Talk to the Hand

(Third telecommunication post in seven days!). PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia, or Telkom for short, is the largest phone service provider in Indonesia with about 15 million land line customers and another 50 million cell phone users. Part of that success is that the majority government-owned corporation had a monopoly on the market until a few years ago and faces stiff competition from Indosat (which has a pretty groovy logo, by the way). Looking to not only stay ahead of its competitor but move into the information, media and edutainment categories Telkom has launched a new, much needed, identity designed by the Jakarta office of The Brand Union, who had been awarded this project more than a year ago.

Working under the brand positioning of “Life Confident” Telkom has also introduced a new tag line, “The World is in Your Hand” replacing the tackier “Commited 2U” previously used. Without the tag line, the logo is just wobbly depiction of a globe and a hand and could potentially leave users confused. The tag line does not save the icon from looking like a rooster, but at least it helps ground it. The execution is actually kind of endearing, it has a certain innocence that I really like and it’s definitely more friendly than the bad rendition of AT&T’s old Death Star icon. The typography, Gotham Rounded, is a nice complement and does not demand much attention, letting the icon carry the weight, although I’m not sure if the globe acting as the i’s dot in Indonesia is overly cloying. This identity could have some nice applications and it might be well served by Indonesia’s young market.

Thanks to Michael Andreas for the tip.

Ryan’s comment is:

I really don’t like it. It looks childish and tacky.

On Oct.22.2009 at 06:03 AM

ScottyM’s comment is:

Is that the character from the jack in the box campaign?

On Oct.22.2009 at 07:30 AM

Chad Kaufman’s comment is:

Love the new icon actually. It is fun (on the verge of childish) but simple.

I got a sneak peak at some of there packaging as well:

On Oct.22.2009 at 07:41 AM

ck’s comment is:

The first thing I saw was a flaming, crashing meteor, which I’m sure isn’t something any company would want to depict themselves as being. The logo isn’t terribly bad, but the positioning of the hand and globe is highly unfortunate.

On Oct.22.2009 at 07:44 AM

Michael’s comment is:

We must grabs the ring, Precious! Yesss!

On Oct.22.2009 at 07:49 AM

FelixS’s comment is:

LOL at Chad’s comment…

How do these so-called design firms get their hands on such big clients, and ruin the opportunities to do good work?? How?? Someone must’ve known the answer…

On Oct.22.2009 at 07:59 AM

igjoe’s comment is:

I think it’s hard to remember that this logo was created for a completely different culture.

It’s easy for my to look at it and have my first reaction, but I’m sure that this company did quite a bit of research for their market before changing the logo.

On Oct.22.2009 at 08:16 AM

Jonathan Carnehl’s comment is:

Telkom’s website has a kind of ridiculous animation of the old logo being destroyed by the new one. Check it out.

On Oct.22.2009 at 08:40 AM

Jason’s comment is:

Chad Kaufman: I was just about to reference the same logo. You stole my thunder. Nicely done.

On Oct.22.2009 at 08:47 AM

Nick’s comment is:

None of us here knows the exact process and path that this brand took to get where it is now. So to automatically label it a failed opportunity solely on the part of the agency is a little naive if you ask me. So many factors go into the development of a brand, and the larger the brand the more difficult it gets. For all we know, the client wanted to see something like this and ran with it. Hell, it could be a frankenlogo and despite what some designers think, the clients are the ones who are paying the bills so we have to at least humor them… and then try to talk them out of it.

With that said, I’m not saying that this is the greatest brand ever by any means, I’m not even saying its good… it is a huge improvement though, which is very significant for a large corporation.

My problem with it is that is looks like a chicken…

On Oct.22.2009 at 08:52 AM

Matt’s comment is:

Ugly and tacky.

On Oct.22.2009 at 09:15 AM

Carlo’s comment is:

I like that the icon could symbolize both the Sun and the Moon.
And I’m thankful that they didn’t make the letterforms all lowercase, which seems to be all the rage now with soft/rounded sans serif fonts.

On Oct.22.2009 at 09:21 AM

Nora Brown’s comment is:

Their tag line may be “The World is in Your Hand” but this logo doesn’t express that. Since when does the world have a hole in the middle? And far from seeming to be in the hand, the circle seems to be falling out of it, or perhaps cuffing its wrist. I like the friendly, rounded font, but the icon is lacking.

