redesign, refresh and rebranding: updating visual identity and logotype

Remember the animated movie “Hercules” about Mount Olympus, the gods, titans, heroic deeds, and the charismatic Hades?. Vivid characters, sharp irony, and an unusual plot failed to win the hearts of viewers. Hercules became a box-office failure, failing to bring Disney the expected revenue. In America, Hercules grossed $99.1 million against a budget of $85 million. But the directors are ready to tackle a modern interpretation of Greek myths once again.

Today, we're taking a fresh look at many works, such as the Batman films and Disney animated movies like “The Lion King” and “Sleeping Beauty”. Directors offer new interpretations of forgotten or, conversely, popular works. And brands are no different – they also require transformations: rebranding, refresh or redesign.

What is rebranding?

It's a fresh perspective on a brand's image. It's not just a change in visual concept, but a transformation of the company's key meanings. The change can affect the entire brand core: mission, values, communication, positioning, and tone of voice.

When should you apply rebranding?

Rebranding is a step that requires significant investment, time, and resources, so it's important to understand when a company needs it:

— Building brand image. If a company faces a PR scandal and gains negative associations among the audience or if the brand is outdated, rebranding will create a new image to help build trust with consumers.

— Updating positioning. Rebranding will give a brand a current vision, preserving its position in the market and setting it apart from competitors.

— Product and production technology changes. In this case, rebranding announces an expansion of the product range or a change in direction. It also conveys innovation and the company's stage of development.

— Changing market context. If consumer values have changed and the brand doesn't align with trends, rebranding will reinterpret the brand's image and demonstrate the modernity of its approach.

— Internal transformations. Rebranding is needed if leadership changes, which may choose a different path for the company, rethinking its mission and internal corporate culture.

Examples of rebranding

Rebranding also occurs due to external circumstances. After McDonald's left the Russian market, the company decided to change its visuals and meanings, and fast-food fans waited several weeks for the café's transformation.

The mission now reads: "Delicious food and pleasant experiences accessible to everyone". The values have also changed: the brand emphasizes guest comfort, promotes volunteering, and supports entrepreneurial activities. The company has also developed new areas, such as opening a distance learning center. Its mission is to "Provide innovative modern approaches to learning and programs for the training and development of competent leaders."

The new name — "Vkusno - i tochka" (Delicious - and that's it), is a kind of manifesto to the audience, stating that despite the changes, the café will remain a place where it's delicious and cozy.

The company reflected its activities through the logo's restyling - it depicts stylized fries and a burger. The green color symbolizes calmness and confidence, while the contrasting red and orange stand out against it, attracting consumer attention.

It was important for the company to make it clear to the audience that "Vkusno - i tochka" is not the same as McDonald's. This is reflected in the brand's identity.

Golden Apple went through a rebranding. The restrained color scheme and elegant thin font were replaced with a bright palette and a laconic logo. Interaction with the audience has become more casual, as the brand aims to be closer to its audience, showing care and attention.

How did we rebranding Metoplax?

For the manufacturer of decorative metal coatings Metoplax, we conducted research and identified a problem - the "industrial" corporate style didn't align with the brand's audience: designers, and artists.

The brand was built on the idea of combining opposites: a contrasting blend of sophistication and technology. Art demands modern and fast solutions, which Metoplax conveys. In its communication, the company focuses on individual work with the client, which brings the brand closer to the consumer.

When developing the identity, we focused on visual solutions that emphasize the product's innovation and uniqueness. The logo depicts a symbol of molecules, and the printed materials are made of glossy, shiny cardboard that resembles metallic coating.

The serif font resembles a headline from a design magazine, and the pattern depicts the polymerization process, conveying the product's modernity, while the subtle geometric ornament resonates with the aesthetics of the audience.

Thanks to minimalism and Scandinavian style, the black and white palette, color elements, and metallic inserts on the packaging create unity with the overall visual concept.

What is a refresh?

A refresh is a brand update that modernizes the current concept but doesn't fundamentally change the brand's visuals or meanings.

When should you apply a refresh?

Conducting a refresh is a less costly process, but it is also used in specific cases when you need to:

— Update the corporate style. New trends and tendencies emerge in the design market, which need to be incorporated into your visual concept.

— Distinguish yourself from competitors. If your competitors have increased their promotion level, changed their communication strategy, and attracted a new audience, then a visual update is one way to stand out.

— Launch a new product. Companies expand their product range over time. To avoid consumer confusion, you need to update the design.

— Show the company's modern approach. Some brands deliberately conduct a refresh of their identity to emphasize the innovative and technological approach to working with the product.

Examples of refresh

For example, Apple has a long evolution of its corporate style. The brand conveys an innovative approach and a focus on user experience. Their ideology hasn't changed fundamentally, but the visual concept has constantly been updated and modern solutions have been sought.

In 2023, Pepsi refreshed its brand. The laconic logo was replaced with a textured one with a light effect. The color palette also became more complex: the brand added black and electric blue, making the product even brighter and standing out on the shelf. The font became larger, and sharp, beveled angles added boldness.

What is a redesign?

Redesign is a change in the elements of a brand's corporate style: logo, color palette, typography. Redesign can be compared to tuning - a minor change in appearance.

When should you apply a redesign?

It is used to improve the performance of individual brand attributes, namely when:

— The logo changes. Make it more readable and convenient for distribution on different media.

— New services appear. With the development of the IT sphere, companies are implementing services and applications for interaction with consumers. In this case, redesign helps adapt brand elements for use.

— Increased identity is required. This is necessary to stand out from strong competitors.

— A slogan needs to be changed. Sometimes it is necessary to reconsider the slogan due to the emergence of new market trends that influence consumer choices.

Examples of redesign

The LOEWE brand updated its logo without affecting the brand's positioning.

Dobry juice has redesigned its packaging several times. On store shelves, we could see a boring white box with an apple, as well as a version with funny characters depicted on bright packages.

What are the differences between rebranding, refreshing, and redesigning?

All approaches are applied to adapt companies to modern conditions and trends, but they differ in the scale of implementation. As a result of rebranding services, the brand's image changes in the consumer's mind.

Rebranding changes the brand at a fundamental level, refresh "updates" the visual concept, and redesign is applied to a separate brand attribute that has stopped performing its function.

REBRANDING — REFRESH — REDESIGN

Rebranding, refresh, and redesign are not magic solutions. But every company needs a modern vision over time.

It's important to note that rebranding and refresh are independent processes, while redesign can be part of a rebranding effort.