Hilton Trades Beverly Hills for Beveled Hills

Founded 90 years ago, with a modest hotel in Cisco, Texas, Hilton Hotels now encompass 3,300 properties in 77 countries through ten different brands, including Waldorf Astoria, Hilton, Doubletree, Embassy Suites, and Hampton Inn & Suites, among others. This amalgam of hospitality powerhouses was most recently known as The Hilton Family but as of yesterday, it will be going by the more corporate Hilton Worldwide. The name, and identity change designed by Landor, coincide with the move of their headquarters from glitzy Beverly Hills to, um, non-glitzy McLean, Virginia.

With the addition of the word “worldwide,” the new logo unites all members of the organization across all parts of the globe with one shared vision for success. The platinum and gold stylized H evokes quality, stature and the richness of Hilton’s heritage. The two halves are reflective, which are a reminder of the company’s storied past and vibrant future, and the open curves are welcoming, symbolizing the world of travel by suggesting the round edges of the globe, the arch of a bridge and posts of a bed.
— Press Release

Detail (above) and flat versions of the logo.

Black and white shaded version.

Since the corporation and the actual Hilton hotel shared the same H icon, establishing a visual separation between the corporate entity and the consumer-facing hotels is a very smart move and allows the rest of the brands to fit better under the parent umbrella. Like the name, the new logo is deadly serious and business-like but, for a handful of reasons and decisions unbeknownst to us, the final result is a cheapened version of what could have been a solid corporate identity. I see absolutely no need for the bevels, it adds nothing to an otherwise perfectly acceptable icon, and as seen above, the logo looks infinitely better flat.

There are few other things that could have made this stronger, like matching the weight of “HILTON” and “WORLDWIDE” because they are almost the same, and since the type is Gotham and it comes with a dozen weights, it would have been pretty easy to match — or, the contrary, make the difference more noticeable. Personally, I would have taken the width of the “I” and use that to define the space between the two arches in the icon. And the spacing between icon and “HILTON” and between “HILTON” and “WORLDWIDE” seems arbitrary. Still, it passes muster.

Old Hilton logo at the Hilton Las Vegas. Image source.

When I first saw the logo I knew it reminded me of something, but it wasn’t until one of our tipsters pointed out that it looks like the old Hilton hotel logo, except sideways. And I’m sure comparisons to the Herman Miller logo will come up. In application, despite the dumb volume of the logo, the identity works pretty well in the stationery and print applications, which play off the curve of the arches and has a nice use of framed photography and knocked-out objects. This could have been one of the most decent corporate identity projects here in a while, but the bevel is too much like wearing pool-side flip-flops with a tuxedo.

Business card and letterhead.

Various print applications.

Thanks to Gigi Frias for first tip.

Dale Campbell’s comment is:

woah.

yuck.

I can’t say that I like anything about it, really. The text treatment seems to cheapen it overall. I mean, I like Gotham, but it seems like perhaps the relationship with respect to scale seems off.

And that icon is just horrific.

Man o man, Landor…

On Sep.24.2009 at 09:24 AM

Jared Ray Scott Ramey’s comment is:

Ack! (channelling Bill the Cat)

That icon is horrendous. i know it will look a lot better with metallic ink, but its terrible on the web. and why is the thing bevelled? the black and white version is the best one!

the collateral material is really good though… someone should be commended for that.

the icon is a different story altogether.

On Sep.24.2009 at 09:33 AM

Mitchell Hillman’s comment is:

I can’t say that the collateral is really impressive, just correctly done. Same isn’t true for the logo for sure. My biggest complaint is that there is no alignment. It seems very off balance with the logo higher than ‘Hilton’ and the ‘worldwide’ being all by itself down there at the bottom.

On Sep.24.2009 at 09:43 AM

jinushaun’s comment is:

Yikes!

I can live with the icon (flat), but the text treatment is awful. Hilton is too thin of a weight, and kerning in “Hilton” is too wide. The relationship of “Hilton” with respect to “Worldwide” seems off.

On Sep.24.2009 at 09:46 AM

Doug Wilson’s comment is:

Wow. I immediately saw the Hermann Miller logo. And the bevel? Yikes! Although I agree that the old “Hilton Family” logo needs refreshing, in my opinion, this is not the right direction.

On Sep.24.2009 at 09:49 AM

sergio’s comment is:

If they will always use the logos from all their hotels I dont think there is a reason for another logo for the company, they could get well with just the old name TheHiltonFamily with a new type treatment is more frenddly and cozzy without the logo, in this new logo everything seams without any alignment that looks weird, too corporate for a hotel chain management

On Sep.24.2009 at 09:58 AM

Peter O'Connell’s comment is:

That’s just ugly, very expensive ugly.

On Sep.24.2009 at 10:11 AM

Eaglegrl’s comment is:

At quick glance, on the smaller versions, the bevel on the lower half makes the whole thing look a little off. It makes me want to nudge the lower half over to the right so it visually lines up. Without the bevel…its fine. I didn’t imeadiately see the H, but I am not super familiar with their existing H. The round H motif from the old hilton family logo is the only one Ive seen before… it says hilton to me. The cut-out semi circle with a reflection, not so much!

