Brands with more uniform logos but with new ways to stand out.
We recently talked about how trends affect branding. Today we want to approach the subject of trends from a phenomenon that we have been observing in recent years in the world of brand design: the homogenisation of logos in some sectors such as fashion or technology apps.
From Burberry to Balenciaga, passing through Yves Saint Laurent, fashion firms have been moving away from serifs, light bodies and italics, to adopt a sans-serif style in a tall box that somehow standardises the haute couture industry.
The same is true when we enter the start-up ecosystem. While this world has specific needs in terms of usability that make some graphic solutions more suitable than others, we believe that there is plenty of room to come up with a personal and distinctive brand. You only have to look at Mailchimp’s rebranding to understand that there is life beyond logos with dry stick typography.
And it’s not just with big brands, there is a growing feeling that there is less and less variety in logos. In the past, designers lived more isolated from the work of others, which meant more freedom and braver proposals. Knowing the trends conditions us, makes us fall into what is popular, what is accepted by the majority. A phenomenon, that of homogenisation, which arises in a globalised and hyper-connected world, but which perhaps also has to do with the current of ‘liquid branding’, which advocates other ways of generating brand recognition and influence.
Because one thing is certain: the perception of a brand goes beyond the logo. We can be equally or more differentiated through the brand narrative, the art direction, the visual and typographic treatment, etc.
In any case, it is vital to understand that if we do not make this effort and let ourselves be carried away by the trends that surround us and what others are doing, we will end up creating perishable and meaningless brands.
