deleting comments, they came across as trying to squash the other side’s point of view. They looked like an angry Goliath attacking a dissenter. This fed the flames of the crisis and enraged many people in the UK and elsewhere.
Emphasize the positive. Bring up ways that you are dealing positively with the issue. For example, Nestle could have explained that many people in the candy industry use palm oil, that the company was aware of the potential issues and that they are looking for an affordable, less destructive alternative. In other words, the company is changing for the better, but this takes time.

Becoming an Icon

Logo Design Company London — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 17:43:12 +0000

London is always full of interesting and educational exhibits. This summer I was lucky enough to happen upon an exhibit at the Somerset House called Masters of Style: Celebrating the Stories behind Italian Fashion. Because I work in logo design and branding, I am always interesting in what makes a business or design iconic in nature. Whatever the type of logo I am working on, creating an iconic design is certainly one of the goals.

This exhibit was created to celebrate the 150^th anniversary of Italy’s unification into a single country. Since it was united, Italy has certainly led the pack when it comes to producing iconic fashion brands. In fact, this one factor may be the single thing for which the country is best known. When I think of iconic fashion brands, I think of Prada, Armani, Gucci, Ferragamo, and Dolce & Gabbana. There are iconic UK designers as well, but Italian names dominate my mental list.

The exhibit featured advertisements, designs and other images that the fashion brands felt represented them. I began to notice a few similarities that can be extended to any type of brand, in any region of the world. Here are the factors that the iconic Italian brands shared:

History. Each brand has a founder, who has lent their sense of style and in most cases their actual name to the company. This gives the brand a personality, but also a sense of history.
High aspirations. Most of the fashion houses never intended to stay small. They aimed to be an icon from the very beginning, and created designs and brands that were appropriate for a global audience.
Creativity. Armani is best known for his re-interpretation of the men’s suit. He gave it new, softer lines and created a sophisticated silhouette that had been lacking before. Missoni, on the other hand, has reinvented the way that we see knits—a style once relegated to grandmothers. Iconic designers see the ordinary in a new and exciting way, a gift that can be best described as creativity.
Reinvention. While the logo designs for these iconic brands remain the same or at least similar, their products change regularly. They reinvent themselves every six months. This is a must for fashion brands, but it certainly can be adopted as a practice into other businesses.
Controversy. The best brands are not afraid to make a few waves; in some cases, they seem to even court it. This may create negative press, but it creates press. In many situations, it has created a loyal fan base as well, because people buy into the brand by siding with it.

Fashion design is not the only field in which a brand can become iconic. Consider Apple, for instance. It has all of the above qualities and a long-time following that certainly considers it an icon. The same can be said for Google. If you want to be an icon in your own industry, it is definitely possible. The formula can be applied to almost any type of business.

An Aura of Good Design

Logo Design Company London — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 16:33:15 +0000

If you are thinking about opening a business in the UK, having a great logo design created for your company is the first step. Breaking into a new market—any market—is difficult, especially in this economy. Not only must the design be attractive, it must represent your business, differentiate it from the competition, and speak specifically to your target consumer group.

Aura Heath & Wellbeing is a company that is taking its first steps into the UK market. This health and lifestyle brand will sell a wide range of products based on traditional Chinese medicines, from beauty products to dietary supplements. The wide range of products makes the matter a bit more complicated, because the logo design needs to be targeted and yet easy to customize. In addition, in the health and lifestyle business there is a need for high quality packaging design that ties into the brand while representing each item as a unique product.

The logo design is very general and yet also specific to the genre. While flowers are a common symbol for health and beauty products, and generally any product aimed at women, the main image used here is actually a modified tea leaf. The Chinese traditionally have prized tea leaves, and they are major product used in the Aura ranges. Rounded lower case writing is friendly in general, and this bespoke font in particular is feminine and also offers high recognition value. The colour palette will be customized for each product group, allowing some flexibility in the brand.

The new logo design is a good one for the industry and for this brand in particular. The real questions are: how it will tie into the packaging? Can it be customized for each individual product? To answer the first question, the packaging has been designed to reflect the logo in several different ways. The packaging includes the logo, but also uses the same font for the product name. The white background helps to promote the simple and modern feeling. The colour palette is very modern and yet includes only more natural tones, which tie into the all organic nature of the brand.

In addition to more traditional branding devices, the packaging has several more original ways of tying into the logo design. The bags of tea and other packaging include a tea leaf shaped lid, for example. Other artwork is used on some of the packaging, but this was created carefully to be a stylistic and visual match with the logo elements.