On Sep.24.2009 at 10:12 AM

Eric’s comment is:

Yeesh… I don’t like anything about it and the bevel is just plain wrong.

On Sep.24.2009 at 10:15 AM

Violet’s comment is:

OMG, no, nO, NO, NONONONO!

Bad Landor BAD! Outside!

On Sep.24.2009 at 10:20 AM

Robert Pfeifer’s comment is:

First of all, as always, excellent job on gathering all the information for these identities — very thorough.

With regard to the identity I don’t think the simple rotation of the icon worked well, and bevels — even though it is vector it has such a “I’m new to Photoshop look what I can do with filters” look.

Have you seen the website? It’s sized to 800 pixels which astounds me, who designs at that size anymore? Something tells me Paris was behind this, it looks tacky.

On Sep.24.2009 at 10:20 AM

Scott Messner’s comment is:

I can’t say that I hate it. It’s definitely an improvement on the dated old one.

I totally agree with Mitchell. The alignment is the big problem here. Both horizontal, too much space between the logo and type, and vertical.

On Sep.24.2009 at 10:21 AM

Violet’s comment is:

My Co-worker says they look like those restaurant booster seats for kids…

On Sep.24.2009 at 10:22 AM

ray’s comment is:

sigh, gotham again?

On Sep.24.2009 at 10:23 AM

Trish’s comment is:

I agree completely with all the tweaks you would have made to make the logo more cohesive. I think it is an improvement to the dated look of the old logo. I also think the new one matches the Hilton’s public identity, which is important (although I’m not a fan). Hopefully they read this and think about implementing the tweaks you suggest. It won’t change the overall design but improve its feel. Even if they do the improvements gradually, I hope they do them.

On Sep.24.2009 at 10:29 AM

Martin Kuplens-Ewart’s comment is:

What made them think a return to Dolby Digital-land would make them look appealing? Unless you’re wearing giant aviators, I don’t think anyone would find this new-look Hilton trendy.

That said – the existing brand had begun to feel a little too budget, although that’s probably more a consequence of the use of the word Family and the Disney-esque lack of wordspacing.

Come to think of it… the new logo looks rather like one of:

1.) two catering tables stacked surface-to-surface
2.) a couple on less-than-speaking terms sharing luxurious hilton upholstery.

There’s certainly not a hint of romance to the new symbology.

On Sep.24.2009 at 10:30 AM

Stefano Picco’s comment is:

Ugly, simply ugly, looks like early 90s vector style …

On Sep.24.2009 at 10:31 AM

Martin Kuplens-Ewart’s comment is:

All that said, though – it is a much more neutral identity for an umbrella organisation. Given that it represents everything from Embassy Suites to Waldorf Astoria, the rather bland Hilton-brand hotel identity was arguably an overstretch.

On Sep.24.2009 at 10:32 AM

soully’s comment is:

The final logo is the sort of thing I can imagine I’d have come up with in some very early mock-ups but wouldn’t have shown to anyone else; it would have been discarded early on. Some of the printed material is passable but overall not much to like here.

Losing the bevel would be a minor improvement, but not enough to lift it out of really mediocre.

On Sep.24.2009 at 10:52 AM

Neil’s comment is:

Is there now a rule that says all American corporate rebrands HAVE to be set in Gotham?
The mark is passable as a first draft but as many have said above there is little or no relationship between the individual elements. And lets never say the ‘B’ word again!

On Sep.24.2009 at 10:58 AM

john c’s comment is:

The color scheme is used before. So is Gotham. So is that logo. Simply dreadful waste of branding time. Perfect time for you Armin to put up the Vegas hilton as its trashiness is fitting.

On Sep.24.2009 at 11:08 AM

Will Y.’s comment is:

Anyone else getting a bad Herman Miller rip off vibe from the icon?

On Sep.24.2009 at 11:23 AM

felix sockwell’s comment is:

yes bevels are bad, but i have to say this is much better than that old swoosh logo (which i believe was introduced about 13 years ago). to have an in depth analysis of this you really need to lay out a logo timeline. your type wt analysis is right on and the stacking/ lockup is strangely arbitrary. I wonder how this will play in san francisco. it has a bridge / reflection vibe. details are weak. grade: B-

On Sep.24.2009 at 11:27 AM

Niki Voyatzis’s comment is:

While the logo is an improvement, it still seems like Hilton, much like the rest of the industry is behind on the times.

They’re trying to make advancements but lacking in all the little details: the bevel in the logo, their website being 800px wide, drop shadows in the web navigation text.

While nicely done, the collateral is still no different than what other hotel and golf resorts deliver.

With that said, it may be enough of a difference to their customers, but I would really like to see the hotel industry embrace something completely different for once.

On Sep.24.2009 at 11:48 AM

Mario’s comment is:

Dolby digital turned on its side.

