Brandlogic

New:  Wordmark, visual system, and punctuation

Launched:  June 7, 2011

Story in brief:
When a brander rebrands, one of our own, attention must be paid. More than ever, we should expect to see a demonstration of creative excellence, in support of sound strategy. I think we see it here from Brandlogic, a full-service identity firm of global scope. (Full disclosure: for twenty-plus years Brandlogic has been a loyal friend and on several occasions, an active partner of Identityworks.)

Strategically, this rebranding is both an expression of maturity, as Brandlogic celebrates its 35th anniversary, and a signal of change. Under new leadership and now 100% owned by its employees, according to CEO Hampton Bridwell "It's a new day."

And tactically, rebranding offered the opportunity to eliminate some minor functional kinks in the old identity (designed originally by Fredy Jaggi in 1999 when JMK, formerly Jones Medinger Kindschi, wisely became BrandLogic). The symbol-centered mark was a space-eater and "as its use in digital space grew, in ever decreasing size requirements, the symbol was becoming unrecognizable" said Bridwell. And obviously the mark taught "Brand Logic" where "BrandLogic" was intended. Minor problems. Of more concern, the symbol competed for attention with the name; it was a distraction. This above all required replacement of the symbol-dominated mark with a wordmark, so that the Brandlogic name could itself be the sole focus of its visual presence. Regrettably the distinctive zebra, however charming, would have to be put out to pasture. "We were often expected to 'explain' the zebra and yes, it's the world's most graphic animal" says Bridwell, "but with a prospective client there are more useful conversations to be having." 

Given the decision "wordmark," Dan Dyksen's design team ultimately chose an all lower-case Bodoni, re-crafted by Jaggi, whose several points of distinction (the opened g descender, the d-l abutment, the r-a ligature and the top-aligned tittle) lend their individual distinctiveness to an elegantly blended whole.

Two decisions in particular, color and scale, then drove design of the new visual system. First is a soft, muted palette ("golden moss" for the mark itself, supported by gray, orange, blue and aqua), a palette that can either stand on its own, or recede to 'frame' client work; second, application of the new wordmark in aggressively heroic scale, as in the (illustrated) business card and brochure cover applications. (Myriad Pro is the new house typeface.)

Yet another interesting tactical decision on Bridwell's part was to strengthen the company name by changing its spelling (or is it punctuation?), in text, from BrandLogic to Brandlogic... in effect a more confident treatment of it as no longer (merely) a construct of two dictionary words, but rather a unique word that can stand on its own. Capping the L in text was an enduring inconvenience that people often skipped, or which led them erroneously to a two-word "Brand Logic." Best to just treat it as one word, capital B – or in other words, as a legitimate proper name.

Credits:
Identity design - Dan Dyksen, Creative Director and Fredy Jaggi, Group Director, Identity
C.E.O. - Hampton Bridwell  

                                                                Here's Hampton's new card:

 

First Impressions:
Strategy:  The event of change and the shape of change both send effective leadership messages.
Design:  I liked the zebra, but must admit she could be a little disconcerting. The new mark is far stronger in expressing professional authority, stature and (yes) craftsmanship. And inch for inch (or pixel for pixel), even in its muted color it speaks with a louder voice.  It's a game-changer.

Other comments:
I loved being in the CEO design-decision hotseat!  I know just how hard it is to make this decision now.  It is a critical moment for any leader. Hampton Bridwell