Opinion BY Christian Palino

Common Vision

Bausch + Lomb, — no longer spelled with an ampersand, now with a plus sign — the eye health company that began in 1853 in Rochester, New York as a small optical shop and has grown into a multi-billion dollar organization with 13,000 employees, now has a revised brand identity to better support their broad offering in over 100 countries. B+L describes their product offering in three categories: Vision Care (with well-know products like SofLens and PureVision), Pharmaceuticals (with products that treat eye conditions including glaucoma, eye allergies, conjunctivitis, dry eye and retinal disease), and Cataract and Vitreoretinal Surgery (delivering intraocular lenses and surgical instruments and devices). Chances are, if you’re wearing glasses or contact lenses, you’re familiar with B+L’s consumer products.

Bausch + Lomb, the global eye health company, today unveiled its redesigned company logo and icon. Both incorporate hues of the company’s traditional blue and green colors, while introducing the plus (+) symbol to represent the organization’s strong commitment to innovation and partnership with practitioners as a leader in eye health.

“Our new corporate identity reflects the ongoing evolution of Bausch + Lomb as we make strides in growing our business for the benefit of medical practitioners, retail partners, consumers and patients around the world,” said Gerald M. Ostrov, the company’s chairman and chief executive officer. “Based on our strong momentum coming out of last year, as well as a number of planned new product launches and market initiatives over the coming months, we believe that 2010 will be a banner year for the company and the millions of people we’re so fortunate to serve each year.”
— Press Release

The previous B+L identity, referred to as “pathways” and designed by Futurebrand in 2004, was an abstract representation of light refraction (something like this. The concept made sense and certainly related to their eye health business, however the execution of the refraction mark, mostly in use, never fulfilled its potential. I say “mostly in use” as one could imagine two colored triangles like these being extended in consistent and interesting ways across a system of packaging and collateral — however, in reality, it was treated like a conventional logo and did little to inform communication standards. Yes, the typography was rather pedestrian and had an awkward use of the ampersand, but it was decently set and only now feels terribly dated in our current landscape.

The new identity by Paula Scher and Lisa Kitschenberg of Pentagram is a clean and modern approach to crafting the Bausch + Lomb wordmark. Pentagram has a write-up on the work over on their blog which discusses a number of the intended readings of the new identity. They highlight the “+” as a medical plus sign conveying “that Bausch + Lomb is open and committed to partnering with the medical community.” While the presence of a medical cross may help to communicate this, the semi-transparent overlays are difficult to perceive as the solid, single-color cross widely associated with medicine. Pentagram also touts the use of transparency as one that suggests vision as well as liquids. While the latter point clearly has potential, the idea of vision could be easily misinterpreted by the challenges present in letter-shape recognition (think of the familiar association with eye-charts) when looking at the common application of this transparency technique in the “B+L” icon.

New B+L icon, above, and wordmark, below.

The identity’s typography, which feels contemporary on the corporate landscape, is set in Nobel BL, based (In use in the logo, the alterations to Nobel are barely recognizable) on Font Bureau’s Nobel designed by Tobias Frere-Jones.

The retention of the blue and green color scheme does have a pharmaceutical connotation out here in western europe, though it should be noted that the previous B+L colors were more inline with this reference. It is also important to recognize that while this color scheme feels appropriate, it does little do distinguish itself in a saturated field as eye health products, at least on the consumer side, are overwhelming blue and green (Examples seen in the product lines of competitors including CIBA Vision, Vistak, Acuvue (Johnson + Johnson), and Alcon).

While I have a heavy appreciation for branding approaches that skip the literal and instead involve the audience through abstract approaches that require interpretation, the visual devices at work in this identity (transparency, medical cross) feel too generic to carry significant B+L meaning or give them something to hang their hat on. While this branding is a significant cut above the competition through craft and execution, the competitive landscape is filled with blue/green attempts at conveying vision. Perhaps what Bausch + Lomb needed more was a clear way to express their breadth of offerings and distinguish themselves from their competitors — a different kind of vision.

Thanks to Steven McClenning for first tip.

