Opinion BY Sam Becker

Heartless Ice Cream

Good Humor Logo, Before and After

Summer may be winding down but the Good Humor truck is here to stay. The popular ice cream maker you might remember from such frozen hits as Strawberry Shortcake, Toasted Almond and Chocolate Eclair launched a rebrand earlier this year. It will adorn snack cart umbrellas, swimming pool menus and packages in the freezer aisle. But where’s the heart?

Good Humor has a rich history of ice cream innovation dating back to its incorporation in the 1920s. It was an independent company until it was acquired by Unilever in 1989. Several years later, Unilever folded Good Humor into their Heartbrand quilt — a product line sold in over 40 countries.

Good Humor, Heartbrand

Unilever ice cream has the same logo but with a different name in each market

The efficiencies of distributing dozens of ice cream brands around the world under one logo are obvious. Simply pick a name—palatable to your market—and voilà: a crisp, reputable ice cream brand with a vague message of health and optimism. I’ve always liked this logo and I’ll be sad to see it go. The mark is nicely drawn and the type is, for the most part, contemporary and well set. Unilever would not comment on the specific reason for the rebrand, but I can think of a couple. It’s possible that the refined heartbrand logo with its international sensibilities was translating into poor consumer sales in North America. It’s also conceivable that Unilever is dressing up Good Humor for resale; packing the truck up for its last loop around the neighborhood. In any case, it seems to be time for Good Humor to break free.

As far as the new brand is concerned, I can certainly respect their approach. You can’t blame a brand like Good Humor for reaching back into its heritage. Although it no longer operates a fleet of trucks (Good Humor ice cream is distributed by a hodge podge of independent vendors and grocery stores), Good Humor is collectively remembered for its vehicles, service and nostalgic place in Americana. The new logo is appropriately old fashioned, competently assembled and extremely boring. The type arrangement is stale. The illustration is relevant but diminutive and forgettable.

Good Humor, Packaging

These packages speak for themselves

The integration of the new logo into their packaging is nonexistent, but that can be forgiven—this was obviously a hasty retrofit. What cannot be forgiven is Good Humor’s consistent failure, over the years, to establish any meaningful visual equity. For a brand that people seem to be quite fond of, there is a notable lack of a visual bond between their customers and their ice cream.

Good Humor, Old Logos

The ghosts of logos past: Good Humor has missed out over the years in establishing basic equities that people can come looking for; this is a case study in how to not build a brand

The best application I have seen so far is this umbrella I walked by just outside Central Park. In its one-color application on a real, tangible material, you get a small glimpse of a brand with a story to tell. Hopefully this logo will stick around long enough to mean something to someone.

Good Humor, Umbrella

Thanks to Thomas Minahan for the tip.

DATE: Aug.27.2009CATEGORY: Consumer products 70 COMMENTS

Comments › Jump to Most Recent

Trent Walton’s comment is:

I think they had the right idea going for a throw-back but find the "heartless" title sadly fitting. I'm kind of into the truck illustration, but when you look at it on a box it gets completely lost in all the creamy swirls.

On Aug.27.2009 at 06:22 AM

G. Alex’s comment is:

The heart logo was more suggestive... nice curves on it.. fits on every kind of package. Though the execution of the new logo is smoothly done, I wouldn't go as far as changing to this point...

And I like the typo of the new one..

On Aug.27.2009 at 06:27 AM

Plamen’s comment is:

I totally ? the Heartbrand.

Truck? Unless they use retro trucks identical to the one in the illustration - no.

On Aug.27.2009 at 06:40 AM

Plamen’s comment is:

Hm, pun fail - comments don't show the [heart] unicode symbol.

On Aug.27.2009 at 06:42 AM

John McCollum’s comment is:

Yeah. This one's hard for me. I don't exactly love the heart logo, but in my travels in SE Asia, the heart leaps out among regional brands with which I'm not familiar and indicates that the product thereby marked is likely to taste okay and unlikely to give me the squirts.

