A B-Side BY Armin

Goal.com

About: (Est. 1958) “Goal.com is the world’s largest football website and is owned and powered by digital sports media business PERFORM. The success of the site is down to the hard work and dedication of over 400 editorial staff based in over 50 countries around the World who produce an average of 1,500 news stories per day in 15 languages across 22 editions. This unparalleled global reach and in-depth coverage of the world’s most popular game attracted over 23 million unique users in May 2011 (Source: Google Analytics) from more than 220 countries.”

Design by: Elmwood.

Ed.’s Notes: First, WTF was the old logo? Second, how awesome is the ™ symbol in a circle as the ball being kicked right into where it’s the hardest to stop?.

Relevant links: N/A.

Thanks to Nickolai Sukharev for first tip.

A B-Side BY Armin

Budget Car Rental

About: (Est. 1958) “Budget Car Rental is one of the world’s best-known car rental brands with more than 3,000 locations in more than 120 countries. Budget is an industry leader in providing vehicle rental services to value-conscious travelers and also operates the second-largest truck rental business in the United States, through a network of more than 2,100 locations. Budget is owned by Avis Budget Group, Inc.”

Design by: N/A.

Ed.’s Notes: Not bad and it goes better with the redesigned logo of its parent company, Avis. An alternate lock-up with the road graphic on the side is below (or after the jump).

Relevant links: N/A.

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Opinion BY Armin

TaskRabbit’s Bag Gone Missing

Established in 2008, TaskRabbit is an online service that connects people (TaskPosters) who need something done and either don’t have the time to do it, the desire to do it, or the expertise to do it with people (TaskRabbits) that have the time, desire, and expertise to do it — perhaps, too, the need (or want) for some extra cash. The premise is simple: say you have a wall that needs to be painted and you post it as a task and establish a fee you are willing to pay, then TaskRabbits bid to do the task by submitting their own fee and expertise, you choose and the person comes in and does the job. TaskRabbit is available in few cities at the moment, like New York, San Francisco, Austin, and Chicago and there are over 4,000 vetted TaskRabbits running around doing errands and jobs. This month, TaskRabbit introduced a new logo designed in-house.

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Banelco

About: (Est. 1985) “Banelco is an ATM network in Argentina. Established in 1985, Banelco offers several services related to the cash flow management, including debit cards, electronic transfers, services payments, etc. Operating 4,500 ATMs (one third of the total in the country)[…]. The company also operates Pagomiscuentas, an electronic bill payment service. Banelco, an acronym for Banca Electrónica Compartida, is owned by private banks. Link, in turn, is used primarily by state owned banks.” (Source: Wikipedia)

Design by: DAS Branding.

Ed.’s Notes: Fairly nice, in that South American corporate identity kind of way (rounded, bold sans serif, italicized). A few more images below (or after the jump).

Relevant links: DAS Branding case study.

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FX (TV Channel)

About: (Est. 1994) “FX (standing for Fox extended, suggesting “effects”) is an American basic cable and satellite television channel that is owned by the Fox Entertainment Group division of News Corporation.” (Source: Wikipedia) Kick-ass shows include: Archer, The Shield, Nip/Tuck, Damages, Rescue Me, Sons of Anarchy, Justified, The Americans, American Horror Story, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Louie, The League, and Wilfred.

Design by: N/A.

Ed.’s Notes: In keeping with today’s barely-there changes, here is the radically new FX logo. Yeah, I don’t know what they achieved with this other than perhaps something more protectable by law as “FX” out of the box is probably not very distinctive.

Relevant links: N/A.

Opinion BY Armin

Historic Houses Trust Presses Caps Lock Key

Established in 1980, the Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales in Australia protects and cares “for significant historic places, buildings, collections and landscapes with integrity, and enable people to enjoy and learn about them.” Along with twelve of the state’s most important historic houses, the trust also manages landscapes, a library and collections of paintings, furniture and objects. This month the trust announced it would be launching a new, public-facing brand under the name of Sydney Living Museums with the goal of increasing visits and awareness of this cultural institution. It will maintain Historic Houses Trust as the operational name. The new identity has been designed by Sydney-based Frost*.