Chris’s comment is:

Have a quick look for some of the new packaging too, it’s such an improvement.

On Jan.12.2010 at 06:30 AM

tvdinner’s comment is:

i love it :)

On Jan.12.2010 at 06:33 AM

Julio’s comment is:

I like this new clean identity. I also like when they replace the umpersand with the plus sign, it’s much more inclusive.

On Jan.12.2010 at 06:33 AM

John McCollum’s comment is:

This I like.

On Jan.12.2010 at 06:43 AM

Yves’s comment is:

Somehow the font used reminds me of Bosch (with several of the same letters), and disturbs my perception of B+L a little.

On Jan.12.2010 at 06:55 AM

buruno’s comment is:

Wow! What a nice work. At the moment I saw the typeface I thought of Frere-Jones. Love how the wordmark’s colour matches the one in the plus sign junction.

Still, as you pointed out, it might be a little too generic to stand out in the market. More design than branding, me thinks.

On Jan.12.2010 at 07:09 AM

Bonnie’s comment is:

The grey version does not completemy convince me.
But the overall change is good!

On Jan.12.2010 at 07:51 AM

cj’s comment is:

the typography is nice, but I’m not a fan of the colors at all. however, it’s a big improvement; I’m just not sure it had to come at pentagram prices.

On Jan.12.2010 at 07:54 AM

Mark’s comment is:

Whilst I really like this identity with its bolder style that evokes a better feeling of quality, I’m really really surprised by the use of pale colours and transparency for a brand dealing with eye products.

On Jan.12.2010 at 07:59 AM

Jeffery Wright’s comment is:

It’s more difficult to take the new logo in one eyeful, the old one reads instantly, but the new one?

With it’s lower contrast color theme and font with large, nearly indistinct characters, it seems ironic that a vision oriented company would employ such a visually taxing identity.

The old one seems to be on much sharper focus, to me.

On Jan.12.2010 at 08:08 AM

ScottyM’s comment is:

I like this and think it’s solid work. The + sign is the clincher, with its transparency being a great “eye puzzle.” I think it represents what one often sees on eye charts and the various tests in doctors’ offices.

The color is in line with the brand. No need to change for change sake.

What concerns me is the implementation … the potential is great if they have a secondary supporting palette in mind for all the collateral. If that above is the direction, B+L wants everyone to see an eye doctor! It’s virtually unreadable to a senior and is very, very antiseptic in its starkness.

A for logo + icon
C for collateral

On Jan.12.2010 at 08:09 AM

Doug Bartow’s comment is:

Does anyone think “BAUSCH” is tracked out too much, or, conversely, “LOMB” is too tight? Overall, solid as usual from Pentagram.

On Jan.12.2010 at 09:00 AM

Glenn Sakamoto’s comment is:

i + love + it

On Jan.12.2010 at 09:13 AM

Mike’s comment is:

I’m not completely sold on it, but then again I’m not one of the sheep who automatically hover around everything Pentagram spits out as the next greatest design achievement. Sometimes I wonder if the reaction would be the same if the same logo was generated by the likes of Wolff Olins.

I know that the Pentagram folks can be clever, but lately I feel that there is a ridiculous amount of celebrity being attached to their work to justify it. This one isn’t nearly as bad as NY Philharmonic, but I am sure there are better solutions out there than the above.

On Jan.12.2010 at 09:22 AM

Deshler’s comment is:

The “+” is starting to grate on my nerves—it seems to have jumped from the professional services world (architecture firms, design firms) into the consumer world. I thought it was overused before—a gimmicky shortcut to say, “hey, we’re forward-thinking and cool.”

On Jan.12.2010 at 09:22 AM

Joseph’s comment is:

@Doug - I didn’t notice that until you pointed it out, but it does feel a bit off.

I really like this new identity. Big improvement over the previous, even if it doesn’t necessarily distinguish itself from the blue/green that is so common in the industry.

On Jan.12.2010 at 09:23 AM

Chip O'Toole’s comment is:

Disappointing.

Type out Bausch + Lomb in a heavy weight, add some kerning, overlay a couple rectangles, pick a few colors, and done?