It truly is a global brand that seems to me to accomplish the basics: identify and differentiate.

The new identity is aimed squarely at the North American market. The truck illustration succeeds in evoking nostalgia, but the brand as a whole fails in almost every other category.

The truck is overly complicated. The type appears to be thrown in without much thought. There are altogether too many lines, and the lockups are inconsistent and non-compelling. And the packaging? It's like one of those stock brochures with a big white spot that screams "put your company's logo here."

I can understand the rationale for creating a distinct identity for North America. I can't see the rationale for doing it so poorly.

On Aug.27.2009 at 06:48 AM

Paul’s comment is:

For as long as I live, I will always remember that "Cooper Black Apron" variation - to me that had more equity than any of the others.
The truck in the new version looks incredibly boring and, dare I say, clip-arty. You could use that same truck image for a dairy farm, an orange farm co-op, or practically anything else that would use a truck. It's got almost no association to Good Humor for me (at least, not that type of truck).
I can appreciate the typography, it's well-set. And I like the blue color picked for the boxes, it has a nice cold feeling - but those don't help the lack of credible iconography.

On Aug.27.2009 at 07:15 AM

Chad Kaufman’s comment is:

Why is there a plumbing logo on my ice cream packaging?

On Aug.27.2009 at 07:26 AM

Cameron Perrie’s comment is:

It's funny - as an outsider (Australian) I have more affinity with the name "Good Humor" as a retro-feel brand, which the truck logo fits. (I guess it's from watching old TV shows or movies etc). The heart logo is imprinted on me as the Street Ice Cream logo which is EVERYWHERE here outside shops, on fridges etc as we head into our summer. I can't reconcile its application to 'Good Humor" so the new logo works better for me, wether or not it's well designed.

On Aug.27.2009 at 07:46 AM

Derrick’s comment is:

Hello, 1983!

On Aug.27.2009 at 08:06 AM

Rob O.’s comment is:

"Good Humor is collectively remembered for its vehicles, service and nostalgic place in Americana."

Perhaps this is a regional thing, but I've never seen a Good Humor truck. The heart logo was more contemporary evocative, and distinctive. The new logo fails all around. The new lettering is a horrible misfit for the product and the brand. If they were going for retro, they should've reverted back to the Cooper font.

On Aug.27.2009 at 08:26 AM

Peter O'Connell’s comment is:

Thought the old logo worthless and like the new logo alot. Alone, it speaks well of the brand. The package design...I agree with the critique...the logo doesn't mesh as well there but that's a package design problem not a new logo problem.

On Aug.27.2009 at 08:31 AM

ScottyM’s comment is:

I love the heart version for its multi-national cohesion and ease of recognition. Though, it's lost on this nation (U.S.).

The truck is kinda fun. It's a neat idea that really pops in application (not so much on the small screen). It looks terrific on the umbrellas. Probably would look great on a vehicle. I actually like it on the boxes ... the name pops and the truck is subtly interesting, making me want to look closer.

It's not perfect, either the type treatment or the icon truck ... but it's solid and interesting.

On Aug.27.2009 at 08:36 AM

Armando’s comment is:

I have no idea how the truck image will work in other countries, but here (Venezuela) there never was an ice cream truck. At least I never saw one (and I'm old enough to have seen one if there ever was such a truck). The choice for Tio Rico and Efe (the two main ice cream companies in Venezuela) has been this type of cart: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2219/2090504491_0dd4fa52ff.jpg

On Aug.27.2009 at 09:13 AM

Prescott Perez-Fox’s comment is:

When I see that Heart mark (#3) I instantly think of the UK equivalent, Wall's. I didn't even know they had adopted it here in the states. It's going to take some time to unseat the Apron approach (#2) as the 'true' Good Humor logo in my mind. Maybe it's not for me anyway, I haven't bought a GH ice cream in years.