On Sep.24.2009 at 12:04 PM

Tony Nguyen’s comment is:

Does anyone think the Landor designers would put their names one this one?
I can see where they were going with using the old H and turning it on its side.
Typography execution leave much room for improvements.

I am sure the executives at Hilton got their hands dirty in this one and added the bevels for “value”.

It just goes to show even a large agency like Landor struggles with clients who lack aesthetic. I cannot imagine how miserable it was for the team to work on this project knowing its outcome.

On Sep.24.2009 at 12:05 PM

Matt C’s comment is:

This looks like the first round of the redesign process, it seems like many of the small details were not touched upon yet. It appears to be totally off-balance to me, with the “Worldwide” bringing it down and the icon trying to lift it up. To give it a bit more balance, I would’ve tried aligning the crossbar of the “H in Hilton” with the white line separation of the icon, so there is 1 continuous horizontal line. as it is now, that crossbar in the icon lines up to, that’s right: Nothing at All. Ingenious if I may say so myself. And for the love of god, could no one at landor suggest that the “E” of worldwide line up with the left side of the “N” in hilton? Is that asking too much?

But, it is easier to make suggestions After the Fact, so take this for what it’s worth… nothing

On Sep.24.2009 at 12:07 PM

David Sanchez’s comment is:

Can’t stand the inconsistency of use of the symbol when compared to the hotel signage. However it is a bold improvement, focused into a sense of pride and history. Back to its roots. Nostalgic and glamorous.

On Sep.24.2009 at 12:17 PM

mm’s comment is:

Las Vegas gold baby! I bet Donald Trump helped give direction on this one.

On Sep.24.2009 at 12:23 PM

Carlo’s comment is:

I never liked the curly-coffee-steam H icon. So I’m happy they went back to the more serious traditional shape they had before. Simply rotating it is a brilliant testamant to the timeless genius of the original logo. It sort of illustrates how sensibilities change over time - I can imagine the original more vertical icon appealed more to the towering sky scrapper dreams at the time. How sublime that the same shape so many years later can now appeal to a flatter lower-profile sensibility.
I agree with the garishness of the bevel - but then again, you can almost pity Landor for having to probably cater to older board members with visions of gold-plated lobby signage, lapel pins, and foil embossed business cards.

On Sep.24.2009 at 12:23 PM

ADAM’s comment is:

What a horrible logo. Everything in it seems stock and looks like a 1st year art student designed it. The new logo definitely cheapens their look, and their new branding with their ads looks really basic and too common.

Also, am I the only one that thinks is looks like the Hurley logo?
http://www.woononaboardriders.com.au/juneimages/Hurley%20H%20logo.jpg

On Sep.24.2009 at 12:33 PM

Benga’s comment is:

My only question is WHY THE F*%K, would they change that beautifully functioning design into this horrendous nightmare?

On Sep.24.2009 at 12:46 PM

Racine personal injury attorney’s comment is:

Sometimes redesigns go well sometimes they don’t. The only important thing is if it does it’s job and becomes the symbol of the company. After some time we’ll see if it was a good or bad move.

On Sep.24.2009 at 12:52 PM

j*’s comment is:

Just an FYI…McLean (well really all of Great Falls, VA) is the Beverly Hills of VA. Pretty “glitzy” when the average home price is $840k (http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2008/snapshots/PL5148376.html) which is not too far off from the $1.6mi of Beverly Hills. Median household income of McLean at $180k compared to $125k.
Yet I digress.
The new logo leaves a lot to be desired. I can get behind the grayscale non-bevel version, but that’s about it.
Thanks for the post!

On Sep.24.2009 at 12:53 PM

jonathan’s comment is:

The balance of the type and this mark is freaking terrible. No relationship here at all.

On Sep.24.2009 at 12:53 PM

griche’s comment is:

There is no logic to the light source “shining” on the bevels. Upper right? Upper left? The reflections on the bevels seem arbitrary. With a consistent light source, the left edges of the top and bottom elements would appear to line up properly.

On Sep.24.2009 at 01:07 PM

Koyo’s comment is:

UGLY

On Sep.24.2009 at 01:12 PM

todd zakk’s comment is:

not too bad, more modern. the previous logo looks like it’s from the 90’s (those type of fonts seemed to be popular at that time). Seems they are trying to remove a family image and go with more of a corporate image by the name change.

On Sep.24.2009 at 01:21 PM

Dennis Van Staalduinen’s comment is:

Grade if it were done for a first year college design course:
D (Comment on report card: “Shows large amount of effort, but perhaps you might want to try a different career.”)

Grade if it were a multi-national Hotel Megalopoly (which it were):
F——- (Comment on report card: “Never showed up. Devalues itself with mediocrity. Has trouble playing nicely with grown-ups.”)
________________

On another note, I’ll miss the name “Hilton Family”.

In training sessions, I often used it as an example of a more human way to say “Group”. “Hilton Worldwide” sounds very impressive but *yawn*.

