BY Christian Palino

The Great White Wash

Walmart has taken some of their 250 billion dollars in sales and invested it in improving their own line of products. This initiative has involved extensive product and consumer testing, the introduction of new formulas and products, a staffed number for consumers’ product inquiries, the ability to rate and review their products on on their site, and of course new packaging.

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DATE: Apr.14.2009CATEGORY: Consumer products 139 COMMENTS

BY Armin

Much Less for MuchMore

Launched a little over ten years ago as a companion to MuchMusic and now part of the bigger Much[Blank] network of Canadian music channels, MuchMoreMusic changed its name and logo this past March. The new name is just MuchMore, dropping the music, which is weird because “MuchMore” doesn’t mean, well, much without the “music” part. At least that’s what I found while Googling. But that’s not necessarily the driving point of this review. The new logo was apparently redesigned in-house by Vancouver Film School graduate Nicolas Alexander. The old logo was, of course, a mess of Garamondic proportions that lacked any sort of intention or interest. The new one, on the other hand, is striving hard for both intention and interest, but I’m not sure what either is. Maybe it’s explained in how the logo animates — not being in Canada, I can’t see the on-air applications and the animation group, Crush, that did the broadcast work does not have anything on their site — but I don’t get what the missing pieces of the “M”s and the “O” are supposed to be. Loading? More? Much more? What? Why just MMO get the slicing treatment? Nonetheless, it’s an improvement and it looks fun but, for me, not MuchMore positive things to say than that.

Thanks to Kyle Richmond for the tip.

DATE: Apr.13.2009CATEGORY: Entertainment 43 COMMENTS

BY Armin

Creepy Eyes Be Gone

One of the most infamous logos of 2008 — which not surprisingly made it to our worst section of 2008’s Best and Worst — is back for another round. WGN America, the only remaining “superstation” in the U.S. unveiled yesterday a new identity that attempts to put behind the weirdest eyes to pass as a logo in recent memory. Although, to be fair, they did drop the eye illustration at some point between its own unveiling and now. The new logo is equally baffling in its own right: Three rounded-edge squares, skewed to come together hold some poorly mishandled default slab serif on top of a clashing rounded geometric sans serif. Sigh. There is nothing pleasing about this logo with so many dissonant elements mixed together. Maybe, if they keep up this pace, third time is the charm a year from now? Further reading on this story can be found here.

Thanks to Jay Mann for first tip.

DATE: Apr.10.2009CATEGORY: Entertainment 77 COMMENTS

BY Armin

Open Source with a Heart

I think I can get this right, but please excuse my lack of acquaintance with the world of open source software for mobile devices. Originally developed in 1998 by Symbian Ltd., the Symbian Operating System has (I think) powered much of the software in phones for Nokia, Ericsson and Docomo and has remained largely unknown to users. Last year, Nokia purchased the Symbian Ltd. and its OS in order to contribute it to the newly formed Symbian Foundation, which aims to provide the software platform as open source to all of its members. So, more or less, that’s the story. In other words, Symbian Foundation is attempting to feel highly approachable and transparent doing it in a back-to-basics, can’t-we-all-just-get-along, no-fuss way.

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DATE: Apr.09.2009CATEGORY: Technology 45 COMMENTS

BY Armin

How Things End Up on Brand New

No one has really asked, but given that my brandnew@ e-mail account is swelling with unanswered e-mails about tips and suggestions, I feel a self-imposed burden to explain a little bit of how I choose which identities we review here on Brand New.

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DATE: Apr.08.2009CATEGORY: Publishing 31 COMMENTS

BY Armin

Mi Discovery Kids es su Discovery Kids

The Latin American edition of the Discovery Kids channel has redesigned their logo, leaving behind the globe-heavy visual language that used to dominate all of Discovery Communications’ logos that, in turn, have been slowly disappearing. No word on whether this identity will translate (pun!) for the main U.S. Discovery Kids, but it very well should. It is infinitely more energetic, playful and appropriate. It feels more like the logo for a cool science and children’s museum where you can interact with the topic, rather than a logo that looks like part of a monolithic media empire that happens to have a channel for kids. The “i” as an exclamation point is clichéd, there are far better type choices than VAG Rounded and the angled “s” is kind of weird, but overall it has just the right feel. Make sure you roll over the logo in the web site, it opens a world (pun!) of possibilities for this identity.

Thanks to Alberto G. Manuel for first tip.

DATE: Apr.07.2009CATEGORY: Entertainment 33 COMMENTS

BY Armin

A Lost Sense of Wonder?

While attending the International Balloon Race at the Indianapolis Speedway in 1921, as the story goes, Vice President of the Taggart Baking Company, Elmer Cline, came up with the name — which subsequently inspired the logo — of their soon-to-be-introduced loaf of bread as he was struck in wonder by the sight of the balloons in the sky. And for more than eighty years, Wonder Bread has been an icon of all things American, and, more yummily, of all things sandwich. Few things are as delicious as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in classic white wonder bread as it sticks to the top of your mouth. Just don’t count the calories. But back on track: With an increasing number of products and SKUs that were growing inconsistent in their design, Wonder has just redesigned the complete line of packaging and has modified its logo. In charge of the redesign was Kansas City-based Willoughby Design, who was been working with Wonder since the late 1990s.

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DATE: Apr.06.2009CATEGORY: Consumer products 66 COMMENTS

BY Brand New

You Don’t Know Dick

Guest Review by Chris Thorpe

Since 1968, Dick Smith Electronics has provided Australian consumers with a wide range of electronic products, from transistor radio kits and cables to computers and cameras. Founded by entrepreneur (and more recently aviator) Dick Smith, it used a series of marketing gimmicks (including creating a fake iceberg and sailing it into Sydney Harbour) to raise its public profile until it was sold to Woolworths in 1980. As part of Woolworths’ recent rebranding, the identity has been changed to reflect the updated style of the rest of the Woolworths Group. It is also an attempt to counter general perceptions of the company as a budget retailer, along with absorbing Dick Smith Powerhouse and Tandy Electronics, creating a unified electronics store for the Woolworths Group under the name Dick Smith. This logo, designed by Hoyne Design, is part of an attempt to move the retailer towards a consumer electronics brand, and also includes substantial changes to the store displays and graphics.

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DATE: Apr.03.2009CATEGORY: Retailers 62 COMMENTS

BY Christian Palino

Gaming Logo on Demand

OnLive is a recently launched service providing games on demand. A vast selection of titles for rent or purchase, game trials, multiplayer capabilities, PC and Mac compatible — all instantly accessible through a broadband connection. I just saw this over at the Game Developers Conference and its a pretty cool prospect for avid gamers that may pose a potential impact to the console wars. While their identity may employ all the cliches one might expect — techy typography, a play symbol, dimensional circle with gradient shading and an animated light reflection — the overall feeling is appropriate and the limited black and gold color scheme feels cohesive (and not too much like the palette of Donald Trump’s bathroom!). Imagining the audience that Onlive has in mind, this is a successful, though slightly overplayed, visual approach. Images for the console and controller can be seen here

DATE: Apr.02.2009CATEGORY: Entertainment 31 COMMENTS

BY Armin

In Brief: So Very In Brief

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DATE: Apr.02.2009CATEGORY: In Brief 43 COMMENTS