On Aug.27.2009 at 09:15 AM

Paulo Pereira’s comment is:

Cooper Black Apron or Heart version ONLY! my favorites. nostalgic reason for me, i used to buy them in the summers in Portugal every time i went to the cafes with my grandfather.

On Aug.27.2009 at 09:16 AM

felix sockwell’s comment is:

what a regressive faux pas. Its a cartoon, a joke. But the Good Humor is lost.

On Aug.27.2009 at 09:24 AM

PALE FACE’s comment is:

Am I the only one here who has never seen the heart logo, let alone never had the chance to taste the ice cream? Let me tell you, I love ice cream, and YES, I do eat ice cream for breakfast (No, I have no health conditions because of it). I guess I keep it pretty much local when it comes to ice cream. Where can you usually get this stuff?

As for the logo, from an outsiders perspective, that heart logo just does not say "MMMM, Creamy deliciousness." I think its the paring of the bright red, harsh san serif and a "Twilight Zone" rendering of the heart says LOOK OUT, BEWARE, ICE CREAM!

So I welcome the new logo with it's light blue coloring, the rendering of the type with highlights and the the over all retro look does say "Good tasty fun."

I'll stop writing in quotes now. Lets go get some ice cream.

On Aug.27.2009 at 09:29 AM

Micah Ellis’s comment is:

I gotta say I love the truck. It works and communicates many wonderful things about ice cream. I get a good feeling looking at it. I'll have to agree that the type is stale. Could certainly be better, but as a brand mark the truck is a winner. It feels nostalgic, approachable, and relevant.

On Aug.27.2009 at 09:35 AM

Andrew E. Clark’s comment is:

Ditto what John McCollum said.

KIBON with the recognizable yellow and red 'heart spiral' logo was the only ice cream I knew I could count on for consistent (edible) quality in Brazil.

Is this a rebrand for the North American market only? Pretty sure that type and truck wouldn't translate accross the board ...er quilt.

It looks like this is the truck they were referencing. It explains a lot, as I have never seen a truck like that anywhere.
The Goudy-ish tooled type is also a throwback from the '50s.

Questions regarding the use of the 'spiral heart' logo for the rest of the global market aside, I think the truck idea is awesome but the execution could have been much better. At least make it clear that it's a frozen treat on the side of that tiny truck.

On Aug.27.2009 at 09:39 AM

Arg!’s comment is:

Here's the links:

KIBON:
http://www.kibon.com.br

Trucks:
http://www.isntlifeterrible.com/uploaded_images/2351-792537.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/38/188427968_2f8656b777.jpg?v=0

Goudy-ish font:
http://www.isntlifeterrible.com/uploaded_images/2351_5-737572.jpg

On Aug.27.2009 at 09:44 AM

Michael Wendell’s comment is:

I really think the rebranding is due. That heart says nothing to me. I'm in my early 40's, but when I think of Good Humor, it's the truck, and blue lettering. The old logo with the ice cream pop with a bit out of it still sticks with me. I like this, it's far more appropiate than a generic looking swirly heart and some tiny type. Maybe I'm being harsh, but that heart does nothing for me. I think the new logo will is far more likely pull up good feelings from my youth when I go to the ice cream cooler for an impulse buy. Now if they can just build a new fleet of trucks.

On Aug.27.2009 at 10:30 AM

Jared Ray Scott Ramey’s comment is:

I have to agree with Micah... the truck is really well done. The angle of it as it seems to be coming over the hill, the nostalgia it brings... it just seems like it would be better off as a much larger part of the overall logo.

On Aug.27.2009 at 11:02 AM

Esteban’s comment is:

So Heartbrand now falls in the same category as Soccer and the Metric System, popular everywhere except the US.

On Aug.27.2009 at 11:26 AM

Darrel’s comment is:

The Ice Cream truck is certainly iconic and identifiable in North America. Seems to fit well. Plus, it's a great illustration.

And that's my nitpick, the illustration vs. type balance seems a bit off. Would have liked to see the truck emphasized a bit more.

