The tough economy is biting big business especially hard.  From lagging sales to dreadful earnings, every company both public and private are doing whatever they can to hang on.

While some have filed for bankruptcy and others have gone to the government hat in hand looking for a bailout, others are trying new marketing and advertising strategies to stay afloat.

One idea to boost business is a change in logo design. Changing an existing logo has long been a play in the bored marketers playbook. Often an attempt to capture the latest trend or the corporate zeitgeist, changing the logo is often the first solution some brilliant advertising or marketing wonk comes up with to inject new life into a stale brand.

Do you think think  a more friendly approach to a logo draws in more business?

The start of Great Depression 2.0, or  The Financialpocalypse of ’08-09 has left both the nation and the business world naturally feeling gloomy.

Couple that with the election of President Hopey McChange, and there is a genuine feeling that, if we just think positive enough, and project a bright enough image, everything is going to be alright.

Kraft’s new logo is much friendlier in appearance and now comes complete with a tag line, which they seldom displayed prior to the recession. The smile design, and addition of the flower/butterfly graphic is in stark contrast to the bold forceful design of the old logo. I have to admit, the old logo looks like it should belong on a barrel of industrial waste products, or the side of a Hummer rather then on packages of processed cheese.

The new logo is more befitting of a food company and a positive step forward, but I cant help thinking Kraft is also doing penance on behalf of its parent company Altria ,formerly Phillip Morris. Who thinks of butterflies and smiles when the think of global tobacco conglomerate?

Walmart The old logo looks like it dictates things, and is definitely army surplus in design, while the new lowercase font and brighter design is more welcoming and modern. I can’t help but think Wal-Mart is trying to establish its own Target like bulls eye in the public’s conscience given the greater goodwill Target has with its employees and shoppers. The pleasant and softer look for the Bentonville, Arkansas retailer is a little Kmarty in design, but a nice change and if their last quarter earnings are, any indication lifted spirits are more generous with money.

Do you think this works? What are some other ways to build business in rough times? Do you think this is a marketing stunt, or a genuine attempt to re brand a company?

Designing is such a general term, but it allows so much room for creativity and imagination. With the constant upgrading of technology that we are exposed to, our tools for creating work have become so innovative and useful that an idea can be limitless and designers can flourish. Abstraction is a fairly new concept in terms of art history in which we can create worlds and styles that are completely original. It is nothing that we see in the real world, therefore anything is possible and all is beautiful.

Adding a human form to an abstract work of art brings a little bit of reality to an unknown environment. I have seen many concepts with dancers floating through an unusual space, or swimmers surrounded by imaginative water splashes.

The visual concept of clarifying items closer to the eye works well in this piece. The blurred background shows us a glimpse of what is going on, but draws your focus to the center. It has a great, magical presence in which the design is emerging from the human hand.

Abstract designs are a great way for an artist to let out their imagination with complete freedom and they make for really beautiful pieces of work. It’s no wonder that modern designs use abstraction so often.

-Nora Reed

The mickey mouse head logo is Disney’s most known trademark. As soon as anyone lays eyes on those three circles placed so strategically together, they immediately know what the reference means. The design is simple, but has come a really long way over the years.

The Disney company often has a little fun with this logo in which they litter hidden mickey mouse silhouette heads throughout their parks, attractions, resorts and movies. I found this to be such an interesting and playful concept, which allows Disney fans to try their best to find them.

The Disney Parks are home to many tropical themed attractions and resorts. Here, the Mickey is hidden as a decorative marking.

Mickey can be found among the stone shapes that make up the ground in the theme parks and even here where he hides in a drain cover.

Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and camp grounds in Orlando Fl are decorated according to their wilderness theme. Each detail from the cabin like walls to the employees’ costumes seems to fit, but of course there was still a little room to hide some Mickey’s throughout.

With surprises around every corner, the haunted mansion offers ghosts and ghouls and, if you hadn’t guessed, Mickey! There are more than one hidden Mickey in this amusing attraction, but this one was the most interesting. If you look at the top of the glowing figures staff, you can see the illuminated Mickey head making its appearance.

This one was a little more challenging to find. At Disney’s Frontier Land in the Magic Kingdom, the Golden Horseshoe Saloon has a little secret. Hidden among the vent slots is a very obvious Mickey head, but if you don’t stare directly at it, you may never even notice it’s there.