I don’t think so. This is a careless and disconnected rebrand which forces any reason or ties to the company’s purpose and vision. An uninspiring type solution to a brand which could benefit from a better icon development or graphic treatment than just a +. They deserve better.

On the other hand, the packaging (minus the logo) differentiates from competitors and is executed quite well.

On Jan.12.2010 at 09:33 AM

Nick Irwin’s comment is:

sorry i cant see it i dont have my contacts in (pun intended)

On Jan.12.2010 at 09:33 AM

Nick Irwin’s comment is:

sorry i cant see it i dont have my contacts in (pun intended)

On Jan.12.2010 at 09:34 AM

Nick Irwin’s comment is:

sorry i cant see it i dont have my contacts in (pun intended)

On Jan.12.2010 at 09:35 AM

Derek’s comment is:

I like that unlike all the other brands in the stores, this new brand is very clean. There’s no swoopy vector shapes and the text doesn’t align weirdly along french curves. There’s no drop shadows.

Sure they used blue/green like everyone else, but unlike everyone else they used ample amounts of white space. And a grid.

Love it.

On Jan.12.2010 at 09:43 AM

G*’s comment is:

@Doug - “Does anyone think “BAUSCH” is tracked out too much, or, conversely, “LOMB” is too tight?” - Good observation. I think this may have been done to achieve a better visual balance. If Lomb were tracked the same as Bausch it might look off balance because it’s a short word next to a longer word. That’s just my guess, good eye.

About the logo - Paula Scher, Pentagram… enough said.

Well done.

;)

On Jan.12.2010 at 09:47 AM

Matthew Mills’s comment is:

Im a fan of Pentagram, normally there work is inspiring but for once I find this quite dull, which is frustrating. It doesn’t stand out enough from its competitors. It will just blend in with the rest. I agree its an improvement on the previous, but that wouldn’t take much.

On Jan.12.2010 at 09:53 AM

Alex P.’s comment is:

All this is nice, and appropriately clean. Though all I can think of is “Bausch” and “Lomb”. Both written out and said out loud, they really fun names, right?

On Jan.12.2010 at 10:09 AM

Alexander Greyling’s comment is:

Huge pluses that are impractical

I have also looked at the rollout of the new brandmark on the packaging. I am a huge fan of Pentagram (have a look at their “ What type are you?”) and Paula Scher but somehow I feel they have let me down with the B+L brandmark that I think is fundamentally flawed. OK, I hear the Pentagram junkies screaming but hear me out.

The + instead of the & is a nice touch and the transparent + combined with the typography and colours seen in isolation are huge improvements. But viewed with the competition I don’t think it is enough to compete in the world of consumer products.

The transparent + is not practical and when reduced it is nowhere to be seen on the packaging. So what is the point in having these elements in the first place?

The absence of a slogan reflects arrogance from B+L and the statement from Gerald M Ostrov, the company’s chairman and chief executive officer “… while introducing the plus (+) symbol to represent the organization’s strong commitment to innovation and partnership with practitioners as a leader in eye health” is very obscure and sounds like corporate speak and BS to me.

On the other hand I do not know B+Ls market share and if they are a monopoly then it does not matter anyway.

Sorry Paula!

Alexander Greyling
Author of Face your brand!
The language of visual branding explained

On Jan.12.2010 at 10:09 AM

jj’s comment is:

I liked that some of us apologize before mentioning we don’t really love this new mark, because of Pentagram’s reputation. And for good reason, not only are the Pentagram folks wonderful designers they are wonderful ambassadors for the industry as a whole. And let’s face it, who of us wouldn’t want the chance to peddle our talents under their shingle?

That being said, I find this not only dull but bordering on amateur. Eeeeek, I know - I said it. I just don’t find anything at all to like about this at all. It’s simple yes, but also invisible. I feel like I would get this from one of my students trying to mimic Scher’s previous career work. I don’t mean to be hateful, and maybe I’m being too harsh, I just think it is in a word; bad. The old logo was nothing to write to grandma about, but this is definitely not either.

