Manufacturing Good Logo - Volkswagen

Most recent VW logo

The Volkswagen logo has always been one of my favorite logos ever since I was a kid. Perhaps it’s because I’m loyal to the brand and have been ever since I was about 4 years old. I used to scribble this logo on my bookcovers in high school dreaming of the day when I would have a VW of my very own. Some girls dream of driving a Mercedes or BMW but not me. This is true, my dream car has always been a VW Jetta as weird as that sounds and I’ve been the proud owner of two. In fact it’s what I drive now. 

The VW logo I think is as iconic as the Coca Cola logo. It’s remained the same since it was designed by Franz Reimspies in 1939 only undergoing a few minor tweaks in recent years. Most recently VW decided to give it a more three-dimensional look to keep up with current Web 2.0 design  trends.

Volkswagen in German translates to “peoples car” and is pronounced “folksvagan.” The V and the W stand out immediately and effectively portray the Volkswagen brand. This logo in my opinion is one of true beauty and simplicity.

Manufacturing Bad Logo - Pepsi

The Pepsi logo redesign is just awkward. It sort of resembles Pac-Mac. It’s been compared to the Obama campaign logo. While it’s still a circle and still uses the red white and blue color palette, the  angles of each color are just not right. Pepsi has been consistently changing their tagline since 1950 yet the current tagline “Pepsi: The Choice of a New Generation” has been in use since 1984. It’s time for a Pepsi “refresh” but this logo isn’t cutting it. I would’ve liked to have seen Pepsi look to their past branding and pulled some elements from the 1940, 1950 and 1962 designs. With retro styles being so popular now and making people feel a link to their past I think this logo redesign could have been much more successful had they incorporated pieces of Pepsi’s past branding. I’ve seen the vast amount of research that went into this redesign I think Pepsi got ripped off.

Non-Profit Good Logo - Rock & Roll Hall of Fame & Museum

This logo I think does an awesome job taking a guitar and transforming it into the shape of the building and keeping the design of I.M. Pei intact. It’s simple yet has a big impact and also communicates clearly and effectively what it represents. It doesn’t have a need for any color however color could be added successfully without compromising the integrity of the mark.

Non-Profit Bad Logo - House Rabbit Society

House Rabbit Society logo

The House Rabbit Society logo doesn’t do a great job representing a group that advocates for the welfare and protection of pet rabbits. I’m really not quite sure what the clock has to do with anything. The logo should definitely be simplified while still picturing a rabbit... just not this rabbit.

Service Good Logo - CBS

CBS logo

The CBS logo has remained virtually unchanged since its inception in October 1951. It was relevant because this is around the time that television was becoming popular where before families were huddled around the radio for entertainment. It is the “all seeing eye.” It was inspired by Pennsylvania Shaker folk art. Originally it wasn’t accepted by network execs with enthusiasm but the President of CBS liked the concept and chose it as the networks new logo. Today the eye is still a major recognizable part of the CBS network brand.

Service Bad Logo - Animal Planet

The Animal Planet logo was actually better before the redesign. I’m not exactly sure what the significance of the M on its side. I really doubt it has any significance at all. Nothing about this mark conveys that I am watching a channel about animals. I think its a huge failure as a logo.

Retail Good Logo - amazon.com

The Amazon logo is simple in its message and its color. The yellow arrow is meant to call out the fact that Amazon carries products “from a to z.” Simplicity at its best.

Retail Bad Logo - Edible Arrangements

The Edible Arrangements logo is kind of laughable. It looks like a high school art project. Poor type choices, poor alignment of text and image, and poor imagery make this logo completely unsuccessful in selling flower arrangements made of fresh fruit. It also looks dated as if it were created around 1999. 

Professional Good Logo - University Hospitals of Cleveland

University Hospitals of Cleveland logo

The University Hospitals logo better communicates healthcare than the Cleveland Clinic mark. The shape of the shield, the color red and the abstract figure all help to successfully communicate with the viewer what the mark represents. If viewed alone, I think that the viewer would be able to figure out that this mark has something to do with healthcare.

Professional Bad Logo - Cleveland Clinic

Cleveland Clinic logo

Nothing about the Cleveland Clinic logo says “healthcare.” In fact, it almost looks like a ripoff of the Nationwide Insurance logo. For a world renowned healthcare facility, their corporate identity leaves something to be desired. It really doesn’t make any sort of impact except for the fact that it’s pretty lame. The color choices are drab. It looks like the logo was created in 15 seconds. If I were to look at this logo without knowing it was for a hospital I might think it was for a window manufacturer or a lawn & garden company.