In Brief BY Armin

Follow-up: Aol. Animations

A very quick follow-up on the rebranding of Aol. Sheffield-based Universal Everything has posted seven “reveal” animations that range from trippy to, well, trippy. My favorite is the flock of cursors. Update: Wolff Olins has also posted the work on their web site, as well as aol.com sporting the new look. Aol became officially independent today.

First spotted at Creative Review.

Dale Campbell’s comment is:

I admire their effort to slingshot AOL from it’s relatively bland brand beginning, into something more hip and “with it”.

I do think however, that over time, the service it provides will need to be as awesome as these visuals or else they face this sort of misrepresentation which could only confuse and ultimately cause consumers to lose interest.

I can only speak of my past runnings-into with aol and how much they sucked. I can only imagine that it has gotten better and strives to always get better.

On Dec.10.2009 at 09:10 AM

Alexanda’s comment is:

Isn’t Universal Everything from Sheffield, England and not London?

As always really nice work from Matt Pike

On Dec.10.2009 at 09:26 AM

soully’s comment is:

I wonder if it was intentional to have CD-ROMs being swallowed up in video number 2, since old AOL were always known as the company that made millions of these junk discs?
This identity is growing on me, the reveal aspect feels really fresh.

On Dec.10.2009 at 09:38 AM

Kevin’s comment is:

sweet…

On Dec.10.2009 at 09:51 AM

David’s comment is:

Beautiful stuff. I don’t think Aol can go wrong with this, irregardless of the corporations ups & downs. A flexibility which highly necessary if not manditory for our brand wary, indecisive, yet cautiously optimistic society. Can’t wait to experience more of this brand. Way 2 go!

On Dec.10.2009 at 09:52 AM

Jason’s comment is:

Some of these look really good!

On Dec.10.2009 at 09:52 AM

Kevin’s comment is:

just checked the actual Aol site though, and it looks dull and boring.

On Dec.10.2009 at 09:53 AM

Jason Alejandro’s comment is:

I’ll begin by admitting that I’m a sucker Universal Everything’s work. And this is no different, I love seeing what I originally thought was a rather bland logotype within the context of these animations. Just beautiful.

On Dec.10.2009 at 10:09 AM

Alex’s comment is:

I like the new branding. The reason it works for me is because the type is bold enough to be noticed while being bland enough not to obscure the visuals set behind it. The videos suggest something interesting can be found by looking in Aol’s direction and not necessarily at it.

On Dec.10.2009 at 10:09 AM

Jospeh’s comment is:

As far as branding goes…

When did AOL. become SYFY :)

No seriously these are out there.

On Dec.10.2009 at 10:34 AM

Nick Irwin’s comment is:

I dont know if Aol. is cool enough to tout these sweet visual effects

On Dec.10.2009 at 10:43 AM

sam’s comment is:

After watching three of them I got a bit annoyed. They are aesthetically nice, but communicate nothing. And if they where brand teasers? I have seen much better ones, with regards to the message of the design carrier.

On Dec.10.2009 at 11:52 AM

San Antonio Employment Lawyers’s comment is:

Love Joseph’s comment and agree strongly.

They’re nice animations but I’m really not feeling AOL on it.

On Dec.10.2009 at 12:42 PM

Ivan’s comment is:

very Syfy and AXN like…

On Dec.10.2009 at 01:31 PM

Chris’s comment is:

and… I’m bored now. How long do we have to live with this logo now that the trendiness has worn off?

On Dec.10.2009 at 01:46 PM

Josh’s comment is:

What does AOL do now? No one can answer this question for me.

I even looked on the Wikipedia page and still got no answers.

On Dec.10.2009 at 01:56 PM

David’s comment is:

Sam,
If the statement “for every action there is a reaction” holds true, something that is communicating nothing is simultaneously communicating everything. Definitely a fitting concept for a internet provider.