And I don’t care what it’s for - a beautiful ampersand could have been found and should have been found as that was the most interesting element in the previous logo and would have shown some respect for the heritage of the company. And yes B A U S C H is tracked too much in comparison to LOMB.

I just want to say that it’s nice to have a forum to express our opinions on such things, and I do hope that this comment doesn’t come off gratuitously negative.

JJ

On Jan.12.2010 at 10:51 AM

Emma’s comment is:

I loved it—except upon coming to the mark where the B was an overlay of two colors. For an eye-care company, it made me feel like mine was going. Ouch.

On Jan.12.2010 at 10:54 AM

pnply’s comment is:

I’m also a huge fan of Pentagram, but I have to agree with most of Greyling’s comments.

Also: “At the moment I saw the typeface I thought of Frere-Jones” -C’mon buruno. Really?

On Jan.12.2010 at 10:55 AM

Jason’s comment is:

Slick! I like this.

On Jan.12.2010 at 11:10 AM

Matt Lackey’s comment is:

Like many before me, I am a fan of Pentagram, but this one is just so-so. First time I saw this out in the aisle of the grocery story, I did not even recognize the company. I reached for it anyway because of the price and the packaging, but I am sucker for good-lookn’ packaging. Even taking out the bottle was quite a fun discovery for contact solution. Deshler stated it earlier, the logo came off instantly as a mark for a design agency or an architecture firm.

On Jan.12.2010 at 11:11 AM

Martin Boath’s comment is:

@ Mike – couldn’t agree more. There’s a real element of ‘the emperor’s new clothes’ about a lot of what Pentagram are doing at the moment, almost as if they’re telling their clients what to think/accept and such is their reputation they get away with work that is not up to the high standards they set a number of years ago.

Don’t get me wrong, this is nice but I’d expect better. Adding this to several other identities created by Pentagram over the last few years (MAD springs to mind) shows there does seem to be a decline in their previously very high standards.

And the trick of darkening the competitors bottles in the packaging shot on their own site in order to make their new solution stand out is poor and not even close to subtle.

On Jan.12.2010 at 11:17 AM

Ryan’s comment is:

I think this a solid re-brand and it really came together for me when I saw the packaging (though the centered mark near the bottom seems out of place): http://pentagram.com/en/packaging_02_pop1.php

On Jan.12.2010 at 11:19 AM

Marketing Rockstar’s comment is:

The revised identity works. The name Bausch+Lomb should be in a spelling bee.

On Jan.12.2010 at 11:26 AM

tony’s comment is:

it’s beautiful in English, but terrible in chinese.

On Jan.12.2010 at 11:35 AM

grubedoo’s comment is:

I’m not a huge fan of the muted colors scheme but the visual eye-play going on in the + is great. I could see the transparency technique played out nicely throughout the brand. Pardon the pun.

On Jan.12.2010 at 11:39 AM

Man’s comment is:

Why does Pentagram NYs work always look dated?

The “fat face” typeface is kind of 70’s, in a not so cool way.
The overlay technique is played (Meredith, etc), centered logotype? Clarendon for the packaging? (one small step to wood type)

Like the colour palette though, fresh.

On Jan.12.2010 at 11:47 AM

Andrew Sabatier’s comment is:

This is a promising step towards a future-oriented eye health company. Bausch+Lomb’s new identity is appropriately fresh and medicinal. The B+L abbreviated brandmark is the right sort of practical brand thinking but appears too decorative and overworks the optical transparency and partnership ideas.

With such a proven track record Bausch+Lomb can afford to lay claim to the medicine symbol without falling victim to outright cliche. The transparency and partnership ideas help to make this particular expression of the medical symbol proprietary. It sharpens up the cliche to secure the brand in an archetypal symbolic space. However, the rest of the brand identity under-delivers. Dax looks dated and the website ‘look & feel’ is on the tacky and gimmicky side of consumer-oriented ‘touchy-feely’, and looks far more downmarket than the smart new abstract and decidedly corporate brandmark.

