I’m sure no one cares about this but me.
I was talking by e-mail to my former co-worker Wayne about the lack of design and creative work available these days, something he and I have a serious stake in. And today I read that UPS spent $20 million on a new logo, which “futurizes” the classic design by the great Paul Rand. Rand’s most famous work is arguably the classic IBM logo, designed in 1956 and still in use today.
The new logo abandons Rand’s simple tied package and manages to replace it with two scourges of contemporary design: the swoosh and the 3D. For a cool $20 mil.
Who says no one spends money on design anymore?
Okay. Great, people: we have our new logo and Communications and Marketing is all over our roll-out campaign. Now, after our initial $20 million layout, we’ve got about $635 in the budget for an update of our websites. Does anybody have a kid in high school we could call?
Or maybe just give the little whipper snapper an Xbox.
My thoughts exactly, John.
I like the original logo better. The new one curves out at you in a freaky way.
The new logo looks like a science fiction military insignia.
Starship Troopers, deliver your packages and boxes!!!
____________
I go now.
On top of wasting 20 mil to throw away a classic icon, many years of work building a successful brand, on Monday they’ll probably announce that they regrettably have to layoff thousands of people-to keep with the “streamlining” of their business. ;(
One of my favorite designers, Hillman Curtis, states that the rule to designing a good logo has always been that you should be able to draw it in the sand. Rand’s classic design fit nicely into that philosophy-in addition to being an incredibly successful mark, smart, simple and functional. There are plenty of companies and organizations who NEED[!] an identity makeover, it’s sad to see such a successful icon get dumped.
I just looked at ups.gif again.
A logo whose elegance intimidates me
+
More money than I would make in 1,000 years
=
Some garbage any loser with photoshop could puke out
BT is changing their logo, too, doing away with the piper in exchange for a (3D!) globe of colorful blobs. Feh.
PACKAGES AND BOXES!!!
I certainly don’t understand why anyone would spend $20 Million on a logo when a 12 year old could probably come up with any of the concepts. However (perhaps it is my new generation upbringing that causing this), I am a fan of the new logo. I think logos do get dated and that the old UPS one falls into that category. The new one is simple enough and the colors are strong and pleasant to the eye. I am no student of design but I know what I like. I think the new logo is taking bashing more for the extravant cost of its production than for anything inherently wrong with it. A logo like IBM’s remains in touch with the public’s aesthetic and crosses generations but I’m not certain the same holds for the old UPS logo.
Finally. Its only opinion people. Don’t crucify me.