As we said before, the UK market is a particularly difficult one for new businesses. People in the UK tend to be brand conscious and already have loyalties to specific companies. Aura has a hard road in finding success in this market, but it already will have an advantage over many other new UK brands. The packaging and logo design are professional and stylish; the brand simply feels like a leader in the industry, which is an important part of actually becoming one.

A Tale of Two Ales

Logo Design Company London — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 17:19:22 +0000

Molson Coors manages several beer and ale brands in the UK, including Caffrey’s and Worthington’s. Beginning this week, these two ales will have entirely new brands, including logos, packaging and other branding elements.

Worthington’s will have a logo design and packaging with a retro feeling. The dagger and shield, which lurked in monochrome at the back of the old can, have been made into a proper logo and coloured bright red to increase contrast. The cool black and cream colour scheme of the can combined with an old-fashioned font make the ale have a decidedly classic feeling. Worthington’s will use an advertising scheme that promotes this feeling as well.

This retro brand makes sense for the ale, which has been a UK favourite since 1744. It points to the ale’s long heritage, which will appeal to lovers of old fashioned drinks. The look will be similar for all of the Worthington’s ales, which include Creamflow, White Shield and Red Shield.

Caffrey’s has also been rebranded, although the result is very different. The premium Irish ale had previously used a logo design and packaging that were intended to give a modern and refreshing feeling, with a silver and green gradient in the background and black images with blue accents. This has been changed to a bold emerald green with a gold Irish knot. The writing is traditional with modern accents—the connected crossbar on the F’s, for example.

This communicates a distinctively Irish brand, one that has history but is overwhelmingly modern. Both brands have certainly been differentiated, with a look and feeling that are very different from those of their competition. This is particularly important in the drink business, where there are huge amounts of competition in almost every niche. If a brand has a characteristic that sets it apart, it is important that this be highlighted and made a major part of both the logo design and the packaging.

Branding and logo design are important in every business, but especially so in beer and ale markets. It might seem like taste and other product aspects are the main reason that consumers choose certain beers, but branding plays a huge role. No one in a pub is going to order an ale that will make their mates laugh at them. By the same token, many of us have chosen a beer or ale off of a shelf simply because it sounded good. Branding plays a huge part in both of these situations—and indeed in many situations in which ale is being bought.

If you are interested in whether the contents of the cans live up to the packaging, you will have the chance to find out in a week or less. Both the Worthington’s and the Caffrey’s identities have been recently introduced and should soon be seen in a pub or supermarket near you.

UK Sports in Need of Rebranding?

Logo Design Company London — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 15:54:26 +0000

We have recently written about a new brand and logo design for the sport of fencing, in an attempt to create popularity for the pastime as the London 2012 Olympics near. This has led us to spend an unfortunate amount of time thinking of all the sports and hobbies that really need rebranding. After all, much of the public support for any given thing is dependent on marketing. The good people at the UK’s popular Design Week website obviously had the same thoughts, because this was the subject of a discussion there.

Among the suggestions were boccia, table tennis and general sportsmanship. In addition, one commenter suggested that the Paralympics do not receive enough attention despite happening at the same time and place as the Olympics. 43 different sports have been hosted at the Summer Olympic Games over the years, although only 26 of these will be played in London next summer. Boccia, interestingly, is not even on the list.

Many of the seventeen sports no longer played in the Summer Olympics were dropped simply because they had lost popularity. Jeu de Paume, for example, and croquet. Some globally popular sports, such as cricket and baseball, have also been dropped. Indeed, there is good reason for a person or organization that is interested in the continuing Olympic presence of a sport to begin creating demand for it.

Sports branding is more important than ever when it comes to building a following for any athletic activity. However, for many sports, branding is actually very difficult. The most successful and professional sports brands in the UK belong to teams, which have the advantage of both numbers (with several players on a team) and resources. Sports that have only one player on a ‘team’, such as fencing, don’t have a team name or mascot. It is much more difficult to brand a person than a group, and also more difficult to attain sponsorship from local businesses. There is also the issue of pooled resources on a team, not just in manpower and finances but in charisma and lifespan. The David Beckhams of the football world may come and go, but Manchester United will still be here.

Perhaps pooling resources into a sporting association which can then market the activity, as we are seeing with fencing, is the answer. Even then, these brands will lose out on one powerful booster to sporting brands: rivalry. There is little reason to buy a shirt or other paraphernalia bearing the new fencing logo, but football logos are present and popular on almost every consumer item imaginable.