The reference to the new identity as a logo update in the press release is very disappointing for a company of this stature. Surely Pentagram doesn’t still deal in logos?! And what is the guiding brand idea without having to read the associated ideas of transparency plus partnership into the identity? Surely the brandmarks aren’t the only manifestation of these ideas?

The final solution looks distinctly cerebral and only just passable as a significant upgrade for such a heavyweight eyecare brand.

A.

Permalink

On Jan.12.2010 at 12:11 PM

forenoon’s comment is:

“Both incorporate hues of the company’s traditional blue and green colors”
wait, what? “hue”? one of us didn’t properly look at color theory (i’m not ruling out it’s me).

agree with the comments saying the transparency is ironic. the pale colors somewhat remind me of medical gloves… on the other hand, they seem to be more pop culture-like (probably doesn’t make any sense, it’s probably the type just as much or more).

On Jan.12.2010 at 12:11 PM

Von K’s comment is:

I like this. I’d argue that the new mark & packaging DO stand out from competitors, both on the shelves (where it counts most) and in an on-screen logo-to-logo comparison. The colors are really the only conventional aspect as far as this industry goes.

There’s a lot of Pentagram/Cher hating going on here, and despite most commentors actually describing real reason why they feel the work falls short, it’s just coming across as sour grapes to me.

Was there an opportunity here to explore new evolutions of the “pathways” mark, among other solutions? Yes. And just because the finished work we see here didn’t arrive at a solution including one of the many possibilities doesn’t mean they were never explored.

Let’s not forget that the final versions of things are what’s been arrived at after lots of research, exploration and client-involvement. Don’t be so quick to chide designers for what you perceive to be failings—the true measures of success are how the brand performs and the client’s happiness. It’s all too easy to criticize negatively from the outside of the process, with no knowledge of what explorations were nixed or why.

On Jan.12.2010 at 12:29 PM

Ira F. Cummings’s comment is:

Generally, I like the new logo. The overall lightness is what appeals to me the most, despite the use of a very bold face in all caps. I think the color palette is great. The type works for me, though I think—as has been discussed—the kerning could have used a bit more attention to my eye.

The weakest part for me is the B+L mark. It lacks the elegance that the full wordmark has, and I find the shrinking “+” less than appealing. It’s rather strange, especially considering the full wordmark has very little variety in widths. Deciding to suddenly conform to the widths of the horizontals of the B seems a strange choice.

Something that I don’t think was mentioned here is the similarity to the truvia logo that Paula Scher did not long ago. While the type used in that logo is all lower case and much more delicate, it is conceptually similar. I’m not questioning that either logo is less effective due to the similarity, but viewed as a pair it seems that they have a good deal in common.

On Jan.12.2010 at 12:54 PM

Brendan’s comment is:

http://www.buynlarge.com/NewsCenter.html

When I saw B+L on the bottom of the ReNu bottle, I immediately thought of WALL-E!

But no, I like it. It’s a fresh look. It might age pretty quickly, but then again the last one seemed to as well.

On Jan.12.2010 at 01:23 PM

Ivan Tolmachev’s comment is:

Loving it! Great clean minimalistic identity.

On Jan.12.2010 at 01:58 PM

MSGDS’s comment is:

Not bad, needs some work on letter spacing. It’s nothing exceptional, but overall good improvement.

On Jan.12.2010 at 02:02 PM

e|v|l’s comment is:

I really like the new wordmark. Very clean execution. The colors don’t bother me and even though blue and green are used I think the chosen tones feel refreshing. The overlapping makes total sense to me when dealing with vision so, overall a total home run.

On Jan.12.2010 at 02:34 PM

Mary C’s comment is:

Sorry, it just looks old.

On Jan.12.2010 at 03:06 PM

Bernardo’s comment is:

I love how practical Paula Scher is. There’s something special in how functional yet sometimes sloppy her work is. I like how fast she thinks. She’s urgent. And this logo is urgent, clean, and objective.