On Aug.27.2009 at 11:28 AM

obse.’s comment is:

Why is that umbrella GREEN??

On Aug.27.2009 at 11:30 AM

WMDunkin’s comment is:

I am not sure I like the new truck, the style just doesn't work for me. When it is scaled down I loose all the detail, it becomes a blob. I do like how the stacking of the elements makes it look like a soft serve ice cream

On Aug.27.2009 at 11:55 AM

John Mindiola III’s comment is:

Awful. This is the exact same thing Aflac did with their duck mascot. There are now critics saying that consumers are confused as to what Aflac sells. Do they sell ducks? Let the mascot be the mascot (in this case, a small white truck), and let the logo be the logo. Think of it in a sports context: Would the Phoenix Suns ever put their black gorilla mascot in their logo? NO!

On Aug.27.2009 at 12:00 PM

Steven Hoober’s comment is:

Unbearably awful. The truck is totally lost, so might as well not exist. So, you have to read this fussy, generic type in the middle of relatively busy packages. The heart worked as a mark, even if it has no clear meaning, this does not.

Also, to the meaning of the quaint ice cream truck: I am just barely old enough to remember the ice cream man being reasonably nice. Today: the same Chevy vans they had in my youth, chain smoking drivers who can barely be bothered to give you anything, and hardly any selection. Just pre-packgaged treats in a cooler, often iced up. I have never even /seen/ one of the old-timey trucks outside of 50s TV.

For decades, the quaintness has been gone, with the only reasons to use them being a combination of convenience and the adventure of avoiding being molested by the creepy guy with the van.

Seriously: fail on that brand message.

On Aug.27.2009 at 12:29 PM

Glenn Sakamoto’s comment is:

I like the idea of the truck but the rendering and typography is all wrong. It looks like a mom and pop toy store.

The heart logo certainly was more powerful and translated well internationally.

On Aug.27.2009 at 12:32 PM

Mark’s comment is:

Although the new logo is an improvement, I will definitely miss the heart. It was unique and clever and probably their best logo.

Although reminding people of their past isn't a bad thing.

On Aug.27.2009 at 12:41 PM

Rico’s comment is:

That truck illustration is made of fail. It looks like something that should be on a Sanford & Son sign. I'm not crazy about the Goudy Old Style handtooled type either, but it's not too bad by itself, but when you add the horrid truck, oy.

On Aug.27.2009 at 02:02 PM

Camryn Brown’s comment is:

Streets, Walls and some others that now use the heartbrand also used to use "Cooper Black apron" - were they owned by Good Humor prior to Unilever acquisition or did Unilever own Good Humor in the Cooper Black era?

On Aug.27.2009 at 02:04 PM

toby’s comment is:

i never even knew there was a "Good Humor" ice cream brand - the heart is associated with german Langnese or austrian Eskimo (a brand in continued use even though it's a word that inuit people prefer not to be called by.)

On Aug.27.2009 at 02:04 PM

Mark’s comment is:

the Heart worked way better than this truck will ever. sheesh, what were they thinking?? the new logo says nothing to me... its boring and generic. at least the heart had some dynamic interest to it... yuck

On Aug.27.2009 at 02:07 PM

YHV’s comment is:

Horrible branding change!

On Aug.27.2009 at 04:04 PM

alfred roth’s comment is:

Have they lost their minds?

Do they even have ice cream trucks in all of their markets?

Heads should roll for this colossal fuck-up!

On Aug.27.2009 at 04:16 PM

Chuck Spidell’s comment is:

That truck illustration is very cool but it's not going to scale well at smaller sizes. And how are people supposed to identify with it, if it's illegible? I imagine they felt the heart was too "abstract" for the brand. Good Humor just got ... bluh.

On Aug.27.2009 at 04:56 PM

Chuck Spidell’s comment is:

And there's a horizon line under the truck? Silly.