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Nevada (Tourism)

About: As described by the client, the Nevada Commission on Tourism: “Nevada is one of the largest states in the U.S., meaning you won’t find a shortage of action in the Silver State. It’s one of the only places you can ski world-class runs in the morning, then walk world-class greens in the afternoon. You can bike or hike the Tahoe Rim Trail, navigate a kayak on the Truckee River through downtown Reno, take an ATV up Sand Mountain near Fallon and snowmobile miles of wide-open terrain near Elko. You can even test your Indy car or NASCAR skills in the Mario Andretti and Jeff Gordon Racing School at Las Vegas Motor Speedway—after you take in a world-famous show and dine at a five-star resort and casino, of course.”

Design by: Y&R.

Ed.’s Notes: Good update. Any idea what the symbol over the first “a” means? TV spot below (or after the jump).

Relevant links: Press release. Reno Rebirth blog story

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National Kidney Foundation

About: (Est. 1961) “The National Kidney Foundation is the leading organization in the U.S. dedicated to the awareness, prevention and treatment of kidney disease for hundreds of thousands of healthcare professionals, millions of patients and their families and tens of millions of Americans at risk.”

Design by: TIO Agency.

Ed.’s Notes: A cleaner update using a hard-to-work-with shape. Bigger view of the logo and a sample of some effective Skype-themed PSA TV spots below (or after the jump).

Relevant links: Press release. Public service announcement videos.

Select quote: “Inspired by the organization’s rich history, the new signature incorporates the symbols, font and colors — orange and black — associated with the National Kidney Foundation in a modern fashion. Instead of interlocking kidneys , the new logo features a single kidney bean shape along with the text.”

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Pearle Vision

About: (Est. 1961) “Pearle Optical is an American chain of eye care stores. It was founded by Stanley Pearle, an optometrist in Savannah, Georgia, USA in 1961. He also founded Pearle Vision (market name in the United States) and its express store, Pearle Express, in the same year. The company’s European division, Pearle Europe, is now owned by the Dutch firm HAL Investments, also the parent company of Atasun Optik, Lensmaster and GrandVision. The North American Pearle Vision stores are owned by parent company Luxottica.” (Source: Wikipedia)

Design by: LPK.

Ed.’s Notes: Wow, never would have thought about it: a pair of eyeglasses as a logo for an eyeglasses company. Wonder what kind of proprietary brand process led to that?

Relevant links: VisionMonday story. New national TV spot.

Select quote: “The new Pearle Vision logo reflects the theme ‘Genuine Eyecare’ and reinforces the history of the brand, established in 1961, and takes on what Zarkin describes as ‘almost an apothecary’ message in its eyeglass graphic.”

Thanks to Elevatorman for the tip.

A B-Side BY Armin

Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation

About: (Est. 1923) “The Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation is a leading philanthropic organisation and Australia’s largest community foundation. The Foundation applies a combination of grants, research, community education and partnerships with donors and other funders to increase life opportunities and promote social inclusion. In 2012 it provided grants to more than 450 charitable agencies supporting people who are socially and economically disadvantaged. The Foundation has a keen interest in Homelessness, Ageing and Youth, and also funds eligible projects in Health, Arts and Heritage and the Environment.”

Design by: Designworks

Ed.’s Notes: Pretty! Bigger view of the logo and some applications below (or after the jump).

Relevant links: Designworks case study. LMCF press release.

Select quote: “Through the use of colour, the vibrant new logo captures the Foundation’s range of programs from philanthropic services to research and grantmaking. Each colour featured in the logo represents an aspect of the Foundation’s business, and at the centre of the logo is the Foundation’s name in a simple, strong grey type face, bordered by a red heart.”

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Dexim

About: “Dexim is a worldwide registered brand manufacturing an extensive line of accessories and applications compatible with popular consumer electronics, including iPhone, iPod, and iPad. Currently selling in over 45 countries, their mission is to provide consumers with products that offer an enjoyable, personalized, and superior experience. Because their corporate image looked so dated, consumers perceived Dexim to be much of the same, and the brand experienced a loss of relevancy and consumer interest in the US. Competing at a higher level required a brand identity redesign to make a statement and better align with their mission and values.”

Design by: Motto.

Ed.’s Notes: Decent. Definitely far better than the original, if a little too envisioning-the-future-in-the-1990s-typography. Plenty of applications below (or after the jump).

Relevant links: N/A.

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Road & Track

About: (Est. 1947) “Road & Track is the longest-running and most trusted automotive magazine brand in the United States. Its content is geared to the passionate auto enthusiast and contains information about the latest models, industry news and auto shows blended with wide-ranging feature stories, technical insights and coverage of the vintage car scene and motorsports.”

