Identity practitioners are very lucky people.
When we are invited into an organization, we are one of the privileged few advisors that has been given a mandate to break with the past and invent the future, usually in any way we see fit. Changing things is what we do, and what energizes us intellectually and emotionally.
In this regard, identity practitioners are perfectionists, always unsatisfied with the status quo. We feel compelled to look at a new identity and immediate identify the flaws, the missed opportunities and the technical shortcomings. Critics abound in our profession, not because we are a negative bunch, but out of a genuine yearning to make things better.
With this context, I began thinking about whether there are identity solutions, designed with the best of intentions in mind, that have achieved a kind of Aristotelian perfection in their completeness, simplicity and elegance. More than just being strategically correct or creatively brilliant, are there a handful of identities that should never be changed?
We can debate the meaning of the word “never” in this context, but for argument’s sake, let’s stipulate that never means “as long as the underlying organization remains in its current line of business” - for example, assuming IBM stays in IT and doesn’t become a hotel chain, its identity should never change.
Herewith, then, are my own 10 candidates for identities that should never be changed:
Pirelli - the overhanging P is one of a kind
Johnson & Johnson - a distinctive script, direct from the hands of the founders
IBM - the Paul Rand masterpiece, still going strong
Everlast - known by boxing fans everywhere
Caterpillar - A well-done Landor creation from some years ago
CBS - The iconic eye, watching over the ever-changing media landscape
American Airlines - simple, clean and no plane painting required
Ford - Now that the Ford Motor Company script has been retired, long live the blue oval as both corporate and product brand
Target - brash, bold and bracing, especially in contrast to Walmart
3M - It sticks to you
I welcome your comments. Effectively designed corporate brands… what are the all-time greats?
By Tony Spaeth
10 SEP 2009, 21:51 GMT
Interesting challenge, Denis. Of course there are the usually-noted category or product brands (Coca-Cola, Nike, MacDonald’s) but if we exclude these (plus the major religions), it will be fun to work toward a consensus on (say) “The Fifty All-Tme Great corporate marks.”
For starters, I’d nominate Alan Fleming’s…
By Joshua
10 SEP 2009, 22:14 GMT
By mike erickson
10 SEP 2009, 23:50 GMT
I would also agree Coca Cola,Nike and McDonalds should never change.
By David Airey
10 SEP 2009, 23:54 GMT
Paul Rand’s design for Enron gets my vote. Unforgettable with its crooked insight.
By Kenny
11 SEP 2009, 0:24 GMT
Being from Boston, I’ll add the MBTA logo, by Chermayeff & Geismar
By dc
11 SEP 2009, 0:36 GMT
NBC’s Peacock!
By art176
11 SEP 2009, 0:51 GMT
that’s a hard task, nearly impossible,
but as mentionned, nike, puma, and scotch are an easy choice!
great article
By VectorsOnFire
11 SEP 2009, 1:19 GMT
Great suggestion but the reality is, one economic downturn can change so many companies… look what’s left from Lehman Brothers now. So it’s not really up to the companies sometimes…
By Adam Mead
11 SEP 2009, 1:21 GMT
Could you imagine being asked to evolve NIKE’s identity? Yeah, good luck.
By Mark Bowley
11 SEP 2009, 1:24 GMT
A few come to mind, but how about Braun
By Stephen Abbott
11 SEP 2009, 1:29 GMT
Playboy’s simple bunny profile w/ bowtie is both timeless and iconic of a past era. Apple’s apple certainly seems to fit the bill.
By Anthony Smith
11 SEP 2009, 1:55 GMT
How about we all agree that anything created by Vignelli or Rand just stays. Period.
By Josh R
11 SEP 2009, 2:52 GMT
I think that the CBS logo could stand to change. Not that it needs to but I don’t consider so good, or so iconic, that it shouldn’t change.
By Anaska
11 SEP 2009, 3:39 GMT
If you ask me to select an identity from the world of software, I would like to nominate the identity of Internet Explorer (IE). The alphabet ‘e’ with a ‘Saturn Ring!’
This logo is pretty much the same since August, 1996. See the screenshots of IE in this page:http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/community/columns/historyofie.mspx
By Tony Spaeth
11 SEP 2009, 19:35 GMT
Maybe the acid test, for a logo so strong it should never be changed, is its ability to tolerate temporary change (usually campaign-related). A brilliant example — the games IBM is playing with Rand’s iconic mark, in its current “Smarter Planet” campaign — for example,
Although teased with colors and a cocky little symbol, the mark itself endures.
By Henricus Kusbiantoro
11 SEP 2009, 22:00 GMT
my baby!
By coda
12 SEP 2009, 3:43 GMT
Sony?
By William Hastings
13 SEP 2009, 23:45 GMT
I agree with the inclusion of the CBS logo in this list, but their move away from the Didot letterforms was a poor decision. Those new san serif forms are simply discordant.
