Opinion BY Armin

My Little Logo

Although I am, or well, was, more of a He-Man, G.I. Joe, and Transformers kind of kid, I’m certainly not above acknowledging the ubiquity of My Little Pony as a popular toy for girls (at the time, obviously, with cooties). I’m probably not alone in having tortured a My Little Pony with any of the aforementioned manly action figures. But unlike these other 1980s boyish relics — 3d wizardry-driven movies of the latter two notwithstanding — My Little Pony has kept evolving over more than 25 years, adapting not only its design and packaging for contemporary kids but also by redrawing the features of the ponies, keeping them relevant to today’s aesthetics. If you played with them as a kid you may not like how they have evolved, with their super eyelashes and red carpet-ready manes, but check with the demographic and I am sure you will find them combing those manes.

Recently — I’m not sure when since I don’t keep up with My Little Pony news — a new logo has been introduced for them. And surprisingly enough, where more visual kitsch could have been added it has been removed. Losing the multi gradients and cheap looking dimensionality, the new logo is simpler and better integrated. The “Pony” lettering might be too obvious with the tail of the “y” acting as a tail, but it frames the word nicely, and the “my little” typeface is a better choice than the previous Hobo-esque one. The two-color approach on the logo seems better suited for packaging where other elements, including the Pony itself, can be the ones providing the color stimulus. The result is an almost knowingly acknowledging of a more sophisticated and discerning buyer. (Who still has cooties!).

Thanks to Cenate Pruitt for the tip.

ScottyM’s comment is:

The y in My is a little bizarre … seeing as how the rest of the letters in “My” and “little” are by-the-book type treatment (not leaning, nothing fancy, etc.).

The y in Pony is cute. I see the tail, but more prominently I see a horseshoe. Quite fun and nicely done. Can’t say I like the red-tone … a little too valentiney for me. Altogether a positive effort.

On Sep.14.2009 at 07:24 AM

Chad Kaufman’s comment is:

I am not sure how the small line on the outside of the logo with the subtle gradient plays off of the logo and will be seen in the applications, seems very problematic.

I think the logo would be successful without the hearts around the words, although might lose some of the whimsy that attracts the target demographic.

Finally, I think the color choice demands a little more contrast. The two pinks used for the words and the background hearts could have been thought about a little more, possibly playing off the rainbow palette that was there before. I am not suggesting gradients, but possibly a lighter color for the background that helps sets the words off a little more. (Tag, you’re it!)

On Sep.14.2009 at 07:56 AM

Joseph’s comment is:

I know which I prefer… but I doubt an eight year old girl shares my taste.

Any tweeny would pick sparkles over form.

On Sep.14.2009 at 07:59 AM

Eric H.’s comment is:

The odd Y might have been meant to distract from the quasi-tautology of a “little” pony. Still not as redundant as the idea of a He-Man, though.

On Sep.14.2009 at 08:04 AM

Joe Bloggs’s comment is:

….why is the heart ever so slightly differently shaded (compared to Pony)? The colours are too close, it looks like a mistake. I think the tail fits and frames it much better, even thought the logo as a whole feels sliiiiiiightly off balance to me (I suspect it might be the short dash piece of the heart between the tail and the P that is to blame).

On Sep.14.2009 at 08:04 AM

Dan’s comment is:

award winning logo design!

On Sep.14.2009 at 08:05 AM

Joe Bloggs’s comment is:

…i do like it more than the super bright gradients though…

On Sep.14.2009 at 08:25 AM

Hommel’s comment is:

We are talking about what we like and don’t like, but neither of us are in the target group. 9 year old girls don’t care about right kerning and delicately matched colour palettes, they care about sparkling colourfull and animated design (at least that’s what my daughter and her friends says when they see the logo). And that’s why I hate to design to that target group ;-)

On Sep.14.2009 at 08:31 AM

Rob O.’s comment is:

There are a number of things I like much better about the new logo, but the serifs on the “m” and “l” in the “my little” typeface are too much.

On Sep.14.2009 at 08:50 AM

G*’s comment is:

Overall I like the evolution of the logo. A bit more contrast between the typography and hearts could help it pop. Other than that looks much better than the old logo.

On Sep.14.2009 at 08:58 AM

Jared Ray Scott Ramey’s comment is:

I think this is a time when simplicity is definitely the better way to go… you can really see the new version at a distance because of the boldness of it and lack of hard gradients. It is certainly a step up in quality and usability, and the color scheme works nicely. NIce job.

On Sep.14.2009 at 09:13 AM

Benga’s comment is:

Why there seem to be visible improvements in the new logo in comparison to the old logo, i still feel that the execution of the new logo still need a little bit of more work to make it come alive.