There are many sports in the UK in need of rebranding and logo design. The question is ‘who?’ followed by ‘how?’ and ‘why?’. More specifically, who will invest in the development of the brand? How will it be marketed on a national level? Why should consumers support the sport? Hopefully more athletes begin thinking in terms of branding, because it is essential to modern success in any field.

Celebrity + Cheese = Success?

Logo Design Company London — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 15:48:49 +0000

We are used to seeing celebrities turn into businesspeople, creating new products and selling them with a wide range of success. These brands usually are luxury ones that somehow tie in to the celebrity’s persona. However, sometimes a celebrity opens a business that makes me raise an eyebrow because I just don’t see the connection between the celebrity brand and the business brand. Here is one of these cases.

Most people in the UK are familiar with pop star Alex James, but most know him as the bass player from The Blur. Few people are aware of the fact that James owns a farm in Oxford, one that recently began producing cheeses. These cheeses are currently launching in an Asda near you

The range will include standard blocks of cheese as well as slices that are shaped like slices of bread for making the UK staple toasties. In addition, there will be cubes of meltable cheese intended for topping baked potatoes, known as Spudsworth. The cheese come in standard varieties with interesting flavours—including tikka masala and sweet chilli.

The logo design features a deep blue, a colour often associated with the dairy industry, with silver accents. The pop star’s initials have been used to make the logo, which features a clear A (which will showcase the cheese in the package) with a J formed from a traditional cheese knife. The words ‘Alex James Presents’ appear to have been etched onto the cheese knife. The flavours of the contents are written on the package in fluorescent upper case letters, which stand out against the rather subtle background.

According to the company spokespeople, much of the cheese making process and flavours have been developed by James, who also writes some of the package copy.

This brand has a high chance of success in the UK for several reasons. First, celebrity brands are often successful in our pop-obsessed culture. Although most of us have never associated Alex James with food, if the quality is high this unusual model could work. Second, the colours and images in the packaging and logo design are well done and definitely appropriate for the genre without being too obvious. Third, this is locally sourced cheese from a UK farm; who would not love that? Indeed, many people in Britain are beginning to prefer foods that hail from our own country.

Last, convenience foods are increasing in popularity in the UK. It seems silly to suggest that modern people cannot slice their own cheese, but many of us will buy special products are higher prices simply to avoid a few steps in the food preparation process.

This may be one of the more unusual celebrity brands we have seen lately, but this just might make it more successful. It certainly has created talk, which generates publicity and sales. Ultimately, the success will depend on further marketing efforts and the quality of the products themselves. However, the Alex James Presents brand seems to be starting off on the right foot.

Standing Out and Fitting In

Logo Design Company London — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:06:17 +0000

This seems to be quite the week for changes in food and drink logo designs. Dairy maker Müller is getting in on the act with a new set of packaging for their UK ranges. The new range is meant to create continuity between the company’s ranges, particularly Müller Light, Müller Corner and Müller Rice. Müller is also releasing a range of flavoured milk that is new to the UK market, which will use the same new packaging scheme.

Until this change, there was very little continuity in Müller’s product packaging. All were white and bore the brand’s red Müller logo design. The similarity stopped there; each had its own font and colour scheme, with nothing to tie the ranges together visually.

The new packaging all features a sky blue with a grade of colour saturation across the label. A photo is shown indicating the flavour. The Müller logo is still present, as are the names of the ranges, now written in a consistent font with white lettering in rounded lower case letters.

The blue colour is often associated with high quality in the UK and it is used particularly by the dairy industry, making it a good choice for a base colour. In addition, it really makes the logo design and the fruit pictures stand out.

Another new change is that Müller products will now be grouped together in the grocery store, in a ‘brand block’. This will help to differentiate the yoghurt from its competition. The yoghurt aisle has been identified in retail as one of the most difficult to select from, due to the similar, usually light coloured packaging in the products. This change in Müller’s range will help them to stand out in the crowd.

One of the real dangers in food and drinks marketing is the temptation to market individual ranges rather than marketing brands. This limits the company’s ability to expand and also makes it so that each range has to be marketed individually. By building equity for the brand itself, you can spend less time and money in marketing activities and get a higher level of customer recognition. This is the point behind the newly consistent Müller marketing campaign.

Another challenge in marketing food and drink brands is differentiation. It is difficult to make a brand stand out from the pack, especially when everyone in that group is using colours and logos that have been found to work effectively for that industry and consumer group. The challenge is to create a brand that is relevant to your industry, appealing to your market and still different from the other packages on the shelf.