On Oct.22.2009 at 09:22 AM

Nate B’s comment is:

A HUGE improvement over the old(my God, looks like something you’d see at the end of an 80’s cartoon.) Though it is a big improvement compared to the old logo, I think overall it could be a LOT better. The icon itself I actually find appealing except for the placement. I think the overall shapes are fun and clean, but as mentioned before it does appear to be a meteor. In addition, the type could use some work. I would tweak the positioning of the type a bit more. Does this company use the same font on everything?

On Oct.22.2009 at 09:30 AM

Soda & Candy’s comment is:

Maybe it makes sense in the context of the Indonesian culture, I don’t know. Too me it’s TOO roundy, it starts to look like a logo for a daycare center or something.

On Oct.22.2009 at 09:59 AM

Dennis Van Staalduinen’s comment is:

Quick thoughts:
1) Beakless rooster gets whacked by hand.
2) CSI notes the spread pattern of mustard spilling out. Says one character just before commercial break: “this was no accidental rooster whack!”
3) If one were to accept that this is a hand and a globe, one must note that the hand has either a) missed the globe that was thrown to it, or b) is dropping the globe,
4) Nice typography. Lose the icon.

On Oct.22.2009 at 10:10 AM

M.’s comment is:

I agree with CK - the first impression is of a comet or a fireball striking the earth. Awesome.

On Oct.22.2009 at 10:36 AM

Kári Emil Helgason’s comment is:

I kind of like it. It’s different.

On Oct.22.2009 at 11:09 AM

John Lascurettes’s comment is:

The mark looks like the great extinction event of the dinosaurs, meteor crashing in to the Earth.

On Oct.22.2009 at 11:42 AM

Marcus’s comment is:

I got the idea of the icon instantly when I looked at it

On Oct.22.2009 at 12:21 PM

Von K’s comment is:

Vast improvement. That old logo was fully grodelated.

I’d like to understand the process that led to this and the environments it lives in. I agree it seems overly quirky at first blush, but that could be spot-on for all I know.

On Oct.22.2009 at 01:13 PM

BlindAcreMedia’s comment is:

I agree with igjoe’s. This was designed for a different culture, we quickly see it as being infantile, but perhaps that is the branding they wanted?

On Oct.22.2009 at 02:30 PM

Mary C’s comment is:

I like it it, reminds me of a Miro, feels a little Spanish.

Friendly, the colors are beautiful, typography is competently handled, what’s not to like?

(BTW. the chicken joke stopped being funny at post 4)

On Oct.22.2009 at 05:14 PM

André’s comment is:

This topic gets my vote for best headline. Well done Armin !

On Oct.22.2009 at 05:27 PM

Bendy’s comment is:

Is that a five-limbed dead person??

On Oct.22.2009 at 06:37 PM

Chuck Spidell’s comment is:

“He’s got the whole wide world in his hands.”

On Oct.22.2009 at 11:39 PM

Copet69’s comment is:

A circle and a hand. Lol. Don’t play with yourself.

On Oct.23.2009 at 01:08 AM

Raja Boglie’s comment is:

“The World is in Your Hand” should be replaced with “Your Hand Says Bye Bye World.”
It has nothing to do with Indonesian culture. If it does, then it’s still “Your Hand Says Bye Bye World.”

On Oct.23.2009 at 02:33 AM

sukisouk’s comment is:

just like ck, I saw a „flaming, crashing meteor“, destroying planet Earth.
Come on, how can that be a hand?

I like the appearance of icon and type, but the massage is mistakable.

On Oct.23.2009 at 06:16 AM

Frederick Ng’s comment is:

Definitely a big improvement. I’m okay with Gotham, but the kerning between the “O” Telkom and “O” Indonesia can be better. Good color combination. Disastrous icon, as I see myself entering a toy shop.Brand Union must have been trying too hard to be “friendly” huh.

On Oct.23.2009 at 06:34 AM

Rodrok’s comment is:

Font seems very similar to what GE uses (Inspira), I can see they decided to go through a similar approach to reference themselves in technology industry.

On Oct.23.2009 at 08:15 AM

Marboleda’s comment is:

La mano se parece a la mano utilizada por España para promocionar los juegos olimpicos.