To reiterate what couple of people have said, the MY LITTLE, need a lot more work to be done. The positioning of the text are awkward looking, and the Y or the “MY” is a bit off from the rest of the typeface.

I like the newly added tail to, it makes the logo unique in some weird ways. I feel like the P in Phony, could have easily be turned into the outer outline of the big heart. The hearts both big and small, could have being a bit more visible. I’m not really digging the new color that much, not that i favor the older gradient color way better, but simply because the new color way doesn’t necessarily scream young girls. I wonder what age demography are they trying to target with this new update?

Benga creative

On Sep.14.2009 at 09:40 AM

JonSel’s comment is:

seriously?

On Sep.14.2009 at 10:08 AM

Mujiri’s comment is:

Definitely an improvement over the old logo from my point of view. The old logo for me felt a bit “light” due to the a slightly excessive space between the words and heart.

With the stronger mark, the logo seems to gain strength, ready to be stamped onto their products. Love the swish of the “y” which seems to give a girlish finish to the logo (hinting of the flowing ponytail of a young girl?)and the new gradient helps to provide a touch of interest without being over the top.

On Sep.14.2009 at 10:13 AM

Jessi Long’s comment is:

An improvement, but the kid’s only got eyes for the sparkle Popsicle tattooed on the pony butt encased in super-strength plastic.

You could have asked me which one of these were stamped into the foot of the pony I played with daily and I couldn’t tell you. His pink and purple mohawk was much more memorable.

On Sep.14.2009 at 10:21 AM

Ben Peck’s comment is:

Well my daughter thinks this is a good redesign. She’s 4

On Sep.14.2009 at 10:46 AM

Amanda B’s comment is:

I definitely think this is a big improvement. The redesign is cleaner and more balanced but retains the overall feel of the old logo. I especially like the pony-tail ‘y’.

On Sep.14.2009 at 11:08 AM

Ray’s comment is:

Just so you know, this is the original logo for MLP:
http://www.kimsites.net/dreamvalley/graphics/new/g2_logo.gif

On Sep.14.2009 at 11:54 AM

Steven Hoober’s comment is:

> don’t care about right kerning and delicately matched colour palettes

There’s a discussion always worth having. We notice WHAT we’re looking at and WHY we like or do not like a specific design, but proper kerning, good color selection and even good printing (and design to help with that) ARE noticed by end users.

I’ve been involved in user research for picking branding, and tweaking very specific brand assets for interactive. Very small changes are noticed and have an effect on the perception of the overall product, the trustworthyness and value (including price you will pay) and so on.

Aesthetic is something else entirely, and matters, but in a different way. To me, glitter and gradients are always treatments, not logos per se.

On Sep.14.2009 at 11:56 AM

Marcos Wright Kuhns’s comment is:

A nice, improvement. Plus, it’s just in time for the movie! ;-)

On Sep.14.2009 at 12:46 PM

Dennis Van Staalduinen’s comment is:

Nice little refresh without losing recognizable elements.

As my kintergartn-aged girl would say “Get-ee-up”.

BrandNew: Care Bears next?

On Sep.14.2009 at 01:05 PM

Erin C.’s comment is:

They’re both unfamiliar to me (“old” and new) as I’ve never looked at the logo since the 80s original. But I like the remade logo. I agree with needing just a little more contrast between the colors, but I’m going to dissent and enjoy the pony-tail y. After all, this is for a kiddy brand, so a little obviousness in the logo is cute.

As for the evolution of the ponies themselves (and Strawberry Shortcake, Holly Hobby, etc)… I’m more than a little disturbed by the trend to make kids’ toys appear sexy. Bratz (now defunct, thank heaven) were the worst offenders and ever since their advent, it’s like toy manufacturers need to make everything over so that it’s sexualized. Holly Hobby did not start out as a ho.

On Sep.14.2009 at 02:59 PM

Chuck Spidell’s comment is:

Ditto to Dan’s comment earlier. I remember Garbage Pail Kids more than MLP but that’s just me.

On Sep.14.2009 at 04:50 PM

Ralphie Parker’s comment is:

Speaking of Pink Nightmares, it looks like they’e using the classic Fink Bunny Pajamas font from House.
Aunt Clara’s usage is much more tasteful.

On Sep.14.2009 at 04:53 PM

Blue Buddha’s comment is:

It’s a nice evolution. My only real beef is with all the broken up bits of the hearts around the words. It’s a bit fragmented. And personally, I hate red and pink together—they just clash. My favorite part is actually the swooshy horse tail Y. That was always my favorite part of the toys growing up—getting to groom and braid those long tails.