Design by: N/A

Ed.’s Notes: Very nice update. I especially like the R&T monogram version shown below (or after the jump) along with a video and before/after images of the magazine’s cover.

Relevant links: Cover Introduction/a>. Revival Issue Preview. Editor’s Letter .

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Opinion BY Armin

Country Inns & Suites

About: “Country Inns & Suites By Carlson is the upper mid-scale hotel brand within the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group portfolio. Country Inns & Suites hotels are designed for both business and leisure travelers and provide complimentary amenities like hot breakfast and high-speed Internet. Country Inns & Suites hotels are mainly independently owned and operated and franchised under licensing agreements with the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group. The brand currently operates 480 hotels throughout the world and has over 30 properties contracted and under development.” (Source Wikipedia)

Design by: N/A

Ed.’s Notes: The new logo is pretty decent but in contrast to the old one it’s almost a masterpiece.

Relevant links: USA Today Article. Press Release.

Select quote: “We are looking to the future and are making thoughtful changes that will allow us to grow our brand,” said Gordon McKinnon, executive vice president and chief branding officer for Carlson. “It’s a natural next step to evolve into a product that appeals to a younger generation. But we will be fiercely maintaining our service culture and amenities that have built our strong, loyal customer base.”

Thanks to Joe Mielzarek for the tip.

A B-Side BY Armin

Canberra 100

About: (Est. 1913) “Celebrating Canberra’s Centenary. In 2013, we mark 100 years since the naming of Canberra, our national capital and home of the Australian story. The Centenary of Canberra offers an opportunity for Australians to revisit and re-imagine their national capital — the city that tells the story of our country’s freedom, spirit, achievements and aspirations. Visit www.canberra100.com.au for the year-long program of celebrations.

Ed.’s Notes: As strange as this is, there is something appealing about it. Doesn’t mean I like it, but it does mean I don’t hate it. A few more applications below (or after the jump).

Relevant links: Canberra 100 site, Canberra 100 Logo Style Guide.

Select quote: “It has a contemporary feel which we believe will appeal to all Australians. It makes central use of a triangle, which references the triangles and circles at the heart of the Burley Griffin design, best displayed in Marion Mahony Griffin’s beautifully rendered ‘City and Environs’. It is also inspired by the iconic nature of new Parliament House which celebrates its 25th Anniversary in 2013. The font is New Johnston evolved from a popular sans-serif typeface from 1913. The logo is strong and clear with a simple message — Canberra and 100 years.”

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Spotify

About: (Est. 2008) “Spotify is an award-winning digital music service that gives you on-demand access to over 20 million tracks. Our dream is to make all the world’s music available instantly to everyone, wherever and whenever they want it. Spotify makes it easier than ever to discover, manage and share music with your friends, while making sure that artists get a fair deal. Spotify is available in 17 countries: USA, UK, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Belgium, The Netherlands, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Luxembourg with more than 15 million active users, and over 4 million paying subscribers.”

Design by: N/A

Ed.’s Notes: From terrible logo to bad logo. A success of sorts, I guess.

Relevant links: N/A.

Thanks to Mark Johnson for first tip.

A B-Side BY Armin

Acxiom

About: (Est. 1969) “Acxiom is an enterprise data, analytics and software as a service company that uniquely fuses trust, experience and scale to fuel data-driven results. For over 40 years, Acxiom has been an innovator in harnessing the most important sources and uses of data to strengthen connections between people, businesses and their partners. Utilizing a channel and media neutral approach, we leverage cutting-edge, data-oriented products and services to maximize customer value. Every week, Acxiom powers more than a trillion transactions that enable better living for people and better results for our 7,000+ global clients.”

Design by: N/A.

Ed.’s Notes: It’s nice to see that boring, corporate logos can still be done nowadays. Bigger view of the logo and some applications below (or after the jump).

Relevant links: N/A.

Select quote: “The rebrand is an expression of our new powerful reality and reflects our strategy of connecting people, business and their partners. We are ramping up investment in product innovation, and have recently launched two products,” said Jefferies. “We want to make 1:1 marketing at scale, with privacy best practices, a reality.” - Wyatt Jefferies (spokesperson)

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Cabot

About: (Est. 1882) “Cabot Corporation is a global specialty chemicals and performance materials company, headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. The company is the leading producer of rubber and specialty grade carbon black, activated carbon, inkjet colorants, cesium formate drilling fluids, fumed silica, aerogel, and elastomer composites.”

Design by: N/A.