On Aug.27.2009 at 04:58 PM

todd zakk’s comment is:

This seems to fit better with the brand. The heart was nice but it would be more suitable for a diet, sugar-free, or reduced calorie package. But although I understand the heart meant love, as in love Good Humor ice cream, I can see how it can be misleading to some consumers. I give it 5 out of 5 stars.

On Aug.27.2009 at 05:53 PM

Jonathan’s comment is:

Truck = clip art...and if not, it seems like it. Not a big fan of the font or packaging either. The packaging is too upbeat compared to the logo...might as well pull a Great Value IMO.

Overall rebrand = 3/5
Packaging = 2.5/5
Logo = 3.5/5

On Aug.27.2009 at 09:03 PM

damon’s comment is:

might work for me better if you reversed the visual weight of the truck and the letters currently. then not break good and humor keeping them tighter on one line.

generally I like the heart much better, it speaks to a general like rather than a method of delivery, both of which if you think about it are as old as icecream.

I would argue that the truck itself isn't nearly as historical as the general love of icecream, and in that they had a stronger idea that could be spun off in the heart shaped logo.

sure, it comes in a truck, but so do tampons or pork bellies, I'm not sure that's the strongest identifier a brand can leverage.

On Aug.27.2009 at 10:19 PM

Geoffery’s comment is:

Its a nice design butt... I am not a fan of the bevel on that type face. If the bevel was removed and the weight of the type was slightly less not to over power the truck I would feel better about it.

As far as their branding with the package design that's a BIG flop... It is eye catching and shows the product nicely but doesn't fit the retro look one bit.

I'm guessing template package design, insert logo in white space.

On Aug.27.2009 at 11:09 PM

moeed’s comment is:

Why would they do that?!

The old logo is so nice, why oh why!!!

On Aug.27.2009 at 11:32 PM

Gordon P. Hemsley’s comment is:

I was wondering why my Chocolate Eclair bar looked strange today.... Now I know.

On Aug.28.2009 at 12:25 AM

Chris Jackson’s comment is:

Is it 1997? What a horrible logo.

On Aug.28.2009 at 01:19 AM

Mathieu Hubert’s comment is:

I wonder how they will cope with all the unique brand names for each country... In addition, we are not familiar with ice cream trucks here, especially in France...

On Aug.28.2009 at 04:17 AM

warren’s comment is:

yuok yuk yuk yuk yuk

Fiddly, heartless and anther change to the brand. What was wrong with the heart?

On Aug.28.2009 at 05:09 AM

Philip’s comment is:

About the "logo walls" both Armin and Mathieu have posted, the 'HB', 'Wall's', 'Frisko', 'Kibon' and 'Algida' logos you have used use the old font type and heart logo.

The new design can be seen on all the others.

On Aug.28.2009 at 05:56 AM

Vidar Flak’s comment is:

Wait a second...this new one is only intended for the US brand, right??

The new truck logo has a very American feel, and anything else wouldn't make even a tiny bit of sense. The heart symbol is beautiful and instantly recognizable despite the variating names.

So it's a bit of a weird move, although those are two very good possible explanations, Becker.

On Aug.28.2009 at 09:37 AM

Drew Davies’s comment is:

FAIL.

On Aug.28.2009 at 01:22 PM

Joel’s comment is:

Oddly enough I was not familiar with this brand until a trip to Europe 10 years ago. I kept noticing the same mark in different countries and was impressed by how memorable it was under so many different names.

Too bad they ditched the heart - seemed to be working just fine.

On Aug.28.2009 at 10:28 PM

Ian Houghton’s comment is:

This is just bemusing. As you say, the only reason it would make sense to do this is if they're planning to sell the company - the vibrant and instantly recognisable heartmark is a far stronger representation of the brand than the truck. I could see the truck working for a local, city-based ice cream company, but it's too colloquial and 'Hickville, FL' for a national distributor.