On Sep.14.2009 at 08:48 PM

Glenn Sakamoto’s comment is:

This is design at its worst. Little girls (I have 7 year old daughter) have a much higher level of sophistication than what is happening here. Just no excuse for this.

On Sep.15.2009 at 11:13 AM

The Dingbat (Adrienne)’s comment is:

I don’t know if any of you have My LIttle Ponies laying around the house like I do, but I think the logo was updated quite well. If you’ll notice the stem of the P is flared (intentional or unintentional I’m not sure of) but it reflects quite nicely the pony’s flared leg on the actual toy which is repeated in the “n” on a smaller degree. And you’ll notice that the “y” is shaped more like a horse-shoe than the previous version with it’s updated attempt at a rounded slab-serif.

On Sep.15.2009 at 10:02 PM

G. Alex’s comment is:

There was too much gradient for everyone’s taste… the execution for the new one is not perfect but it will do

On Sep.16.2009 at 11:44 AM

Amanda’s comment is:

I do think the one on the right is much better than the one on the left. The Y on My seems a little too much for it’s place and font, though. The entire emphasis should be on Pony and that could take away from it. But the horseshoe and tail for the Y in Pony is very adorable and draws attention to the right places.

Notwithstanding the target demographic won’t care, and I know that when I was a little kid I would have definitely loved the logo on the left more since it has all the pretty rainbow colors.

But if you really want to do a proper comparison you need to compare all FOUR of the known MLP logos (yes, four). The original 80’s logo with the rainbow still is and always will be the best in my opinion, but maybe I’m biased (pony girl here, but I did also like Transformers as well). There was a second rainbow logo launched with the second generation of MLP that was a more cleaned up version of the original. Both of these heart logos listed here are considered to be relatively new, having only been used with the current third generation of ponies. The right side logo is being used for the new chibi-esque redesign of the “core 7” ponies (Hasbro is going for a girl group type thing with re-releases of the exact same seven characters over and over ala Bratz and Barbie)

On Sep.16.2009 at 02:37 PM

Mark’s comment is:

Simple, appropriate, direct. Well done!

On Sep.16.2009 at 07:02 PM

mertz’s comment is:

okay i know the new logo is better than the old one with the uber contrast gradient, but this new logo is straight into polly pocket territory and that is a no-no in plastic toy kingdom.

On Sep.22.2009 at 01:24 AM

Alessandro Mingione’s comment is:

If we talk about form, it is a nice evolution (even though i’d make the two “t” in little a little bit different between each other).
If we talk about color, it is not: the new one is too much red. It almost says “boring” to me, imagine what a kid would think? Personally, I would add more contrast between the two reds/pinks.

On Sep.25.2009 at 07:42 AM

Elizabeth’s comment is:

The new one looks really cool. The colors are pink **and** purple **and** red! Blue is a boy color.

And the letters in pony look awesome! The flared legs on the ‘p’ and ‘n’ look just like the real ponies’! And the ‘y’ is totally cute like the real ponies’ wicked long manes and tails.

Not sure about the ‘y’ in ‘my’ though. That’s kind of weird.

—
Elizabeth
Age 3 (and a half!)

On Sep.29.2009 at 04:58 PM

Pennsylvania wrongful death lawyer’s comment is:

Due to the less variable color I think that it will work better for their target audience and help with recognition in the long wrong. It seems to be a more universal logo.

On Sep.30.2009 at 11:17 AM

David Mack’s comment is:

the girlies still have the cooties! lol, some great work once again from www.advertisingguerrilla.com im surprised he man hasnt had the same come back, i wonder what he is doing right now? Mastering the Universe?

On Sep.30.2009 at 10:45 PM

winter olympics’s comment is:

There are some significant changes to the logo design. Though not much has been done to it.

On Dec.23.2009 at 01:47 AM

Mathew Bennight’s comment is:

Thanks for the article. Blogging is replacing main stream news for many people.

On Dec.24.2009 at 01:50 AM

r4i kaart’s comment is:

Him,
he colors are too close, it looks like a mistake. I think the tail fits and frames it much better, even thought the logo as a whole feels slightly off balance to me….

On Jan.01.2010 at 11:46 PM

Molly Bingert’s comment is:

I love tattoo lot, it’s kind of nice physique arts which will let people to addict on it. Every tattoos had it’s own tales, whether it is joyful or sad, it’s kind of memories.

On May.10.2010 at 10:03 PM

catfight video’s comment is:

The before logo looks much better to me then the after logo. The old logo was bright and really stood out the new logo is not that good.

On Jun.19.2010 at 04:51 AM