Of course, I can see why you might be embarassed to be associated with some members of the Hilton Family.

After all, we’ll always have Paris…

On Sep.24.2009 at 01:28 PM

Dennis Van Staalduinen’s comment is:

Oh, and while I’m being snide and hyper-critical (no really, I love you Brand New!), as puns go, “Bevelly Hills” would have been funnier in the title.

The Bevelly Hiltonbillies perhaps?

Swimming pools. Movie stars. And now bevels too!

Y’all come back now, y’hear?

On Sep.24.2009 at 01:33 PM

Brian Douglas Hayes’s comment is:

Changing the name to Hilton Worldwide? Great. Good move; sounds much bigger and more powerful, even if it does take a bit of character out of the name (“Hilton Family”, as noted above, sounds a bit more friendly/humanistic).

But the identity looks totally unfinished. Why does Worldwide just arbitrarily stop under the left side of the ‘n’ in Hilton? Shouldn’t it extend to match up with the right side? Letter spacing, additional widths… c’mon, those are pretty basic fundamentals of typography and grids.

As for the bevels… barf. I think they’re missing some lens flare, too.

On Sep.24.2009 at 01:38 PM

jmk’s comment is:

Well, we have a winner for worst redesign of the year. Consider them this year’s pepsi.

On Sep.24.2009 at 02:12 PM

Mark’s comment is:

FINALLY!

About time they got rid of that cheap looking H with a swirl,I never really liked that logo.

The H looks better without the bevel, the bevel seems pretty unnecessary.

This is a big improvement, I like it.

On Sep.24.2009 at 02:31 PM

Jared Ray Scott Ramey’s comment is:

HA! I’m laughing at Brian’s lens flare comment.

On Sep.24.2009 at 02:51 PM

Fish’s comment is:

There are so many things I just do not like about this mark/lock-up. Type weight, spacing, silver/gold photoshop-looking dimensionality in the icon. Gross. I hope this was the result of many client revisions and not their initial recommend. Horrible.

Really though, a few slight tweaks and a flat icon would make this worlds better!

On Sep.24.2009 at 03:02 PM

Nick’s comment is:

All I see is the old Hilton “H” fallen over on its side. I was a bit confused at first. Why on earth would they do that? I have to think the client had a lot of input on this one. It’s an improvement but falls way, way short of it’s potential.

On Sep.24.2009 at 03:10 PM

Brian Spence’s comment is:

I actually live in a Hilton building (from the 8th to the 26th floor, it’s condos). So, for me, this is big news. I have always felt that the logo looked outdated. I never knew if it was trying to be classy or just comfortable, or what. This logo is a step in the right direction. I look at the alignment though, as others have said, and wonder why it’s not aligned properly (I’m a third year design student, so I can admit that there’s much I don’t know).

As an aside, the bulbs in the sign went out a few weeks ago and they never replaced them. Now I know why…

On Sep.24.2009 at 03:30 PM

Christopher Lyons’s comment is:

Landor got paid to take an old existing Hilton logo and turn it on it’s side? Uh, ok.

On Sep.24.2009 at 03:31 PM

Nisio’s comment is:

Dolby and batman had a baby

On Sep.24.2009 at 03:37 PM

G. Alex’s comment is:

bevels… really

On Sep.24.2009 at 03:52 PM

NatalieB’s comment is:

This could have been really nice. The lack of balance throws me off the most. Now start with the new (flat) mark and try again.

On Sep.24.2009 at 03:59 PM

Glenn Sakamoto’s comment is:

As cheap looking and tacky as Paris.

On Sep.24.2009 at 04:00 PM

Cafe’s comment is:

The icon is ugly. Maybe the logo would look better without it.
The print applications are no good as well.

On Sep.24.2009 at 04:00 PM

Bernassi’s comment is:

All
Day
I
Dream
About
Landor.

*Emphatic loving sigh…*

On Sep.24.2009 at 05:20 PM

Bernassi’s comment is:

Hey Brian, and a few others, you’ve missed what’s actually going on here.

This is a corporate identity, not the visual branding of a Hotel. The hotel in which you live will not change because of this. The hotel in which you live is a member of Hilton Worldwide:

http://hiltonworldwide.com/ourbrands/index.htm

Hope that helps!

On Sep.24.2009 at 05:44 PM

Bendy’s comment is:

Landor CD (facetious): “Let the intern design it”
Landor AM (insecure): “Oh, okay… um, alright”

Two weeks later, we have the new Hilton identity.

On Sep.24.2009 at 05:51 PM

Blue Buddha’s comment is:

At first look I was like, “yea, pretty… no, maybe not… ewww…” which all happened in the span of about .2 seconds.

Positives: the “H” icon could be cool to use in their marketing.
The gold and silver are OK—at least it’s not blue or red.

Negatives: the letterforms are weak and not very well balanced. Don’t like the bevel and find it entirely unnecessary here. They remind me of sharp metallic objects, something I don’t want to associate with my comfy-comfy stay in their hotel.
I wish something had some cadence to it—a perfect circle “o” to repeat the shape, a line-up of the H and Hilton—something!