—
This might have been touched on but;
The brand also has considerable equity in the fact that it is “America” online.
Google? & Yahoo? these names that lack the pride that America Online possesses.
USA! USA! USA!

On Dec.10.2009 at 02:06 PM

M. Joshua’s comment is:

I feel that you should have said Aol officially became sentient today.

That would make us all feel a lot better…

On Dec.10.2009 at 02:22 PM

Chris Rugen’s comment is:

Quite fun. And the tone and pacing are well crafted.

Still wondering what Aol. is, though. Still waiting for them to show me what the fuss is for.

On Dec.10.2009 at 03:06 PM

norwegian’s comment is:

Lol. Or should i say Aol.
Getting Universal Everything to make some trendy “decoration” doesnt make up for the badly thought of concept.
Its very weak. Its like some designer trying to be a bit to clever.
Result is that there is no identity. Its like saying: Do whatever, we dont take responsibility.

On Dec.10.2009 at 03:34 PM

Armin’s comment is:

> Isn’t Universal Everything from Sheffield, England and not London?

*blush* yes. corrected.

On Dec.10.2009 at 04:12 PM

JN’s comment is:

not sure how to embed an image but the period on the website gets cropped badly on every theme. The right edge is always missing.

amateur.

On Dec.10.2009 at 11:26 PM

Matheus Stortz’s comment is:

pure
crap

not trying to troll, but this is complete crap, the brand itself means nothing and all these random stuff behind means nothing also

someone (cof cof wolff cof cof) forgot that DESIGN is NOT (absolutely not) ART. If something can be said 100% sure about design is this, it is not art by ANY means. NOT, ONE, BIT.

On Dec.11.2009 at 02:55 AM

SDX’s comment is:

Not a lover of the branding however on the new website i like the choice of which CSS theme you want, i know its been done before but think its executed well on the site.

On Dec.11.2009 at 03:08 AM

Claudio’s comment is:

The videos are gorgeous! Can not imagine the number of brands that will follow the trend. And that is no good…

the website look is nothing exciting though…

On Dec.11.2009 at 06:12 AM

Luke Tonge’s comment is:

Nice follow up post Armin, we’re having some discussion on said animations over on Form Fifty Five! - http://www.formfiftyfive.com/2009/12/universal-everything-aol-films/#comment-23003

On Dec.11.2009 at 06:23 AM

ScottyM’s comment is:

Nice. I think it’s interesting that AOL :) is not coming right out and overtly telling us who they’re “going to be.”

This launch has an Apple feel to it … pre-iPod, pre-iPhone, pre-pretty much everything but the standard MacIntosh, kind of like when they rolled out the colorful all-in-one Macs.

We’ll see, I’m certainly not convinced it’s good. But I’m intrigued by what I’m seeing … enough to ponder what’ll come next. That alone is a success (for a company that’s long been known only for its crap service, crap CDRs, and a clunky interface).

On Dec.11.2009 at 07:23 AM

MSGDS’s comment is:

cool animations, but still, I think Aol brand is irrelevant. Their website is boring.

On Dec.11.2009 at 08:41 AM

uomojon’s comment is:

I think UE’s work with the brand is a nice example of where the brand can go. It’s pure eye candy and artistry - but maybe thats what aol whats to be…anything! As usually, UE delivers the goods!

On Dec.11.2009 at 11:12 AM

Bobby’s comment is:

Inventive without being obnoxious. I like it.

On Dec.11.2009 at 03:14 PM

Amanda’s comment is:

lol @ aol

On Dec.11.2009 at 05:00 PM

norwegian’s comment is:

The website is clearly showing how this concept fails. The creators have failed to recognice how the imagery do the opposite of communicating consistency. The website and therefore the company feels schizofrenic. As a site for doing searches it completely puts me off. When I use Google I do so because it is clean and clear with no confusing imagery.

How would you write Aol. in a sentence without it ruining the message? Isnt this supposed to be a company that know communication?

It seems like Wolff Olins are bunch salesmen instead of communicators.

