Behind the Idea: Logos vs. Brand Worlds

Simon Manchipp is Founder of London-based design practice, Someone and he believes that logos are dying. “There is no desire for them from the public any more," he says, claiming they are an old fashioned approach to differentiating products and services.

Manchipp thinks it’s hard to argue that any logo can ever properly explain what a company has to offer, or even its values or mission. “It’s not enough to just be orange and white and to put the word ‘easy’ in front of everything,’ says Manchipp. ‘It’s dull.’

However, there is hope for the business wishing to stand out from the crowd.  Companies these days have an opportunity to create richer, more interesting ‘brand worlds’.  They don’t need logos anymore, insists Manchipp – ‘they’re better off without them, in fact’.  A recent poll on design website underconsideration.com showed that people preferred the deeper brand world experience – 61% thought it improved the brand identity.

A brand Manchipp thinks is starting to get it right is UEFA Poland-Ukraine 2012.  Brandia Central, the agency behind the identity aimed to create something that could be truly European while also celebrating the host countries’ shared cultural heritage. 

“Yes, they have made a logo,’ says Manchipp, 'but it’s a bit of a mess." However, Manchipp is amazed by the selection of backgrounds, textures, illustrations and ideas that support the logo.  All inspired by the perfectly authentic early 19^th Century art form of Wycinanki – paper cutting popular in both Poland and Ukraine.

 

"These illustrations are so interesting, culturally relevant and wildly original (particularly in football geezer world) that if they were a little braver, they could do away with the ‘Logo-bit’ all together and be left with brilliant, exciting, ownable and authentic visual identity," says Manchipp.  He hopes that’s part of the plan for this identity.  "See how great they look when applied to each stadium, or competing country’s flags," he says.

This embodies for him what brand worlds do compared to logos and symbols. ‘Brand worlds explain themselves globally. They intrigue, excite and offer flexibility. They are a campaign; useful and engaging.’  He adds, “They are everything a logo is not. Which is why, the logo is dead.’

 

Comments

[Gary Swindell]

This is a bit of an old discussion isn't it...? Logos don't play the part they used to, say in the 80's, they've just become one of many important elements including patterns, photography, typography, language, illustration, diagrams icons etc etc that constitute a modern brand identity.

[B. Mathers]

I think Simon makes a lot of sense.

I'm bored by logos.

And you can get a lot more out of the 'brand world' side of things.

It's amazing how many people still obsess over 'logos' - it's time to move on we can animate posters now. Why keep on designing for lowest common denominator. The fax is dead! (so perhaps bow the logo can follow!)

Nice article!

[Michael Mursell]

Just checked out Someones site, and what do they lead with on their homepage? Ahem, 30 logo's.

TBH, quotes like "They don’t need logos anymore, insists Manchipp – ‘they’re better off without them, in fact’." Seem pretty hollow, as someone at Someone clearly thinks logo's are important after all...

Personally, I think that a logo is a the first step in building a strong corporate identity - and its crucial to get that step right. The public may not obsess over them anymore, because we have grown up and become far more brand savvy - but that does not mean they are in decline. A logo is an identifier, or visual hook that facilitates immediate recognition and becomes the mark that a product or service is known by. For better or for worse, they are not going to disappear... Ultimately, it is brands that do not deliver on their promises that will die.

[@lizzieormiston]

I still think logos can have value, but if the brand doesn't associate with the logo, then it is not worth it. The best logos still say so much more about a business or product than a typeface.

Check out this post - brands are shortcuts
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[Ian Bonner]

I certainly don't agree with Manchipp. Logos will always have a place. Agreed, they drop in and out of fashion but doesn't everything? An identity will almost always be identified by its brand logo.

[Logo Design]

well i would say logo is not the brand, well a better logo becomes an identity then i becomes the brand identity. Thanks for sharing such a good stuff.

[Ben Wolstenholme]

Businesses need living identities, not dead logos

A brand is an evolving story not an unchanging visual stamp.  
A logo can help to identify a brand, but in a fast-moving world it is just one of many elements a brand needs if it's to connect and interact with people.
We're much more interested in the many different ways a brand inspires people to think about – and contribute to – its story.
This could be anything from a colour to a sound, gesture, image, material or phrase. 
Think about Apple's pinch or swipe.
Think about Intel's sonic mnemonic.
Think about the brown delivery vehicles of UPS.
The way a brand's different elements combine over time is what really brings it to life.
Logos only die when they are part of a fixed system that can't respond to a changing world. 
The huge opportunity for designers is to create and express a great brand story using the array of media now available to us, from film to social media, music, environments, graphics and so on. 
Businesses need living identities, not dead logos.

This is a subject close to our hearts, we've just written a paper about it — Living Identity

http://www.movingbrands.com/?paged=1&living=1

[Dragos]

Well, it's nice to see a good chat like this and I think that we still need the logos but not as we needed them a while ago. There is too much overload with marks, symbols and logos around us, our minds and eyes can't deal with so much crowd in colors, forms, shapes etc.

What do we need is patterns. But not only visual aesthetic pattern, a behavior pattern, a strategy pattern and so on. That pattern should be applied to every step of the way continuously. Every brand has to act coherently in the market, in the community. In this case the logo will be just and anchor on the products but nothing more.

Brands have to be recognizable by their behavior and not by a logo. Just like Apple is. They don't need the logo, they have a design pattern, a strategy pattern that leaves behind the mark and the need for advertising.

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[Julian Sykes]

It seems that an evolving dynamic brand has always been much more than just the mark or 'stamp'. I guess with the use of more and more complex technologies then brands will further become more intertwined with the physical world, ironically. I think in the future brands that will excite me are the ones that will give me time and take time away from me, and know when to do this.

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Thanks for sharing these illustrations.
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[G3 Creative]

A logo / corporate identity is one of the most important components of any successful business.

http://www.g3creative.co.uk/branding.htm

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