Hewlett Packard

Not implemented:  A new HP monogram

Not launched:  Revealed (by the design firm) December 12, 2011 or thereabouts;  disavowed by HP December 15.

Story in brief:
A Hewlett Packard spokesperson confirmed (on December 15) that “in 2008, HP asked marketing agency Moving Brands to propose new ideas for various elements of HP’s brand identity, including fonts, graphics, and logos." But now, “HP is one of the world’s most valuable brands and has no plans to adopt the new logo proposed by Moving Brands.  HP did implement some of the other design elements shown in the case study.”

Independently, hours earlier this message (from 'adb,' evidently a Moving Brands representative) appeared in the BrandNew comments string:  "We have removed the HP case study per the request of HP, in order to clarify the distinction between the aspects of the work that were setting a creative vision for the brand but were not implemented in the market, and the aspects which reflect the actual in-market applications of the Identity and Design System. The ‘Progress mark’ logo is not the go-forward direction for HP."

Obviously, and regrettably, client/consultant wires got remarkably crossed, and highest-level approvals were assumed prematurely.
 

Credits:
C.E.O. - Meg Whitman
Identity design - Moving Brands

First Impressions:
Strategy:  There's the problem. A visual rebranding of this significance is a powerful executive act, and as such requires  understandable and clearly articulated leadership purposes. Meg Whitman has been on board for barely eleven weeks, thus cannot have been part of this protracted brand rethinking process. And barring board insistence (which is unlikely), she cannot yet be seen to own changes of the magnitude this new mark would signal; indeed, she would risk being seen to overreach. (Give her eleven months, not weeks, and it's a different story.)
Design:  The "Progress mark" itself is striking (if not highly original), and functions well as a visual-system anchor. But the existing mark (the 2D version, in its latest configuration) is hardly stale; it is a fresh and highly functional identifier of one-color power -- straightforward, confident and quite beautiful. I assume Moving Brands shares credit for the HP brand's recently fresher look.

Other Comments:
Gene Grossman, an Identity Forum contributor,  writes that "About 20 years ago I proposed this design to HP (among other options), to find that the board ultimately rejected any changes to their symbol. They were very conservative. I do suggest, however, that if Moving Brands were to reverse their proposed symbol out of a circle, perhaps today's board would reconsider. It carries more of the equity of the existing symbol, it's still fresh and visually stronger. Just a thought."