I do NOT envy the designers at Wolff Olins that has to do whatever the salesmen think they can pull off.

I agree with Matheus Stortz’s comment on the fact that designers are NOT artist. Designers are supposed to help a client to communicate the clients message not the designcompany’s salesexecutives wet dream of selling in concepts that make the client dont wanna ask critical questions because the concepts looks so intelligent.

This is weak stuff.

On Dec.11.2009 at 07:49 PM

John’s comment is:

I have to admit - these animations bore the crap out of me. Do they communicate anything other than “hey lookit me, I’m so cool?” I read nothing more than style over substance. And that’s a sure-fire path to irrelevance in a very short period of time.

On Dec.11.2009 at 11:57 PM

Loren’s comment is:

reminds me of a cursor multiplying interactive flash piece I made years ago, just for fun. if you rub the other cursor just right, they’ll start reproducing…

http://lorenklein.com/?page=flash

On Dec.12.2009 at 01:07 AM

Sigmund’s comment is:

I like it. The animations rock the boat, a great and simple visual trick! i just think the logo should be there at all times, just masked in front (now it sometimes dissapears)

the still imagery is a bit weird cause it reminds me of watermarks.
hadn’t really decided if this is good or bad :)

but i agree (i think it was already posted here) it may be a bit too MTV-ish. same authors, yes?

On Dec.12.2009 at 08:48 AM

Chris’s comment is:

It’s all very pretty and the execution is actually very nice. However, once AOL does absolutely nothing with the cool visuals, it’s going to look cheap.
A radical brand needs to represent a radical company or else the veneer just looks like it’s trying too hard to be cool. I suspect this is exactly what will happen here. AOL doesn’t do anything.

On Dec.12.2009 at 02:14 PM

mm’s comment is:

Total disconnect between the audience for their content and hipster brand imagery.

I was going to say that this will bring the death of Aol. But, watching the videos, it’s clear that it already died, and we are watching it’s surreal afterlife.

On Dec.12.2009 at 04:43 PM

Jhames’s comment is:

I agree with Sam, these animations are visually compelling but communicate little about the company’s biggest challenge: how will it remain competitive in an online market with consumers ditching dial-up for DSL? How will the company effectively sell content to consumers?

These animations are pretty but ultimately superficial.

On Dec.13.2009 at 11:51 AM

John’s comment is:

Interesting, but it reminds me of something you’d see between ads and a a television show on a European TV network.

On Dec.13.2009 at 02:17 PM

norwegian’s comment is:

And suddenly the logo logotype became black! http://bit.ly/5A2pN6
And the “.” had to be moved.
Inconsistency…

On Dec.13.2009 at 04:25 PM

r4i software’s comment is:

There is a lot of effort put in the animated AOL logo. But it doesn’t come across so well. I mean its not so clear.

On Dec.14.2009 at 03:37 AM

Tak’s comment is:

Why am I annoyed by this?

Shouldn’t I just be indifferent or not like it and move on?

The designers of this concept have done an amazing job of manipulating my emotions in new and terrible ways..

On Dec.14.2009 at 04:55 PM

David’s comment is:

Tak,
Your indifference is what makes it a strong idea. I feel the same and like the feeling ALOT.
The brand has the ability to relate to everything and anything. Its allowing itself to be judged freely instead of forcing a judgement by adding a specific style or taste range. I find it to be generally soothing. What also makes this so special in the brand identity spectrum is that it would have probably never worked 2 years ago, but today the consumer has become so untrustworthy and finally woken up to the fact that the majority of them have been pawns for corporations and “BIG brands” that one brand finally decided to give the public the respect it deserves, by putting the most transparent expression possible for the service that they provide. I appreciate that quite a bit. Kudos to who whomever thought this one up.

On Dec.15.2009 at 05:11 PM

Ben’s comment is:

Who did it first?

http://www.iscd.edu.au/ (by Vince Frost Design)

On Jan.12.2010 at 03:23 AM