Ed.’s Notes: I feel like we’ve seen this a dozen times for a corporate logo but, hey, it works and it kills a double-swoosh logo. A rather nice brand video below (or after the jump).

Relevant links: Cabot press release.

Select quote: “Cabot’s new corporate logo, developed to support the new brand, connects the company’s past with its future. To honor Cabot’s heritage, the new logo maintains the all-black, all-capital letters of ‘CABOT.’ The new chevron, meanwhile, represents the brand theme of advancing. The red, orange and yellow color palette emphasizes Cabot’s approachable, collaborative spirit, and energetic approach to innovation and customer service. The added dimension and colors highlight the many facets of Cabot’s businesses.”

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Conax

About: (Est. 1986) “Conax protects content for over 350 pay-TV operators, representing 125 million consumers in 85 countries around the globe. Our latest content protection platform, Conax Contego, built on 25 years of pioneering security expertise, is the most secure on the market today. Conax Contego provides secure content delivery and digital rights management across broadcast, broadband or OTT on the devices of your choice, wherever and whenever you need it. Headquartered in Norway, Conax has offices in 14 locations, including 24/7 global support operations based in India. Conax is part of Telenor Group, one of the world’s largest mobile operators.”

Design by: Pajama.

Ed.’s Notes: It’s like a Richard Serra sculpture and video mapping performance all in one! A few more applications and video of the animated logo below (or after the jump).

Relevant links: Pajama case study.

Select quote: “The company had last invested in its branding in 2002. The appointment of a new CEO in 2012 led to a decision to address a rather dated identity which no longer fitted the global company Conax had become. We advised that the identity could not be refreshed without brand strategy.

The creative brief grew out of the strategy we helped Conax articulate. The big idea for the brand, ‘Sustaining Magic,’ encapsulates the crucial role of conditional access in safeguarding valuable TV content. This idea is supported by values rooted in the Conax culture and useful for future growth: Curiosity, Integrity and Agility.”

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Biodiversity Observatory of the Rhône-Alpes

About: “Biodiversity Observatory of the Rhône-Alpes is a center for knowledge and a management tool for the natural habitats and species of France’s Rhône-Alpes. The observatory is structured around three fields: flora, fauna, and managing natural environments.”

Design by: graphéine design graphique.

Ed.’s Notes: That’s a lot of stuff to put into one logo but, hey, it works. A few logo variations and applications below (or after the jump) and a few more pieces at the case study link.

Relevant links: graphéine case study.

Provided quote: “This visual identity takes its starting point in the form of an ellipse. Indeed, this simple geometric shape suggests all the components of biodiversity … in turn, alone or multiplied, the ellipse becomes an eye, a flower, a leaf, a school of fish, a deer track … Using the ellipse as the basic element of this identity avoids any form of figurative representation of biodiversity. The composition and color of these ellipses simply suggest biodiversity.”

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LIVESTRONG Foundation

About: (Est. 1997) “The LIVESTRONG Foundation provides free cancer support services to help people cope with the financial, emotional and practical challenges that accompany the disease. Created in 1997 by cancer survivor and philanthropist Lance Armstrong, the Foundation is known for its powerful brand — LIVESTRONG — and for its advocacy on behalf of survivors and their families. With its iconic yellow LIVESTRONG wristband, the Foundation has become a symbol of hope and inspiration around the world. Since its inception, the Foundation has served 2.5 million people affected by the disease and raised more than $500 million to support cancer survivors. One of America’s top cancer non-profit organizations, the Foundation enjoys a four-star rating from Charity Navigator and has been recognized by the National Health Council and the Better Business Bureau for its excellent governance, high standards and transparency.”

Design by: Rigsby Hull.

Ed.’s Notes: To add insult to injury, Lance Armstrong has not only been stripped off his Tour de France wins, his name has been scraped off the logo of his foundation. Take that. A few more images below (or after the jump) and more work and relevant story links at Rigsby Hull’s case study.

Relevant links: Rigsby Hull case study. LIVESTRONG press release.

Select quote: “The LIVESTRONG Foundation also unveiled its new logo at the Assembly, a visual change designed to underscore that the LIVESTRONG ethos — the belief in fighting for people affected by cancer today — is not abstract and, in fact, drives all of the Foundation’s work. The new logo is a natural next step in the Foundation’s evolution and is intended to provide the Foundation’s corporate and marketing partners — and the public — with an unmistakable way of communicating that buying LIVESTRONG-branded gear or supporting the Foundation equates to helping those affected by cancer right now.”

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