Mickey hides here in the clouds among the Dinosaur ride in Animal Kingdom. With so many bumps and turns in this exciting adventure, Mickey’s head is like a little ray of sunshine among the claws and fangs.

We all know the song…The “it’s a small world,” attraction also hides one of Mickey’s silhouettes.

Mickey even swims! Here in Epcot, Mickey is hidden in the rock formation beneath the sharks. I wouldn’t recommend jumping in to save him.

Mickey Lamppost

This Mickey is a little distorted but it’s still there among the rocks of the Splash Mountain ride.

Mickey hides in the movies too! Here is Disney’s Hercules, one of the singing muses flips upside down to reveal a hidden Mickey within the curls of her hair. These muses seem to create inspiration everywhere, for the characters and even for the artists who work on the film. They will hide a Mickey wherever they can find the right place.

The film Lilo and Stitch hides a Mickey as well in the fruit cart behind the two dancing friends.

The largest hidden Mickey of all lies just outside of Orlando close to large lakes named Lake Louisa and Trout Lake.

These are only a few examples of the hidden Mickeys that are spread through Disney owned properties and movies. It’s left up to you to find the rest, but they are a challenge, so good luck. Brand recognition is so important for a company’s PR and Disney knows this and has done an amazing job making themselves known to the public. Their Mickey logo is known globally and doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon.

-Nora Reed

Like the rest of the world many European nations are struggling economically. Due to a global economic slowdown, tourism and revenue are some of the first industries to feel the blow. Just like any small business, big business, or organization, entire nations need to revamp occasionally to stir up some action. Case in point, France.

France has recently rethought its branding strategy and will be moving in a new direction. Would this logo below convince you to rendezvous in France?

I might give it an extra thought. A couple things right off the bat:

1. The French flag is creatively intertwined into the hair and face of a seemingly attractive woman.

2. The lowercase f in France gives me a casual and light hearted impression.

3. The popular Rendez vous phrase offers a simple familiarity with a foreign nation that is often left out.

My favorite part, the logo has opted out of emphasizing French clichés. The image is clean, fun, and bright. I’m glad there is no Eiffel tower or outline of France’s border like many other predictable logos. France has done a pretty good job at branding it’s nation.

Have you seen any other logos that are representative on a national level? If so share them with me and let me know which ones are your favorite.

Summer is beginning and what better way to kick it off but with a killer tan. The majority of the world is so image conscious that we all go above and beyond to look our best. We wear the best clothes and the best make-up and all the while we keep up with all the latest diet trends. With so much competition in the world, who could blame us for wanting to look good? For the past few years, tanning has been the latest craze in keeping ourselves looking our best. This rise in popularity brought about multiple tanning businesses all over the world and something new for consumers to spend money on.

Of course with competition for tanning businesses at their high point so far, a great way to stay above the others is with a winning logo. Like food with restaurants and mugs for coffee places, tanning businesses usually use the signature sun symbol in their logo. What makes one better than the other? Here are a few that I found.

Here, you have your big franchises such as Hollywood Tans and Tantopia, but the majority of tanning salons are small and local. Hollywood Tans does take on a hotel or resort look with their logo. The H and T combination seem similar to the Hilton hotel logo. This seems like a classy design for them, taking a different approach than other tanning salons.

The above designs are all great ones and are exactly what you would expect from a tanning salon logo. They express the presence of the sun and a general feel of a tropical vacation.

Malibu Tans has a simple flower for their design. It still works to serve the correct purpose since it is a Hawaiian flower and reminds you visually of a tropical location, but it also steers away from the overdone sun and beach design that so many of the others use.

Planet Beach uses the sun within their logo, but considering the name, I would think it would be silly not to. They incorporate Saturn’s rings around the sun to complete a simple, yet tasteful design.

This is an example of a terrible design for a tanning facility. The design is cold and hard and nothing about it implies tanning at all. Perhaps a factory-like building on an island would work better and brighten up the image a bit more.

Popular grooming trends are great reasons for new businesses to arise and with our slowed economy, new businesses are definitely welcome. Tanning is a booming business that seems to be staying as experts discover safer ways to look your best without UV exposure and with the rise of a new business comes the rise of new logos!
-Nora Reed