On Sep.24.2009 at 06:03 PM

Seregy’s comment is:

Let’s try to find something god in it. Nice core of an apple.
LT kerning is :(

On Sep.24.2009 at 06:11 PM

EnergonCube’s comment is:

BLANDOR strikes again!!

sigh.

On Sep.24.2009 at 07:16 PM

holliday inn fan’s comment is:

I think Hiltons’s can crowdsourced this, get a better job and save some thousand bucks.

Freaking….

But probably happen this:

Landor exec
-after the research this is our proposal (show a neat identity)

Paris
-don’t like, I want more bling bling!

Landor exec
-well, due the nature of the Hilton business…

Paris (bi***g attitude)
-If your company cannot fulfill the clients request I can look for other!

Landor exec (fearing loose his commission)
-Ok, give me five minutes and let’me see what can we do.

You know the rest of the story.

Disclaimer, this short tale is fictional any similarity with the reality is purely coincidence.

On Sep.24.2009 at 07:56 PM

Armand’s comment is:

I have to agree—the non-beveled version is infinitely better. But the chrome-and-brass colors of both versions allude to the gaudy 80s cheesy that seems to define Hilton in my memory, anyway.

On Sep.24.2009 at 08:11 PM

Mark’s comment is:

On a second thought the “H” looks butt ugly in smaller sizes, yuck.

Maybe it’s a good thing that this logo won’t be seen on the outside of any Hilton Hotel.

This is a parent company logo not the logo for Hilton Hotels themselves.

On Sep.24.2009 at 08:25 PM

Mark’s comment is:

I also hate the colors they couldn’t decide between gold or silver, so they use both? What The F**k? One color would have worked fine.

On Sep.24.2009 at 08:29 PM

William’s comment is:

Landor should’ve kept that new symbol in their back pocket and pitched it to J.A. Henckels.

On Sep.24.2009 at 09:30 PM

andyRespire’s comment is:

The colors, of course, nod to Paris’ platinum blond golden locks.

On Sep.25.2009 at 02:53 AM

Eskay’s comment is:

Ugh!

On Sep.25.2009 at 06:54 AM

ScottyM’s comment is:

“Worst redesign of the year?” Come on, not even close.

The new design isn’t great … or not really even good … but the previous design? It was TERRIBLE. The swirly H icon was the ONLY thing that saved that turd … font/spacing/weight … absolutely middle school art class quality.

So, back to the new one:

Color is kind of unique. It gives off a late 60s-very early 70s vintage (not retro, vintage) appeal. Kind of “Sammy Davis and Friends.” The type plays along nicely, sure there are spacing issues, but in use, it comes across as very “vintage travel,” I’ll call it. See the old Braniff Airlines, and other stuff from around ‘70-‘73.

I suppose shifting the icon sideways is an option … a very cheap, thoughtless option. It’s just weird Landor would do that. I’m not totally aghast with it, but I don’t love it (or even really like it), either.

For the nod to history alone (which, surprisingly, most of you missed), I’d give it at least a B-.

On Sep.25.2009 at 07:56 AM

Joseph Maguire’s comment is:

Considering Hilton was just in Madmen’s TV show for their advertisement campaign. I have to say this is a mess, I mean for one it reminds me of the 60s, two it reminds me of a butlers tie. Three it reminds me all things cheesy and to top it the typeface ack. It’s so thin it won’t be used like that in signage so why on earth would you create a second logo typeface. I dunno I think they need to fire that branding team and start over.

On Sep.25.2009 at 08:06 AM

obse.’s comment is:

Landor just wanted to keep Bodoni for themselves: “Let’s screw any other brand that uses Bodoni until we’re the only ones!”

On Sep.25.2009 at 08:14 AM

Caryn’s comment is:

This reminded me of Batman for some reason. Could have been a great opportunity, but this isn’t it. Needs to be a lot tighter.

On Sep.25.2009 at 08:26 AM

Cory Osborn’s comment is:

My comment: “Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…”

On Sep.25.2009 at 08:54 AM

Brandon Lane’s comment is:

At this point, I’d be willing to bet even Jonathan Hoefler is tired of seeing gotham.

On Sep.25.2009 at 09:11 AM

Kevin’s comment is:

Not to reiterate what everyone else has said, but these bevels make me miss gradients…

Logotype aside (I never thought Gotham could look bad before…), the collateral is pretty blah too. Usually, seeing even a bad logo in a semi-decent application makes it look better, but how is slapping a logo on gray, surrounded by other logos even considered design. This stuff could be done on Microsoft Word!

On Sep.25.2009 at 09:19 AM

Deshler’s comment is:

Didn’t I read, a while ago, that we weren’t supposed to be making comments like, “looks like something out of a first-year design student,” or “looks like the intern did it,” or whatever?