On Oct.23.2009 at 08:56 AM

Andrew Sabatier’s comment is:

The difficulty in assessing the value of the Telkom Indonesia symbol is that it is more abstract than figurative. Abstract symbols invite readings. People try to make sense of symbols relative to their own contexts.

Designers who demand a lot from work associated with big budgets, particularly designers who haven’t had experience at the same level, are more likely to express off-hand, snide and facile criticisms. At worst you’ll get mockery and cheap shots, with those shouting loudest and longest hoping to get their interpretations to take hold in a larger group.

Sure, you could read a beakless chicken or hurtling meteor into the work but this is not enough to discredit a competent piece of work. These interpretations only demonstrate spin. Spin usually says more about those who exercise it than it does about what is being spun. The opinions expressed on Brand New in this way are unlikely to be of any consequence.

In context, the intended meanings are fairly ambiguously ‘hand’ and ‘world’, with a secondary ring idea reading strongly. These are universal symbols entirely relevant to the sector. Given the corporate nature of the work, embodied in the generic brand name, a universal and abstract approach has been called for. At the next level of accessibility a more consumer-oriented brand strategy would have been to create a separate brand.

Appreciate the symbol or not, the visual language of the new identity is approachable and contemporary. This is where the real value lies. The transformed identity is energetic and youthful and a giant leap ahead of the previous identity. The new identity is not only a world apart but inhabits an entirely different reality.

Objectives accomplished. Job done well. Next…

A.

Permalink

On Oct.23.2009 at 09:07 AM

Andrew Sabatier’s comment is:

The difficulty in assessing the value of the Telkom Indonesia symbol is that it is more abstract than figurative. Abstract symbols invite readings. People try to make sense of symbols relative to their own contexts.

Designers who demand a lot from work associated with big budgets, particularly designers who haven’t had experience at the same level, are more likely to express off-hand, snide and facile criticisms. At worst you’ll get mockery and cheap shots, with those shouting loudest and longest hoping to get their interpretations to take hold in a larger group.

Sure, you could read a beakless chicken or hurtling meteor into the work but this is not enough to discredit a competent piece of work. These interpretations only demonstrate spin. Spin usually says more about those who exercise it than it does about what is being spun. The opinions expressed on Brand New in this way are unlikely to be of any consequence.

In context, the intended meanings are fairly ambiguously ‘hand’ and ‘world’, with a secondary ring idea reading strongly. These are universal symbols entirely relevant to the sector. Given the corporate nature of the work, embodied in the generic brand name, a universal and abstract approach has been called for. At the next level of accessibility a more consumer-oriented brand strategy would have been to create a separate brand.

Appreciate the symbol or not, the visual language of the new identity is approachable and contemporary. This is where the real value lies. The transformed identity is energetic and youthful and a giant leap ahead of the previous identity. The new identity is not only a world apart but inhabits an entirely different reality.

Objectives accomplished. Job done well. Next…

A.

Permalink

On Oct.23.2009 at 09:11 AM

Andrew Sabatier’s comment is:

The difficulty in assessing the value of the Telkom Indonesia symbol is that it is more abstract than figurative. Abstract symbols invite readings. People try to make sense of symbols relative to their own contexts.

Designers who demand a lot from work associated with big budgets, particularly designers who haven’t had experience at the same level, are more likely to express off-hand, snide and facile criticisms. At worst you’ll get mockery and cheap shots, with those shouting loudest and longest hoping to get their interpretations to take hold in a larger group.

Sure, you could read a beak-less chicken or hurtling meteor into the work but this is not enough to discredit a competent piece of work. These interpretations only demonstrate spin. Spin usually says more about those who exercise it than it does about what is being spun. The opinions expressed on Brand New in this way are unlikely to be of any consequence.

In context, the intended meanings are fairly ambiguously ‘hand’ and ‘world’, with a secondary ring idea reading strongly. These are universal symbols entirely relevant to the sector. Given the corporate nature of the work, embodied in the generic brand name, a universal and abstract approach has been called for. At the next level of accessibility a more consumer-oriented brand strategy would have been to create a separate brand.

Appreciate the symbol or not, the visual language of the new identity is approachable and contemporary. This is where the real value lies. The transformed identity is energetic and youthful and a giant leap ahead of the previous identity. The new identity is not only a world apart but inhabits an entirely different reality.

