WalMart got a new logo…
Remember the old one?
Wal-Mart’s new sunburst, in contrast, “is designed so simply that there’s no ownership to it,” Neumeier says. In other words, it could be used by almost any corporation.
But Robyn Waters, a design consultant and Target’s former vice-president for trend, design, and product development, sees Wal-Mart’s new logo as a sign that the retailer might actually be becoming more original. “I never thought the star said or meant anything. It was just generic,” she says, pointing out that Macy’s also has a star as its symbol.
Wal-Mart’s shift can be seen as an attempt to recast itself as a kinder, gentler company. How is the image friendlier? Lowercase letters tend to be interpreted as more casual and approachable, says Frere-Jones. But Wal-Mart hasn’t gone too far, keeping the brand name a proper noun and beginning with a capital letter—think Google’s all-text logo with a big “G,” vs. Facebook’s with a small “f.” “Otherwise, it might look like they’re trying too hard to play with the cool kids,” says Frere-Jones.
It’s quite interesting this new trend of big businesses trying to connect with the home-town consumer. Not really ‘big brother’ so much as ‘big friend’. I recently heard a gas company radio advertisement saying that all of it’s locations are run by local buisiness owners… which apparently makes that gas better because we support local people, or so they say.
For the detailed report on Walmart’s logo visit BusinessWeek.
Not to mention, icons are everywhere (due to the iPhone?)…