On Jan.12.2010 at 04:11 PM

rich’s comment is:

The new identity seems like a contemporary expression of classic 50’s-60’ Swiss pharmaceutical graphics…and perhaps a bit of German industrial graphics from the same era…and that seems very apropos. While I wish the colors popped a bit more, it’s hard to do that when trying to suggest transparency (overlapping areas can often either appear “muddy” or like a third color).

I don’t believe everything Pentagram (or Scher) produce is exquisite, but, all in all, this new identity delights me.

On Jan.12.2010 at 04:45 PM

Paul’s comment is:

No way this was designed in 5 minutes (and 40+ years)

Neither dig/not.

it does the job I guess.

On Jan.12.2010 at 04:56 PM

jwo’s comment is:

Paula Scher (or anything related to Pentagram) is practical?
That’s a new one.

On Jan.12.2010 at 05:07 PM

Blue Buddha’s comment is:

I know the color overlay style is getting a little trendy right now, but I still like it.

I love the color combo on the logo revision—so refreshing, especially compared to the old logo. I get the old logo, but it’s very wonky. Big thumbs up on this new treatment. Also, I don’t have glasses, contacts or anything this company sells, but I’m very familiar with their name.

On Jan.12.2010 at 05:17 PM

rayban-guy’s comment is:

I saw some similarity with covidien logo spacially the +

covidien

On Jan.12.2010 at 05:54 PM

Brian Son’s comment is:

The logo itself is nice, and the colors still convey clean and simple (medically speaking). The overlays of colors and shapes lends itself to a lot of interpretations, none of which take away from the identity itself. Which can be a very nice visual element in executions…

On execution? I am not sure. It almost looks like the generic alternate products offered by stores (Krogers). The overlay of colors is entirely absent. Granted, it’s only the solution boxes, but if they look like this, where did the identity go?

http://www.thedieline.com/blog/2010/01/boushlomb-renu.html

On Jan.12.2010 at 06:26 PM

Herb’s comment is:

Is it supposed to look retro?

On Jan.12.2010 at 07:02 PM

Evan MacDonald’s comment is:

A+

On Jan.12.2010 at 08:52 PM

Mrs Gropius’s comment is:

It’s a tyeface, nothing to get excited over really, which probably makes sense as the name itself is interesting.

The font feels ‘old America’, perfect for a 1920’s Chicago steel mill.

On Jan.12.2010 at 11:08 PM

rich’s comment is:

Not entirely dissimilar from this (w/ a bit of increased tracking):

Regardless, I love the new B+L identity!

On Jan.12.2010 at 11:46 PM

John Mindiola III’s comment is:

The packaging is absolutely gorgeous. Clarendon was a great choice. Would Archer have been better? I love the water, the clarity, especially in the context of its busy shelf neighbors. The logo is a B-, but the packaging is a solid A.

On Jan.13.2010 at 12:36 AM

Chris’s comment is:

As always with Pentagram work, the execution is superb. However, the initial concept is weak.

The cover of that book/brochure is awesome, but there’s more to a brand than that. Once it’s out of Pentagram’s hands and on to other designers’ interpretation, I can’t imagine such great execution will be upheld with such an open-ended and rather generic foundation.

On Jan.13.2010 at 01:52 AM

memory cards’s comment is:

I work for Bausch and Lomb and must say that the company really takes care of its employees! I got a great deal on DirecTV simply because I am a B. and L. employee! I called the 800 number on our intranet site and received $26 (!) less on my monthly bill than what the average guy pays! I then set my sister up and received a $100 referral reward! If you sign up with the 800 number on our site, let em know Slappy Happy Jim sent ya! I love money!

On Jan.13.2010 at 02:52 AM

Marcin’s comment is:

This is just great.

Love it.

On Jan.13.2010 at 02:59 AM

Ivan’s comment is:

sorry…boring.

On Jan.13.2010 at 03:08 AM

TP’s comment is:

I’m still pretty undecided about the B+L identity as a whole. There are aspects I truly dig and think are amazingly successful in terms of repositioning the existing brand, but looking through some of the collateral and seeing the B+L version make me have second thoughts.