This is a challenge to be sure, but as Müller has shown, it is one that can be met effectively with professional logo design and branding. Will your food and drinks brand stand out in the crowded marketplace? If not, it may be time to look for new logo and packaging design services.

A Brand with Heart

Logo Design Company London — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:59:59 +0000

Becel is a well-known brand throughout the world, marketed under different names in countries from the UK to Latin America. Owned by corporate giant Unilever, this brand of margarines offers not just a spread for scones, but one that is reputed to lower cholesterol as well.

When we were looking at the line-up of current and former logo designs for the brand, the shape of a heart kept coming up. This is likely due to the fact that the margarine is believed to help your heart, indirectly at least. In fact, the range, which has a variety of names from Promise to Flora to Becel depending on the market, is called ‘Healthy Heart’ within the Unilever company.

The new logo design also has the shape of a heart, like its predecessors. It also features a colourful yet cool palette of blue, green and yellow like the former logos. The font is almost identical, except that the yellow shading has been reduced. The yellow left half of the heart has been transformed from a solid shape to a line, making it match the rest of the logo. In addition, a skipping human figure, seen for years in Becel packaging and marketing, has been made a more important part of the logo design.

One thing we really like about the new logo is that it seems to lose most of the yellow shading. Honestly, it looks unnatural and unappealing. The new logo design has this element, but it has been scaled down for a more modern and more natural look. It will barely be noticeable on the new packaging, and simply serve to highlight the name.

Many people in the UK choose Becel because of its heart-friendly benefits, so making major changes to the logo could be bad for the brand. Most of us don’t give a lot of thought to shopping for food and drinks; it is not uncommon to simply grab the familiar packages. The new logo design was a good choice because it is a recognizable part of the brand. It has the same basic shape and colour scheme as the old one, but with a few updates that give a more modern and aesthetically pleasing look. In addition, it incorporates the small human figure seen in the marketing, creating a more cohesive visual identity.

If your food and drink logo design is in need of updates, this kind of rebranding can be very effective. Sometimes it is better to make occasional updates to a brand rather than making huge changes on a less frequent basis. The food and drink industry is one in which branding and logo design are very important because many people buy these items based on brand loyalty. A more substantial change might be a bad idea because you will lose that important recognition. If you are unsure about what amount of change is right for your company, or whether a change is needed at all, talk to a professional UK logo designer.

Branding a Sport?

Logo Design Company London — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 15:01:20 +0000

When you think of popular sporting activities in the UK, you probably think of football first. Fencing probably does not make your short list, or even your long one. Part of this lack of popularity is probably due to the fact that most of us are not thrilled with the idea of being stabbed with a sword, but part is due to a lack of branding and marketing. Fencing is seen by many people in the UK as a somewhat stuffy, elite activity that is best suited to medieval aristocrats.

How important is marketing to sports? Consider the sport of football. You see logos and other marketing designs everywhere in the UK; not only do people watch the sport itself, they wear team jerseys and buy products with their favourite logo displayed on them. Now, the sport of fencing wants to get in on the marketing action. British Fencing, an organization that supports the sport, recently adopted a new logo design that will be the basis for a UK brand promoting the activity.

The logo design is meant to appeal to a wide audience, from younger teens through elderly people and people who are completely new to fencing as well as experienced veterans. This is a very broad audience, perhaps an impossibly large one. The timing of this new logo design is not coincidental; the organization hopes that seeing fencing in the upcoming London 2012 Olympic Games will inspire many people in the UK to give it a try.

The new logo design is a clean green colour, which feels both natural and safe. The name of the organization is written in bold, upper case lettering with pointed edges that refer to the sport. However, the letters are somewhat rounded, which gives a friendly feeling. A slash between the two words is in the shape of a fencing sword.

There is one key problem with this logo design, and that is the word ‘fence’. This is somewhat unavoidable, but the word ‘fence’ can mean a variety of things, including the wooden structure that is built around a garden. The colours and shapes in this UK logo seem to point more to a company building actual fences than a sport with the same name.

There are a few ways that this could have been avoided. The logo could feature a strapline that makes it clear that it refers to the sport, or it could use an image that is obviously not appropriate for a garden fence.

On the other hand, the logo design is simple and appropriate for the sport, which are definite bonuses. We have not seen how the logo will be executed, but it is entirely possible that it will be displayed in a way that makes the meaning clear. Because this is a completely new brand, the possibilities are endless.

If you are trying to promote a sport or other activity in the UK, developing a professional brand and logo design can be very effective. We hope that this logo will invite more people to give fencing a try.