On Sep.25.2009 at 09:36 AM

Rodrok’s comment is:

This looks a little dangerous to me. Not sure I would have a peaceful sleep with those pointy spikes, too aggresive under my consideration…lol

On Sep.25.2009 at 09:38 AM

Mark’s comment is:

Herman…, Herman Miller? eh…

On Sep.25.2009 at 01:34 PM

Lynn’s comment is:

Hospitality corporate-types: call me next time you want to pay phat lewt for a hot mess six ways from Sunday

On Sep.25.2009 at 03:26 PM

EM’s comment is:

I’m a bit surprised by a couple of things. First of all, everyone should be clear that this new logo is currently only meant to be used as the corporate logo. A Hilton hotel building will still have the H with the swirl as its logo and signage http://www1.hilton.com/en_US/hi/index.do;jsessionid=HNCDNAQMAUTLACSGBIU222QKIYFC3UUC (although maybe the plan is to change those as well in the future). Everyone should also know that Hilton Worldwide (the corporate organization) is now owned by The Blackstone Group. Paris and the Hilton family no longer have anything to do with it. Having worked for another Blackstone Group hotel company (LXR Luxury Resorts - http://www.luxuryresorts.com/ ) in the past before they bought Hilton, I know many of the hotel group’s decision makers and can say with absolute certainty that I am sure they thought about what they ultimately approved as their final choice. I can also say that they have some very smart and style conscience people working for them and usually make some great business decisions. I think the LXR branding was great. That having been said, I’m a little surprised with the direction this rebranding took. When I first saw the new logo my mind immediately told me I had seen it somewhere before, but I could not quite figure it out until I saw the picture of the Las Vegas Hilton. For Blackstone/Hilton to have paid a branding company to simply tip over an old former logo and paint one half gold and the other half silver is a bit hard for me to believe. I would have expected Blackstone to direct the branding company to come up with something truly new, unique, and even a bit edgy (and no I don’t mean the bevels when I say edgy - I prefer the flat look). I’m not crazy about the logo - it looks a little too much like a bow tie to me - but at least it looks more like an H than the old former logo which always looked like an I to me. If they do end up using this new logo however, I would have to agree with most of the comments above and say that I would like the words Hilton and Worldwide to somehow be reformatted and realigned so that they work better with the logo. I don’t mind the two colors silver and gold, and certainly like the colors better than it being all black or different shades of gray, but I agree that the bevels have to go. I’m in the hotel development business, not the marketing business, so my comments can be taken with a grain of salt. Allot of you sound like you are in the marketing / branding / commercial art industry, so if you want to take a shot at improving the overall look of the logo and sharing it with the group, I can make sure it gets back to the decision makers at Blackstone for their consideration.

On Sep.25.2009 at 04:22 PM

couchideas’s comment is:

Bwahahaha…what the..hahahah

No seriously, why do so many wannabe upscale brands have such bad taste?

On Sep.25.2009 at 06:13 PM

adamgf’s comment is:

OK I have never been to a Hilton hotel, but I imagine they are a 4 or 5 star hotel… which is more than I would give their branding redesign.
The flat black logo symbol is nice. It is grand, classy, corporate and does the job for the corporate side of Hilton. But I agree that the type treatment is pretty lax. It seems like there is no grid or attempt to think about the spacing. The text is off kilter to the symbol too. Possible having the midpoint of the’HILTON’ aligned to the midpoint line of the symbol would have been better? more centred. Its just all a bit lazy and irrational. Overall a decent enough idea, but only for a first attempt. Needs development.

On Sep.25.2009 at 06:14 PM

couchideas’s comment is:

H
Hospitality – We are passionate about delivering exceptional guest experiences.

I
Integrity – We do the right thing, all the time.

L
Leadership – We are leaders in our industry and in our communities.

T
Teamwork – We are team players in everything we do.

O
Ownership – We are the owners of our actions and decisions.

N
Now – We operate with a sense of urgency and discipline.

Say cheese….

On Sep.25.2009 at 06:19 PM

Gage Mitchell’s comment is:

Wow. Poor Landor. I can only imagine they showed some much nicer solutions but probably had their pencil pushed a bit too far on this one. So sad. But still, they could have done a better job getting the weights and spacing right before releasing this beast into the public. This is one awkward logo.

Regards,
Gage Mitchell, AIGA

:: Branding & Design
:: GageMitchell.com

On Sep.26.2009 at 12:40 PM

mertz’s comment is:

this makes me so sad. i don’t think hotel when i look at that icon, and doesn’t under armor have something like that.

On Sep.26.2009 at 03:00 PM

Aditya’s comment is:

Let’s all just say it once and for all, as ‘graphic designers’ Landor suck!

They may be a big, successful firm, but apart from a few exceptions over the years, their output is sub-par.

…and still, some fan boys kep lauding Landor, sigh.

http://www.identityworks.com/forum/identity-business/worlds-top-ten-identity-firms/

On Sep.27.2009 at 10:00 AM

Wolfgang’s comment is:

Landor are the GM of design companies.