I’m surprised the ReNu logo/branding isn’t getting any attention. Perhaps that should be posted as well? Personally I feel as though it’s this mark that sets the packaging apart from competitors, and is more successful in general.

On Jan.13.2010 at 04:07 AM

binoygopal’s comment is:

good one

On Jan.13.2010 at 05:57 AM

norwegian’s comment is:

Booooring. :(
Americans trying to be european…

On Jan.13.2010 at 06:30 AM

tom’s comment is:

http://www.thedieline.com/blog/2010/01/boushlomb-renu.html#more

On Jan.13.2010 at 10:01 AM

Gerard’s comment is:

Paint from the tube.

Doesn’t anyone custom draw logotypes anymore?
Sigh*

On Jan.13.2010 at 11:06 AM

Marboleda’s comment is:

i don’t know why is change, i except that was for the strategy to use

On Jan.13.2010 at 11:19 AM

bronzy’s comment is:

isn’t this similar to the truvia logo that paula did? overlapping transparent color shapes etc?

On Jan.13.2010 at 03:01 PM

Tights’s comment is:

Cool, there are actually some worthwhile ideas on here some of my readers just might find this worthwhile, I will send a link, thanks.

On Jan.14.2010 at 01:54 AM

Eli’s comment is:

Typography, good; Overlay effect, good; Icon, not so good.

Good overall! Very appealing.

On Jan.14.2010 at 08:05 AM

Jason’s comment is:

The old one kind of reminds me of Marlboro, so the new is an improvement…but you would kind of hope to see something more a cut above. I think they brand the logo/elements of the logo a bit more in the packaging to at least make it seem like this is a special mark

On Jan.14.2010 at 11:57 AM

Katie’s comment is:

I don’t know, man, I fucking love it.

On Jan.14.2010 at 07:47 PM

Bill Dawson (XK9)’s comment is:

They took from a very superficial retail look and created a more thoughtful, prestigious identity. Nice work.

On Jan.14.2010 at 10:12 PM

Kota’s comment is:

In my opinion, this is a great solution for the brand.
- The color provides clean and modern impression as an eye health products manufacturer should
- The meaning behind the icon is easily communicated
- The overlay is visually appealing

I admire the fact that they were also able to come to a solution in a language that is quite different from English.

Again, great work.

On Jan.15.2010 at 04:28 AM

elisa’s comment is:

WOW! I usually don’t like the whole transparency trend, but this looks clean, simple, and nice.

On Jan.15.2010 at 01:50 PM

racine car accdient lawyer’s comment is:

A great rebrand, love the way they’re taking the company, really think that it should do them well in the future.

On Jan.18.2010 at 03:01 PM

T. Aranco’s comment is:

Wow, how unremarkable!

A plus symbol used to symbolize partnership couldn’t be more conventional if you tried.

Apart from the color, this could be a logo for any law firm or accountant anywhere in the world, just swap out the plus for and ampersand.

On Jan.18.2010 at 08:37 PM

Anson Chen’s comment is:

it’s great!!

On Jan.19.2010 at 12:27 AM

woiden’s comment is:

Plain-vanillafied.

Great, this is NOT.

On Jan.19.2010 at 11:06 AM

Clancy’s comment is:

I agree with the general sentiment that this re-brand is a little uninspired and plain ordinary.

Oddly enough it looks old to me already, maybe it is the type choice.

On Jan.22.2010 at 04:27 PM

Jason Schwartz’s comment is:

I do totally understand the criticism that is coming out in the comments, but I happen to actually think that this is a move in the right direction.

Yes, it’s just a “plus” sign, but the colors are really nice (for optics and eyecare) and this brand ID can be totally blown out for their packaging, print materials and interactive media.

The B+L icon is nice too.

Yes, their first round of business cards, and letterhead may be super clean, generic and straightforward (This could actually be the cards and print work for ANY company-), but the potential is there.

Great colors, good font choice and acceptance transparency in the brand can lend itself to some amazing future deliverables.

On Jan.28.2010 at 12:53 PM

Kyle T. Webster’s comment is:

Very nicely designed, but nothing too original.

On Feb.02.2010 at 09:43 PM