By Gerard Syms
14 SEP 2009, 6:28 GMT
Polo by Ralph Lauren as well as Chanel, leapt to mind. How about the transformer of all identities: Google?
And what about Yahoo? Can anyone imagine these two identities changing, losing the character they’ve been imbued with?
By Scott Lerman
14 SEP 2009, 21:27 GMT
Never say never. All identity changes over time—sometimes gracefully and gradually, like the evolution of the IBM mark or comes to a sharp end, like ENRON.
By Scott Lerman
15 SEP 2009, 0:39 GMT
BTW, I preferred Bib when he was leaner, meaner, and smoked cigars!
By Andrew Pourtov
16 SEP 2009, 11:35 GMT
The business of any company can and should change, or it will sometime lose and will be ruined. Сorporate Identity should communicate brand values and strategy, rather than pleasing us with familiar design.
But even if a company’s business never changes - its consumers and other target groups can change. And then, correctly to show them brand values and strategy it may become necessary to change corporate identity.
Certainly, ingenious logos can long live, but they should not be deemed eternal. And that is reality, though sometimes a little sad.
By Jean
18 SEP 2009, 19:09 GMT
Hey, that’s only four Helvetica logos !
By KenIsMe
22 SEP 2009, 5:19 GMT
I would add CNN to the list too.
By Tom
22 SEP 2009, 5:20 GMT
By ghazalravi
22 SEP 2009, 9:24 GMT
Cool ones..I like them .why dont you see the logo of fomax tooo ..that is also great ..I like the NBC one
By Juan Manuel
28 SEP 2009, 18:50 GMT
I agree with you Denis. There are some brands that should never be touched. I’ve seen some brands that chose to change their graphic brand and I really don’t undestand why. The one that dissapointed me the most is the new brand made for AT&T. But for my list (outside the obvious: Coca-Cola, Mc Donald’s, Michelin’s mascot, Disney, Apple) I also choose IBM, Braun, GE, Marlboro.
By Rachel Reveley
11 OCT 2009, 0:27 GMT
I think the BBC after many years of changes has got to the point of no change necessary.
By erix
29 OCT 2009, 16:37 GMT
By Joseph Maguire
12 NOV 2009, 17:32 GMT
The majority of “american” iconic logos at some point always need a brand update. Even the Yankees - that mark is wonderful, don’t get me wrong but subtle changes like cleaning lines or refining is just a natural thing to do. The Red Sox just did a brand update this past spring for themselves and when I researched that I realized they’ve consistently updated their brand every decade since they started. But if a brand changes its audience, so too should its identity change. Identities connect to potential audiences and - well, look at all the major TV networks - they’re all struggling to be relevant visually so that they retain and produce shows that are so well branded that they stand out across the TV and internet. It’s a large challenge, so brands will always have to to get updated to stay relevant and be the focus of your eye. Oh and I am biased because I am a designer
Joseph Maguire
By Lucia Lopez Marnero
20 MAR 2010, 7:36 GMT
Texaco
By Tarif
29 MAR 2010, 18:44 GMT
Frigidaire.
wishful thinking since they already changed it…*sigh*
one of the worst changes in the history of people changing things.
By Gray Hollett
10 JUN 2010, 17:00 GMT
Can’t argue with most of the suggestions. Though have to agree with Scott Lerman above, in a static world this would be nice, but business and culture is not static. Either through evolution or revolution everything changes and must change. And great “art is not eternal” as Tom Wolfe said in the Electric Coolaid Acid Test.
Perhaps another discussion with this group would be what 10 identities should change? And why? For business reasons, communicative reasons, or just not well executed?
By Owen
15 JUN 2010, 6:20 GMT
Can’t forget these classics!
By Tom Dabner
30 JUL 2010, 13:46 GMT
I find it fascinating that 3 out of the 10 you have chosen use Helvetica, just another piece of evidence proving its timelessness.
On another note I preferred the CBS logo from 1966, the type sits better for me, but I agree with the eye, not to change.
By Tom Dabner
30 JUL 2010, 13:48 GMT
Correction, 4 of the above use Helvetica, 3M, Target, AmericanAirlines and I believe Caterpillar too, however a condensed version.
By Steve Bowman
16 SEP 2010, 9:48 GMT
Maybe the list should run to Top 100
Have to add QANTAS - the flying kangaroo has lasted well with very little tweeks
and become a national identity - strange name / strong visual
By Johnson Michael
23 MAY 2012, 23:35 GMT
nike, the jumpman logo, anyone?
By Paul
29 JUN 2012, 4:55 GMT
The Carlston beer logo is a prime example. It hasn’t changed since 1847.
By AA new brand identity, logo, color scheme (17 Jan 2013) (consolidated) - Page 43 - FlyerTalk Forums
19 JAN 2013, 23:37 GMT
[...] Top 10 brands that should not change AA is on the list….oh well http://www.identityworks.com/forum/l…-never-change/ [...]