On Sep.27.2009 at 11:01 AM

Fatimah’s comment is:

the negative space screams dolby digital

On Sep.27.2009 at 02:28 PM

Matt’s comment is:

The only people I see saying that Landor suck are a bunch of nobody graphic artists at Brand New.

You guys are a joke if you truly think you are privy to some higher understanding of Graphic Design that eludes the numerous employees of Landor, and the even more numerous professionals in the Branding and Graphic Design industries that think highly of Landor and their work.

On Sep.28.2009 at 12:12 AM

Chris O'Brien’s comment is:

That is an absolute load of garbage.

My 8 year old nephew could of done better…!

On Sep.28.2009 at 09:31 AM

Chris O'Brien’s comment is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfprIxNfCjk

On Sep.28.2009 at 09:36 AM

Mathew Ballard’s comment is:

The font is fine, but the icon is just horrible and I don’t know what it ways about the brand. The before is much much better.

On Sep.28.2009 at 11:13 AM

Tamixes’s comment is:

The art of typography seems to be a dying craft :(

Some logo designers are clueless about kerning (I’m not picking on the Hilton redesign only, it just seems to be a global trend). Designers need to realize that some fonts are badly hinted and need to be manually kerned and visually aligned.

On Sep.28.2009 at 11:15 AM

debi’s comment is:

Do we think that the Mad Men writers were commissioned to write the re-brand of the Hilton into the current script?

Very nice linkage/press coverage if they haven’t!!

On Sep.28.2009 at 12:05 PM

Elizabeth’s comment is:

I don’t know that there’s even enough visual interest to warrant calling it ugly.

It’s just boring. I’m not sure what has been designed. ?

On Sep.28.2009 at 12:12 PM

allanGEE’s comment is:

Devil horns on top of a frowny face. What’s not to like?

On Sep.28.2009 at 01:25 PM

Christopher Meeks’s comment is:

I hate to beat a dead horse, but this is atrocious. I think the author is being gracious here. If it wasn’t for Landor coming up with this, there would be more outrage.

How can the same company that did the Melbourne identity do this? It seems impossible to me.

On Sep.28.2009 at 02:56 PM

Mary Shu’s comment is:

Reminds me of a hood ornament or a Christmas tree decoration.

Landor - hang thee head in shame.

On Sep.28.2009 at 05:31 PM

Qube’s comment is:

Sorry, isn’t this the HERMAN MILLER logo rippped???
http://www.hermanmiller.com/global

On Sep.28.2009 at 11:32 PM

Designslave’s comment is:

For such a large company with international reach and pockets full of money you think they could have hired a better graphic designer. I REALLY don’t like the icon. The old logo made me feel much more like a high class warm and fuzzy hotel. This looks harsh and unwelcoming. Sorry!

On Sep.29.2009 at 08:48 AM

Gellar’s comment is:

When I was a student we were told to stay away from bevels and gradients. Now in the computer age bevels and gradients are the norm and alternate flat/solid colored versions of logos can be created for older printing machinery. That is now a 20th century way of thinking.

Today we no longer tell students to stay away from bevels and gradients because technology has come along way. Bevels and gradients also make logos appear more complex looking rather than something simple that took a few hours to create.

The new logo does give a vintage late 60s/early 70s feel but with a modern twist that brings it into this century.

On Sep.29.2009 at 12:40 PM

scournoy’s comment is:

I like the new path - just doesn’t look like they’re comfortable with it.

I can appreciate trying to bring back the modernist era with all the hype and pseudo-style of the Mad-Men craze happening right now, unfortunately the effect is lost by the online presence and advertising. A change of direction to this identity requires strong and committed art direction and a great deal of style. Beyond the logo, the style disappears very quickly into generic “Silver/Gold level service” -type language and becomes more and more disappointing to the point of being a bit sad.

Other neo-luxury and boutique hotel brands have and will always do this better since they understand that their intended clientele all respond to progressive design and lifestyle aesthetics. This is more of classic trying to be relevent and trendy, but can’t commit to the upgrade.

A lukewarm change if anything.

On Sep.29.2009 at 03:47 PM

M&M's’s comment is:

Well, come on people. Everyone knew that with a newly purchased company, move the headquarters, fire and re-hire all the staff across the country - a new leave it to Cleaver logo was coming. I okay with it, it is different and it is getting a lot of talk. One lady said she never stayed in a Hilton, really - must be a Travelodger. Where am I going here is if you haven’t experienced the brand, then how can you write about it or even start putting it down. Right? Next, the customers like it from what I have been told. You other brands are jealous and that is fine, you will always be followers. LOL

On Sep.29.2009 at 03:50 PM

Ryan Healey’s comment is:

The new logo is cold and unfeeling, exactly opposite of how most logos are heading. I could perhaps live with the bevels if they were even with the type. They whole thing looks knocked off line.

Not an improvement at all. Not the end of the world, but not an improvement. Cold, unfeeling, out of line is not the image a hotel chain wants to portray.