Objectives accomplished. Job done well. Next…

A.

On Oct.23.2009 at 09:14 AM

Chicago Injury lawyer’s comment is:

Well I wasn’t a huge fan of the logo at first glance. Could have been done better with the same design, the color change on the overlap just bugs me. However after reading Chad’s comment I’ve completely lost all ability not to see the chicken now logo.

On Oct.23.2009 at 10:09 AM

mk2’s comment is:

I’m an Indonesian, and I’m 100% agree that the new logo is suck. But, what can I (and other Indonesian designer who have seen a sneak peak of the logo on an online forum a few weeks before it’s officially publicized) do? What’s been done, is done.

My best guess is that The Brand Union won some pitch after a collusion with an insider from Telkom’s side.

On Oct.23.2009 at 11:52 AM

Glenn Sakamoto’s comment is:

Chad Kaufman nailed it. It’s the return of the chicken!

On Oct.23.2009 at 12:58 PM

Katie’s comment is:

The hand reminds me of the Madrid 2016 Summer Olympics bid logo.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madrid_bid_for_the_2016_Summer_Olympics

On Oct.23.2009 at 01:30 PM

Saylor’s comment is:

HAHA>>> Bendy’s comment is:
Is that a five-limbed dead person??

On Oct.23.2009 at 04:09 PM

J. Thng’s comment is:

This would have been done by the Singapore office of The Brand Union as the Indonesian office doesn’t have any design staff. So the cultural reasons do not apply as it would not have been designed by an Indonesian. All Brand Union’s work for Indonesian and Malaysian companies is done out of Singapore.

On Oct.23.2009 at 07:05 PM

Larissa Rena’s comment is:

I love Andrew Sabatier’s comment :)

I’m an Indonesian and I’ve read over 100 pages of the brand explanation. It took a long in-depth research to get the new branding. Now I believe this is it that fits Telkom Indonesia’s current needs.

I design graphics occasionally (yea, that doesn’t make me a designer). But I think designers who boast they could do a better logo than this one, they better prove they could take responsibility of a better long in-depth research too.

On Oct.24.2009 at 02:46 AM

mk2’s comment is:

@Larissa Rena:

Is there any way we can read that 100 pages about the rebranding? The official online version maybe? I’m sure every one of us Indonesian deisgners are dead curious.

On Oct.24.2009 at 06:44 AM

Raja Boglie’s comment is:

@Larissa Rena, just like mk2 said, I’m dead curious.

On Oct.24.2009 at 11:41 AM

ameliorative’s comment is:

Indonesian Designer can design this logo better than this!!

On Oct.25.2009 at 03:32 AM

T’s comment is:

Omnilife

http://s1.subirimagenes.com/otros/previo/thump_1628155logo-omnilife-jpg.jpg

On Oct.25.2009 at 03:23 PM

reactivator’s comment is:

hmmm… now I can see…
moon-earth-sunrise…

but the tag line “The World is in Your Hand” it’s too ‘over confident’ for me, even this tag line working under the brand positioning of “Life Confident”.

the question is, it’s the right hand or the left one?

On Oct.25.2009 at 04:36 PM

Reno’s comment is:

ID : Logonya erkesan main main… dodol
EN : Those logo impressed playing a games … dodol

On Oct.25.2009 at 09:31 PM

FelixS’s comment is:

Long documented design process doesn’t guarantee good-quality design work at the end.

Just a marketing gimmick to justify the designers’ lack of skill to execute acceptable piece of work.

On Oct.26.2009 at 12:22 AM

Abon Manise’s comment is:

Well, its just cant stand alone without the copy…the logo itself could describe too many persepectives, while the designer choose the most important one which is the opposite. The narrowest comment could be the company has become foreign assets, simpler logo canot reachable by Indonesian common people. Yet thare are no previous hystorical background or theme to be announce to people.
Suddenly change and failed, in my opinion Telkom need to socialize this situation better not just comes out on TVC ad only. I feel sorry for the designer, its just my two cents :)

On Oct.26.2009 at 01:42 AM

samdman’s comment is:

I am one of many indonesian designers who intrigued by this new rebranding issue.

As the only biggest and state owned telecommunication company, they would not even have concern whether the logo will make a difference in their business, it’s just plain identity. I don’t see the energy on doing business in our hand in that logo.

