What is it in a logo that catches one’s attention and retains recognition? Is it simplicity? Ingenuity? The brand name itself? There are just some of the questions I encounter while trying to design what is hoped to be the permanent logo of the Student Leadership Conference (SLC) at UBC. There is a popular meme on the internet that says this, “What is seen cannot be unseen”. It refers to the fact that one you notice or is informed of some random quirk in a picture, you become constantly aware of it every time you see that picture. Likewise, once I began to think about that is in a logo, I cannot help but think about the quality and rationale of every logo I encounter, even today. While I don’t have an answer, I would still like to share my thoughts on this subject.
How much of McDonald’s success is owned to the recognisability of the Golden Arches (so famous in itself that it has achieve Capitalization status)? Doing a quick research on the internet, critic cites the simplicity, the vibrant color combination, and the symmetry that make it eye catching and memorable. Plus, its marketability is versatile, since it could be incorporated into the entrance, the building’s support structure, and etc. But, in all seriousness, do people really believe it to be special, or are they just spewing generic BS to fit the bill? I am inclined towards the latter.
In my mind, there is nothing special about the Golden Arches. There is nothing to suggest that competitors such as A&W, Wendy’s, KFC, Burger King and co.’s logos are definitively inferior. I agree that McDonald’s marketing is the most successful of its industry, but I would argue it has very little to do with its logo. McDonald’s marketing success comes from three areas: product recognition, abundance of advertisement, and constant changes to their campaign theme. Everyone recognizes a Big Mac, even in the most remote countries in the world. It is so abundantly available that the UN named one of their purchase power indicators the Big Mac Index, for God’s Sake! Secondly, McDonald’s aggressively places their ads in every nooks and corners of the world. I challenge you to go on a day without seeing anything McDonald’s related – I bet my shirt that you will fail. Third of all, McDonald’s constantly update their ads, always creating new mini-segments. By my casual observation, McDonald’s go through a particular ad every 1-2 weeks. What that does is that the audience are always treated to something fresh, thus they are less likely to skip the channel relative to an ad that they’ve seen 5-10 times already.
If McDonald’s ever choose to rebrand itself, it will create a massive uproar for a brief moment and ultimately affect nothing. Several years ago, Gap Inc tried to rebrand itself, reverting back to their inauguration logo to communicate the idea that they are less corporatize and conservative, more personalized and hip. What did it change? Nothing. A new logo did not change people’s perception of Gap. Within two years, they changed it back to what it was five years ago. That is the ultimate signal of “I think we just f’d up, let’s change it back before more people notice.”
Comment, discuss, and debate what you think about logos and their importance to marketing.
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