On Sep.29.2009 at 04:19 PM

PK_Kernan’s comment is:

Ouch! Those four needle sharp spikes on the logo shout “pain” not comfort, as one would hope for, from a hotel corporation. Many people have commented on the similarity to the Herman Miller logo, but the sharp points there are comfortably contained within a circle. The bottom legs of the Hilton logo look like they’re about to puncture the baseline.

On Sep.29.2009 at 06:38 PM

Jen’s comment is:

The mark looks like a dog biscuit. I also hate the arbitrary spacing and unfinished typography. Call me a killjoy. Bah.

:)

On Sep.30.2009 at 02:11 PM

Mark’s comment is:

so… all you have to do is take the 70’s logo and turn it on its side. jesus h. christ.

On Oct.02.2009 at 04:45 AM

Ben’s comment is:

so bad. take away the type and it makes me think that this was stolen off some 70’s wallpaper pattern.

On Oct.02.2009 at 06:44 PM

Brandy’s comment is:

The 80’s called; they want their logo back.

On Oct.02.2009 at 07:50 PM

Brandy’s comment is:

Bevelicious baby!

On Oct.02.2009 at 07:52 PM

Elisa’s comment is:

Aside from the logo not being great, the balance is non-existent. I didn’t see a problem with the old logo, or even just keeping the “H” icon. And the bevels, get rid of them.

On Oct.05.2009 at 01:43 PM

Chris’s comment is:

I like that the logo looks sharp - I expect my hotel to be staffed with sharp, quality employees and services. The new trend towards softer logos works for companies like Wal-Mart, but I want a quality hotel company to move in a firmer direction. This logo reminds me of Hilton’s heritage with a bridge to the future.

Alignment is weird, but the concept I like.

On Oct.06.2009 at 01:02 AM

Chris’s comment is:

By the way, the Hilton HHonors logo has been redesigned as well:
http://www.hiltonworldwide.com/assets/images/brands/HHonors_mk_logo_colorhhonorslogodwnld.jpg

On Oct.06.2009 at 01:03 AM

george’s comment is:

Landor lost it. Terrible.

On Oct.07.2009 at 05:42 AM

Mary C’s comment is:

Lazy effort.

Landor should stop pontificating about branding, and learn to do it.

On Oct.07.2009 at 10:56 AM

Mark’s comment is:

So they tipped over an old logo and painted it gold and silver, weak man, weak.

Landor could have done something better, you know? like something ORIGINAL!!!!!!

On Oct.07.2009 at 02:03 PM

Paul Rand’s comment is:

Someone should sue Landor, Bevels went out od style with Ronald Regan!

On Oct.08.2009 at 01:58 AM

PS’s comment is:

The font, especially with the poor spacing, makes it look like something didn’t load properly on my browser and now I’m getting a funny default font with too much spacing.

Bevel? Why can’t Bevel die?

Worst of all, it looks like this was something they thought about for two minutes and then handed to an intern. “Hey, they used this one H looking thing in the past. Just…I don’t know, flip it on its side and use some photoshop effects.”

On Oct.08.2009 at 03:13 PM

shaunstrack’s comment is:

The black and white version is tolerable. The spacing of all the elements feels so clunky and awkward.
Maybe if “Worldwide” were bumped up a bit and the “H” emblem thing were to span both lines of text it would be a bit more cohesive (though cliche) in arrangement.

On Oct.13.2009 at 09:46 AM

gary’s comment is:

I think the idea is valid, it’s just the poor crafting and lazy execution of the idea that lets it down.

There is no excuse for sloppy design, for such an eminent client.

On Oct.19.2009 at 01:04 PM

Caspian’s comment is:

This could be the worst rebrand BN has ever listed.
The other day I was just talking about how Hilton was an example of a brand that managed to tie all their various sectors together and now they have gone and thrown up all over the place.
The whole “reflective… storied past… vibrant future, and the open curves are welcoming… the world of travel by suggesting the round edges of the globe, the arch of a bridge and posts of a bed.” is just insane. Round edges of the globe? Excuse me? Is it a bridge? No wait. It’s a bed. And beveled because there is a button to do that.
Nope. It’s utter tosh.

On Oct.27.2009 at 03:01 AM

dsi r4’s comment is:

Nice and decent logo. There is not much on the design, but still it looks perfect.

On Dec.18.2009 at 04:29 AM

Andrew Koop’s comment is:

Looks like it was styled by Don Draper.

On Dec.21.2009 at 07:52 AM

Josh’s comment is:

Looks like a refridgerator company.

On Jan.28.2010 at 10:10 PM

ips’s comment is:

Hilton logo in the classic sci-fi film «Total Recall» :)

On Feb.01.2010 at 12:04 PM

dez’s comment is:

can’t say i totally hate it… at least they’re attempting to modernize by using a sleek, san-serif type like Gotham.

but the bevel… *ugh* it’s like wearing stilletos to the beach. unnecessary glamour on the way to cheapdom.

i like how the business card looks though. simple and classy. they should’ve kept the logo that way.

On May.20.2010 at 07:51 PM