On Oct.26.2009 at 02:19 AM

RF’s comment is:

Damn, HEEEELLLLOOOOOOO TELKOM is the Largest communication corporation in my country, This consultant ruin it!!!

On Oct.26.2009 at 02:19 AM

johndiggity’s comment is:

i think the concept is sound, not too adventurous, but sound. the execution is lackluster though, however, i would not be surprised to learn some cultural norms influenced it.

i think the hand symbol would read better had it been asymmetrical, but i believe in islam the left hand is considered unclean, and any disambiguation between the handiness in the logo could be read as a left hand. is having a potentially dirty hand in the logo better than having it read as a rooster’s crown? i’m sure the designers struggled with this.

the globe icon is strangely hollow, yet the placement of the counter brings a nice movement and playfulness that a solid orb would not.

the type is the biggest problem here. why choose a fundamentally american sign painter influenced typeface for an indonesian communication firm? especially with the more organic and humanized mark? surely they could have contracted the services of an experienced indonesian typographer to inject some indonesian blood into this.

i think the colors work well, and they are different and fresh, yet the implementation as a whole is terrible. this had potential at one point i’m sure, but it looks like compromises by either the client or the designer, or both, kept it from succeeding.

On Oct.26.2009 at 09:48 AM

Raja Boglie’s comment is:

igjoe’s comment is:
I think it’s hard to remember that this logo was created for a completely different culture.

mk2’s comment is:
My best guess is that The Brand Union won some pitch after a collusion with an insider from Telkom’s side.

J. Thng’s comment is:
This would have been done by the Singapore office of The Brand Union as the Indonesian office doesn’t have any design staff. So the cultural reasons do not apply as it would not have been designed by an Indonesian.

Indonesia has many superb designers and hi-profiled design firms.
TELKOM is a national asset company that represents Indonesia, so the logo must represents the country, the people, the culture, etc.

The question is:
Why would hire a foreign company to do a national matter, a company with no design staff in the country, and leave it to some foreign designers who don’t understand about the country.

Well, I think this is the conclusion:
I agree with mk2

On Oct.26.2009 at 01:04 PM

green88’s comment is:

The logotype makes people misunderstood about;what kind of company it is ?
Because the logotype looks so childish and the graphics looks like a hand of kids catch/throwing a ball.

On Oct.26.2009 at 08:08 PM

brandsimplicity’s comment is:

Burn baby burn…not a good look.

On Oct.27.2009 at 02:55 AM

Luke.... I am your father’s comment is:

Seems someone at The Brand Union is demonstrating their obsession for Star Wars by graphically capturing the moment Luke destroys the Death Star …. Brilliant!!!!

On Oct.27.2009 at 05:13 AM

sweeepit’s comment is:

I actually met the creative director of this project at Brand Union Singapore sometime back. Utterly disappointing. What’s even more disturbing is that he/they are hanging this new identity like a well received oscar around their neck.

There is little or no dignity in plastering this already visual world with yet another 1/2 baked initiative. Logos don’t do all the work. Brands are brought to live and lived through people who buy, own and believe in them—customers.

The truth is, there’s not many truly mind blowing identities out there and Saffron Brand Consultants are one of the best at this craft in my opinion. So, what’s one more so-so mark. Just add it to the list of “wanna-be” great but fell way short.

On Oct.27.2009 at 07:01 AM

mbilung’s comment is:

Iam an Indonesian and for me the new logo is like saying “stop using telkom” or “stop complaining”.

On Oct.27.2009 at 08:37 AM

Billy’s comment is:

I will never be able to look at that logo and not think it looks like the world is being blown to smithereens.

On Oct.27.2009 at 12:20 PM

W’s comment is:

Am I the only one that sees this as audio and a speaker/communications device? Plus of course, the globe, as everyone says above. It’s friendly, kooky enough to be memorable, and clean enough to be serious. Definitely better than before. Lighten up people.

On Oct.28.2009 at 11:57 PM

Shin’s comment is:

I’m Indonesian and this logo doesn’t reflect anything Indonesian.
I personally think the logo was a joke.
Agree with most of the comments were saying. Looks like a chicken head, a meteor about to hit, or face-palm.
Whatever it was, it sure was not communication-esque.
The site is horrible.
Not web 2.0 compliant. Does not cross browser well.
And in the age of mobile communication (where this company take its business) the site, again, does not mobile screen friendly.
so.. FAIL in all majors
design aesthetic, brand management, brand persuasion, brand analogy, brand communication, and web implementation.

