BY bryony

Putting the E in Enterprise

The new logo, the seventh since the company’s inception, was designed internally by Enterprise, with assistance from Monigle Associates of Denver. “Our existing mark has excellent consumer awareness, but at the same time we know we need to reflect changing times and tastes,” said Steve Smith, Enterprise’s vice president of marketing communications. “This evolution of our logo respects the strong equity and heritage of the Enterprise brand, while at the same time giving it a cleaner, bolder, more contemporary look. The ‘Enterprise’ name is also 20 percent larger in this new treatment, providing greater visibility and consumer recognition. That’s especially important as we continue to open branches in more visible locations.”

A clear distinction between the old and new is the disappearance of Rent-a-car, which was removed in order to integrate the names of its car sales, fleet management and commercial truck divisions. Also to be noted, is the integration of the “e” into the actual name instead of treating it as an icon of sorts. I am not sure if the slight change in color is an issue with the reproduction in the PDF or an actual adjustment, but the type does seem to have gained weight and character if not great personality (or the treatment from the best “plastics” guys out there). As a minor detail the ® seems to have moved inside the logo, instead of hanging out on the left.

All in all it does feel bolder, more iconic than the previous rendition. But, it also feels a bit more generic (something they wanted in order to incorporate the different businesses). And I no longer feel like driving forever… as the road comes to an abrupt end in the lowercase e.

For a bit of a historical context, in case you are interested, here are the previous five renditions, starting with the original 1957 Executive Leasing Company:

The company said the new logo’s incorporation into areas such as signage and vehicle paint schemes will be phased in over the next three years, appearing first at locations undergoing renovation. Hopefully the website isn’t that far behind.

Official press release [PDF]

\n\nThe new logo, the seventh since the company's inception, was designed internally by Enterprise, with assistance from Monigle Associates of Denver. \"Our existing mark has excellent consumer awareness, but at the same time we know we need to reflect changing times and tastes,\" said Steve Smith, Enterprise’s vice president of marketing communications. \"This evolution of our logo respects the strong equity and heritage of the Enterprise brand, while at the same time giving it a cleaner, bolder, more contemporary look. The 'Enterprise' name is also 20 percent larger in this new treatment, providing greater visibility and consumer recognition. That's especially important as we continue to open branches in more visible locations.\"

Many thanks to our ADV @ UnderConsideration Partners