On Aug.28.2009 at 11:15 PM

PJ CHmiel’s comment is:

The Cooper Black version is the only one that says anything to me, I'm not familiar with any of the others (though I haven't consumed animal-milk ice cream in over a decade, so that may have something to do with it). This is a poor redesign, and it really irks me when people reverse-out a line art illustration and print it as a light color on a dark background, so that all the shadows become highlights, etc. I agree that the truck looks like clip art and it doesn't match the weight or character of the type at all.

On Aug.30.2009 at 10:23 AM

Sneh Roy’s comment is:

I quite liked the old logo. The new logo although nice is kinda lost in its own symbolism. I grew up in India and there never was an ice cream truck, there isn't one today either. I spent many years in South East Asia .. and even the likes of Singapore never had an ice cream truck. The ice cream truck is a fond, retro image that in this day and age is well suited only in theory [comics, films etc ..] simply because not many places have it anymore.

Having said that, we have an ice cream truck coming by our home here in Sydney, Australia every week and the kid's excitement is palpatable.

Packaging design really needs something that stands out and makes you want to reach out and grab that one product off a shelf [or freezer] of many. And this just doesn't cut it :-(

On Aug.30.2009 at 08:49 PM

Dirk’s comment is:

The 'heart' logo looked decent, but it reminds me too much of logo mill work. It was just a little too generic.

I dig the new one.

On Aug.31.2009 at 02:10 AM

Alessandro M.’s comment is:

I liked the old logo, i like the new one (much less than the previous) but i don't know how people will react here in Italy: Algida is the n°1 ice cream seller here, and the Cornetto Algida is deeply rooted in our culture.

On Aug.31.2009 at 02:44 AM

Skythe’s comment is:

This truck has NOTHING to do with icecream.

...for anyone living outside the states? Nothing.

On Aug.31.2009 at 04:43 AM

Lauren B’s comment is:

I think it's mighty cute and now I'm craving a strawberry shortcake ice cream bar!

On Aug.31.2009 at 02:03 PM

kingmu’s comment is:

I'd tried this a few days back and was nixed. Let me try again... and sorry if I'm repeating someone else's sentiments...

'the truck looks grumpy.'

There. I've said it. Ban me... because, I realize, that's terrible language.

On Sep.01.2009 at 05:28 PM

Ramon M’s comment is:

You forgot to add "Holanda" from Mexico...

http://www.heladosholanda.com.mx/

On Sep.02.2009 at 11:13 PM

ed!’s comment is:

whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?
looks like a april's fool prank. :|
i liked the old one, simple and with a concept... this one just has a truck pasted there :|

On Sep.03.2009 at 04:51 AM

Andrew Boardman’s comment is:

The truck image reminds me of the Keep on Truckin designs of the 70s and 80s. Not in a good way. The whole blue/serif thing kind of leaves me cold ...

On Sep.05.2009 at 09:30 PM

bc’s comment is:

Algida tastes like ice cream.

Good Humor tastes like processed cardboard, because in America, their food 'regulators' are corporate-friendly.

Like all big American food companies, flavor and wholesomeness are secondary. Profit margins are all that matter.

Of course, the irony here would be that if you make a better product, profits will increase. But not in America. because people don't know any better and just accept the bland ice cream as the standard.

On Sep.07.2009 at 11:22 AM

Liz’s comment is:

The truck looks menacing, like it's about to run over a kid. But then when I eat ice cream I don't like thinking about my heart, either, because it's unhealthy.

On Sep.07.2009 at 06:13 PM

Ryan Healey’s comment is:

I REALLY like the new Ice Cream Truck logo and the blue color. The heart logo just did not say "Good Humor" to me at all, this one also has a "fun" feel to it.

What I don't like is the application of what should be a blue logo on a GREEN umbrella above. Could they not make the umbrella in blue so it carried the color theme they are trying to introduce? Blue logo for Good Humor means umbrella should be blue.

On Sep.09.2009 at 10:06 AM

Ernie Fidanza’s comment is:

I liked the blue name logo with van on top.. Good humor ice cream has truly established a great brand name for ice cream. This made my inspiration to have my own ice cream truck business.