On Oct.31.2009 at 02:18 PM

Surialism’s comment is:

@Shin
I don’t agree about the logo should reflect anything Indonesian. Does Singtel reflect anything Singaporean? Does a brand should reflect its country of origin? It’s a plus point, yes, but a must? I don’t think so. especially if you want to go global and Indonesia doesn’t really has much to say. You got what i mean.

About the logo it definitely better than the old one, yet still has more potential. But to leap further? i don’t think they’re ready yet.

On Nov.03.2009 at 09:23 PM

Jacqueline Alexis Thng’s comment is:

I refer to J. Thng’s comment above and found it interesting that the person appears to try to pass off as me. If that person has the same last name as me, then I would be glad to connect with this long lost relative.

I was the Managing Director of The Brand Union who led the The Brand Union team to win this milestone project before my departure at Ogilvy/WPP. J. Thng’s comments is deemed rather pointless. Who and where the logo is designed has little relevance to the end consumer.

Would one say that the Apple logo is nice and inspiring? It would have been sneered at when it was launched. Yet the true value lies in its powerful brand experience in its innovative products and services today. Now everyone wants to be an Apple.

In any branding project, the identity is at best a representation of the vision and brand essence a company wants to project. The true brand experience is much more than a logo. Its final test will be its measurement of true value as a compelling and authentic brand that lives up to its promise. If that promise, as the identity suggests, is to make life easier at the touch of a hand for all Telkom customer, then the final test will lie in this promise.

There is no one right approach to designing a logo — its design objectives lie with the direction given by the client and consulted by the branding agency. And as most industry players will tell you, its both an art to design a winning identity and a science to sell it to the management for approval. Some of the best designed and award winning logos in the world today hold little meaning. Its ultimately the brand experience that matter, not just the identity.

Let the customer be the final judge.

On Nov.15.2009 at 08:10 PM

mick’s comment is:

More Gold and Blue for Indonesia?

come on.. can do better than that.

http://www.bankmandiri.co.id/

On Nov.25.2009 at 09:42 PM

D S Mardjono’s comment is:

Wow, I see more negative comments than the positive ones.

Let’s not forget that the graphic design part of this branding initiatives is only 10% of the overall project. I am trying to be neutral here, and btw I am not working for BU or J.A. Thng’s friend.

BU must’ve had a long research toward this, and BU won the pitch for sure they had reason behind this design that was accountable. Telkom approved it. They felt it was relevant to them.

Be objective and not subjective. You can perceive it as chicken, talk-to-my-hand, meteor crash, childish, bye bye world, death star, speaker device, not so Indonesia, abstract, figurative, or whatever stupid. If you happened to comment like this than you fall in either one of brand identity traps (brand image trap, brand position trap, product-fixation trap, and external perspective trap). If you don’t know these traps, find out what these are. Oh boy, a big homework huh! A lot of books to read, and a lot of years you need to gain experience.

My opinion is, when Brand Identity is developed, we should think strategically rather than think technically. Again drawing (with your fancy Apple and graduated from reputable university off course) is only the technical part of which less than the 10% of that overall project. There is a framework for this project and not just jump straight to the driver seat and floor the gas paddle (let’s get going and draw…)

I agree with J.A. Thng’s comment. True value comes from the experience or from the brand engagement itself. Same as Coca-Cola, the logo is curlish and so old-fashion (I would say classic). On the other hand, all generation from all over the world, young and old accept it. Why, it’s the experience that they feel is relevant.

OK…that’s all there is to it. Good Job J.A. Thng and for BU team. Whatever it is.

D.S.M.

On Dec.03.2009 at 01:12 AM

dsi r4’s comment is:

Both the logos are good. The new one also looks good enough but there is still scope of improvement.

On Dec.16.2009 at 12:09 AM

Myles Jamito’s comment is:

Errr… that whole globe and hand thing looks familiar. Oh, just like Globe Telecom Philippines’ current icon (which was launched August 2007). Check it out:

On Dec.21.2009 at 05:06 PM

Myles Jamito’s comment is:

coding fail: Globe’s Icon is here: http://oasis1.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/globe-telecom-logo.jpg

On Dec.21.2009 at 05:09 PM

Antorio’s comment is:

(I’m not working for B.U nor Telkom. This is just my2cents)

I like and agree with Andrew Sabatier’s comment.

