It’s travelled with us across the decades, but suddenly the classic 1960s American Airlines logo is no more. Find out what’s replaced it!
American Airlines has released a dramatic redesign of its logo, which has gone largely unchanged since 1967.
A first look at the new logo
It keeps the main elements of the classic logo (below), designed byVignelli Associates – the red, white and blue colouring, the eagle and the company name – but dramatically reinvents them. The colours are brighter and more modern, and there’s a pared down approach and horizontal flow to the design that seems appropriate for an airline, although the wings remind us more of those on a hang-glider than either an eagle or a passenger jet.
Pantone? Think again! Here comes Beertone – a new concept from Alexander Michelbach and Daniel Eugster which could be your new favourite palette.
We love a good idea almost as much as we like a beer here at Creative Bloq – and this latest venture from Alexander Michelbach and Daniel Eugster combines the two! Beertone is a colour palette for beer, with the first palette featuring 202 top beers from across the world.
How does it work?
Watch this! Enjoy the colour of your beer:
Both Alexander and Daniel come from Advertising Agency backgrounds. They wanted to create something that combined their love for colour and beer, as well as being fun for the user.
All designers make mistakes. Craig Minchington examines the most common howlers, and how to avoid them.
Although we don’t like to admit it later on in our careers, when we start making our way as designers, we make a lot of mistakes. Once you’re working in a creative agency you quickly learn that there are a lot of things you should not do. Here I’ve compiled a list of 10 common design mistakes for you to be aware of. Although I’ve committed most of these crimes myself, I have learned from them and hopefully they can help you too…
01. Not understanding the brief
Get as much detail about what the clients wants and needs, as early on as possible
Without a clear idea of what the client wants you can end up making matters complicated for yourself. A lot of time can be wasted procrastinating, or working up design ideas that may not be relevant to the client’s needs. Instead, you need to read and understand the brief carefully from the start, make notes, brainstorm and try to keep in contact with the client to ensure that what you are working up is heading in the right direction.
02. Not saving files correctly
In general, save your designs as CMYK for print, RGB for web
Knowing how to set up your files correctly from the start is vitally important. There are many things to consider depending on the output of the work.
Print work is generally set up as CMYK and at 300dpi, whereas work for the web should be RGB at 72dpi. Remember to consider bleed, trim and safety areas. Before sending to print, think about your file formats, outlining fonts and colour profiles.
We count down the 20 brands that have made the most impact on the world, and speak to leading design and branding experts to find out why they work so well.
‘Iconic’ is a big statement – by definition, it must be rare for a brand to be elevated to that status. And if there’s one point on which all the global branding experts that have contributed to this list agree, it’s that it’s rarely about the logo alone.
“It’s churlish to focus on the logo,” confirms Ben Marshall, creative director at Landor Associates. “We respond to experiences, stories we can pass on, and frankly, some things that are simply unusual or inspired.”
Michael Johnson, principal and creative director of Johnson Banks, agrees that an iconic brand should deliver on multiple levels – the product or service itself, the environment it appears in, its tone of voice, and more. “Thinking about ‘branding’ from this cinematic perspective is relatively new,” he admits. “It’s pretty difficult to deliver successfully.”
In some cases, volume of exposure can force brands into public consciousness – though it’s debatable whether that makes them iconic. “By sheer force of ad-spend and/or ubiquity, many would nominate brands like Coca-Cola or Nike without thinking,” says Johnson.
Global challenge
Such scale of repetition is enormously expensive. “I can’t tell you how many times we’ve been asked to design a logo ‘as iconic as the Nike tick’,” smiles Paula Benson, partner at Form. “Our question: do you have the budget to repeat it boldly and consistently all over the world?”
With the above factors in mind, we asked these experts and others to select 20 brands that they feel have earned – or deserve to earn – that coveted iconic status. Here’s what they came up with…
The Red Cross: universally associated with medicine and saving lives
“Iconic brands are universal in what they represent,” argues Andra Oprisan, strategist at Saffron Consultants. “Some of us have never interacted with the Red Cross, yet we perfectly know what it stands for and how it changes people’s lives across the world. We are able to recognise its logo anywhere.”
02. Apple
Apple’s iconic logo is instantly recognisable without the name. “It embodies all the company’s principles,” says Benson
It would have been inconceivable not to include Cupertino’s finest on this list. “It’s a truly great brand because it’s become synonymous with innovation and outstanding design,” says Paula Benson, partner atForm. “Its brand values permeate through absolutely everything, from usability to design to language to packaging to retail stores.”
“Apple has large revenues but only a very small number of products,” Benson says. “The real hallmark is care.”
03. Bass
The Bass logo and branding has recently been redesigned to give it a clearer standout
For Kieren Thorpe, creative director at BrandOpus Australia, beer brand Bass’ bold use of a very simple primary shape and colour has helped it towards iconic status. “It’s since been redesigned with a bigger icon and a smaller word mark, giving it a much clearer standout,” he believes.
“We recognise colour and shape before the written word,” explains Thorpe – and Bass goes for the jugular on both.
04. Uniqlo
English and Japanese katakana appear side-by-side in the identity, which Johnson heralds as a “masterstroke”
Founded in Japan as the ‘Unique Clothing Warehouse’, this basics-clothing line became Uniqlo, or yoo-nee-koo-roh in Japanese. “What sounds very Japanese actually derives from English,” explains Johnson Banks‘ Michael Johnson. “They’d already developed a world-class product and environment – the bilingual logo was the masterstroke that pushed them into being iconic.”
05. Subway
If you want a quick sandwich, you think of Subway
Logo Design Love’s David Airey believes an iconic brand offers the ‘go to’ product or service within its market. “If you want a quick sandwich made with care, you think of Subway,” he shrugs. “Some people might consider them great simply because of the product or service that backs up the brand: ultimately, that’s what it’s all about.”
06. Ralph Lauren
According to Phillips, Ralph Lauren “owns American style and all its permutations” – and the brand is never static
Although its logotype may be relatively uninspiring in and of itself, Ralph Lauren is unquestionably an iconic brand. “It has successfully connected the Ralph Lauren mythology with the American collective psyche and the American dream. Together, they form the brand,” suggests Geoff Phillips, design director at MetaDesign. “That goes much deeper than any logo itself could achieve.” Leer más “The 20 most iconic brands – and why they work | creativebloq.com”
Alimentación, ocio y negocios, ALOYN, es un Grupo dirigido a Directivos y Propietarios de empresas, interesados en el mundo de la industria de alimentación y bebidas. Tanto por la parte de la industria productora como por la parte de la industria consumidora y/o distribuidora (Distribución Comercial, Horeca, Vending, Venta Directa, etc). También nos interesan las actividades ligadas al agroturismo y el enoturismo como magníficas actividades de promoción y difusión de la cultura gastronómica.