Top 3 rebrands of 2017

1st December 2017

With 2018 just round the corner, we’ve taken a look back through 2017 and filtered through all our favourite brand redesigns of the past year. These successful designs have stripped back the clutter whilst maintaining the essence of what made them unique in the first place. They have understood the philosophies of their business, identified how these are represented through their brand and transferred these core values through the rebrand. Here is our list of our top 3 rebrands of 2017;

1 –YouTube

For the first time in 12 years, YouTube have decided its time to make changes to their brand. Making the decision to move the red box, which was previously wrapped around the ‘tube’, to now sit in front of the text forming a more representative icon – a play button. This was a very subtle yet effective transition allowing their logo to become more recognisable and much more inline with what the service provides. Taking to YouTube’s official blog, chief product officer Neal Mohan says YouTube’s new look is representative of how much the industry has changed over the last 12 years, going on to state how the logo change symbolises YouTube’s compatibility with even the ‘’tiniest of screens’’ amongst other advances. Through making such a simple change, they were able to stay true to their original design, whilst being representative of the developments the company is making.

2 – Air BnB

Airbnb successfully rebranded their company earlier this year as part of their ‘welcome home’ campaign. Basing their new logo on 4 meanings – places, love, people and Airbnb which when combined form into a simple ‘A’ shape logo, followed with the perfect tone of red that conveys emotion and passion without adding elements of ‘aggression’ that a more ‘pure’ red would produce. The result of this was a simple yet highly effective logo that creates a warm expression that resonates with its audience. Stripping back their logo has allowed them to develop a simple look that is unique and instantly recognisable, truly representative of the essence of the company.

3 – Formula 1

Formula 1’s redesign has sparked controversy amongst long-time fans of the sport. This highly anticipated re-launch has been deeply debated, as it is the first time formula 1 has changed its design for 23 years. Causing an uproar, fans have requested them to change back to the original design stating ‘if it’s not broken don’t fix it’, some have even gone as far as designing their own version as a reference to the ‘apparent’ lack of budget and effort put into to the new design.

However, we feel the design is the fresh new image formula 1 desperately needed. The fluid movement and the subtle spacing of the letters create a sophisticated look. While the overall simplicity of the design combined with the energetic flow and scarlet red colouring gives it that impactful quality, making a commanding impression on its audience. It is always a difficult task to redesign an image that has been around for a long time, as it will become nostalgic and even sentimental to people, so it is inevitable to face a certain initial backlash upon release.

Each of these brands have all successfully created a simple, yet effective look to represent their companies. Whether it is to represent developments or a change in the company’s ethos, creating the right brand to represent your business is essential part in its success.