Also happened that I’ve read their hundreds pages of brandmarks explanation. And one of its target was (some kind of) to ‘humanize’ the former arrogant, solid, and techy corporate identity.

I can see from their point of view that ‘human’ or ‘life’ can easily be related to abstractness. The hard part is calculating the graphic-uniqueness against competitor’s. Positioning. While at the same time is trying to invite individual-context-readings as much as possible. In this area I think they’ve succeeded, aren’t they? People already tried to make sense of it (both positive or negative), and thus they get the new awareness. And very little of them relating it in term of similarity to other competitor’s logo and/or tag line.

I also agree the real value of the new identity lies in its contemporary approach (comparing to the previous identity). And true what Andrew’s said: “it inhabits an entirely different reality”.

Its visual language is now trully trying to say something ‘verbally’. Whether it’s a “Hallo”, “hi”, or anything like mbilung’s said: “stop using telkom” or “stop complaining” :))

IMHO, after talking much with many of their executives. I also noticed that they want to embody the customer “self-service concept” to their identity and system, in oppose to the previous “let the corporate serve you”. So I also think the “talk to the hand”, or “play with your self” thing also turned-out to be a good side-effect :)

BUT, there’s a downside I’m seeing now from the corp. I don’t know if the B.U. gave them enough of new-identity’s rules OR what. Because comparing to the concept I’ve read, I’m not seeing it in a correct form from many of its overall applications. Check their corporate’s website for instance. It still sounds tacky, techy, old, and “soo corporate”. Forget ‘abstractness’ or ‘human’ in there :).
My guess is, for many of the new identity applications, Telkom has others agency/developer that doesn’t do depth-analysis for it, or a miss-communication, or didn’t read the brandmarks explanation at all!
If that’s true, my my, what a waste…

On Dec.23.2009 at 04:10 AM

Jacqueline Alexis Thng’s comment is:

Just some clarifications - while I had led The Brand Union to win the pitch, it was a credentials pitch with a strategic proposal rather than a creative pitch.

I was not involved in the subsequent strategy development or identity design development as I left the agency shortly after being awarded the account.

My own personal comments:

- An identity expression is only a subset of the overall brand experience, but an important part of it.
- An identity’s eventual design concept, whether great or bland, is a result of both the agency’s capabilities to deliver as well as the acceptance level of the client.

Do I think the new identity and brand strategy is compelling or winning?

I must agree with several comments that the new identity is rather familiar, and hardly outstanding. However, if one is more familiar with the Indonesian business landscape and design acceptance, then this identity may just be good enough.

I personally do not like the new identity, and think that it is a wasted opportunity to do something great for the leading Telco of the 3rd largest country (population wise) in the world. The new strategy is also pretty generic and hardly differentiating.

In branding today, a truly differentiating, unique and all compelling solution is not easy. And as I mentioned, the final result of a good piece of work lies in how the company presents the overall brand experience (across all touchpoints) that is true to the brand promise. Having said that, the visual identity needs to be first and foremost appealing, compelling, and it needs to move the hearts and souls.

Using design to connect, at the end of the day, is an emotional relationship between the customers and the organisation. This intangible expression can sometimes be hard to measure. At the end of the day, the customers testimonials to how well the new branding live up to its promise must surely be the final judge.

The logo? It is the emotional and visual translation of the brand strategy and brand promise.

To this end, and since I know the brief, I believe the identity has not been delivered convincingly enough.

A truly wasted opportunity indeed.

On Jan.20.2010 at 11:07 PM

faris’s comment is:

hai my name faris

i agree with some people opinion above me, i think a big corporation must have a elegant logo although the corporation want to get some new market with that brand new logo. I agree with shin opinion that the telkom indonesia new logo doesn’t reflect anything. The people doesn’t know what is logo meaning, they only know that telkom indonesia has a new logo, and that’s getting worse.

i think telkom indonesia must considering that a new logo maybe want to bring some new vision and market, but without thingking deeply about it it will vanished old market and vision from the corporation.

On Apr.12.2010 at 11:43 AM