Dr Pepper

Thanks to Clint Walkingstick for the heads up on the new Dr Pepper logo. While Clint informed us that Dr Pepper had a new logo, I was unable to unearth this logo on the web. That is, until I had the thought of visiting ebay. This is where I found many people selling a new Dr Pepper flavor that is yet to be released in stores. On this new product, Berries & Creme, there also appears to be a revamped Dr Pepper logo. I would also assume that Dr Pepper is going to change the rest of the line in due time.

What I found even more interesting than individuals selling the not yet released soda on ebay, was the fact that Dr Pepper was doing the exact same thing. Apparently Dr Pepper saw an opportunity to make some extra sales while generating a little buzz with their die hard customers.

I talked to our local bottler and he told me that he wouldn’t be getting the new flavor for another couple weeks. I checked Technorati, Google and some other blogs and I couldn’t find a thing about the new logo. It is interesting that the place to go to find not-yet-released-products and logos is ebay.

I think the Dr Pepper logo is an improvement from the last incarnation, but I still have some issues with it. The custom/interconnecting type is a nice touch, but I wish they could have stopped there. The new logo does a pay small tribute to some of the old hand-lettered Dr Pepper logo marks, but are the extra swooshes really needed? Is anyone else reminded of the P in Pizza Hut’s Pan Pizza logo. Hopefully Dr Pepper will keep cleaning up the logo and packaging and leave off those annoying brush strokes from the current cans. In todays cluttered packaging market, the thing that is going to stand out more than anything, is simple and clean design.

Microsoft Dynamics

Danish design company, Kontrapunkt, designed the new logo for Microsoft’s business software called Microsoft Dynamics. Apparently the firm beat out some of the leading American design firms for this job.

From Kontrapunkt’s website:
“Project manager Bo Madsen at Kontrapunkt stressed the idea of capturing functionality. ‘Our aim was to integrate the four Microsoft colors with a sharp, graphic format to designate something both rational and instrumental, and we came up with the three arches concept,’ he said. With this in mind, his team worked hard with Microsoft to get things right and can now enjoy the pleasure of seeing the logo side by side with the classic Microsoft brands Windows, Office, Visual Studio, MSN and X-Box.”

This is a “Dynamic” mark and it fits well into the Microsoft family. While the four colors are represented, I find it interesting that Microsoft let them stray from four elements creating the logo. I guess they convinced MS that three is a more dynamic number. I agree.

Gentiva

This new logo is a vast improvement over the previous version. Here are some sound bites from the press release.

“Gentiva Health Services, Inc. is the nation’s largest provider of comprehensive home health services”

“The Company’s new logo features a plum-colored circle with a single white dot in the center, which is symbolic of the Gentiva patient. Surrounding dots, suggestive of a medical cross, represent the collaborative approach Gentiva employees exhibit in delivering superior clinical care and exceptional customer experiences.”

Al Islami Foods

“Co-op Islami, one of the UAE’s leading suppliers of halal meat and poultry, has re-branded as Al Islami Foods …”

Dyson Racing

As a designer, the Dyson name caught my attention. Although this design isn’t ground breaking, it does seem to fit within the goals and it is definitely an improvement over their very dated previous logo.

From www.crash.net
“Every visual element has been updated: the race cars, transporters, uniforms, souvenirs and pit equipment. From the logo to the work gloves, it is all new. Designed by noted Formula One designer and long time Dyson collaborator, Peter Boutwood, the goal was a new presentation consistent with Dyson Racing’s history as one of America’s premier sports car teams.”

P&O Cruises

“Britain’s leading cruise company unveils a new brand identity.
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P&O Cruises new ‘rising sun’ logo becomes the signature of communication from April this year, its emblem ‘symbolising the optimism and excitement of a new dawn’.
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P&O Cruises contracted marketing agency Brand Environment to work with its executive team, researching customer perceptions, auditing the customer experience and developing different concepts and design options.
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‘We wanted the initial concept to embrace the company’s heritage, so we began with the sunrise that is familiar on board today and contemporised it,’ said Carrie Stokes, account director at Brand Environment.”

Wouldn’t it have made sense for P&O Cruises to keep one element from their old identity? Maybe a flag, a serif type face, a couple of the colors, or a few triangles … That is unless they are trying to distance themselves from the public perception (which I have no clue about).

Christian Aid

“Christian Aid is launching a new logo designed to make the leading international development charity instantly recognisable and to attract new supporters.

The new look is based on the charity’s iconic red envelope, used to collect money during Christian Aid Week – the biggest fundraising week in the UK which last year raised £14.8 million.”

The new identity was created by Michael Johnson and his firm Johnson Banks.

Targus

“Targus Inc., maker of the world’s best-selling notebook cases and accessories, is unveiling it striking new logo and product packaging today at CeBIT.”

Here is their official press release

Obviously this is an improvement from what they had, but is anyone else getting tired of the 3D button logos?

A Few Extra Links

Wolf-Olin was just picked to design the logo for London 2012. Finally an Olympic logo that isn’t going to be designed by a competition. Down with spec.

Apparently Landor UK designed a new identity for Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (I’m gathering this is a communications company out of India) and it was supposed to be revealed yesterday. I still can’t find the new logo.

In case you missed the link on Kottke or Design Observer, here is an interesting look at the fonts used in the Logos of Web 2.0.

Kodak finally updated the main logo on their website. The old logo remains everywhere else.

Tony Spaeth at Identityworks.com reviews the Credit Suisse and Manpower logos.

Don’t forget about our own ongoing discussion on Quark’s second new logo.