Swisscom's new logo/brand: bah!

Swisscom, the biggest Swiss telecom operator, will be launching a new brand identity: the new logo, which will be rolled out across fixnet, mobile and Internet services next spring, is the one at right. The choice and detailed crafting of the font is good, but personally I find the graphical element confused, unclean, emotionless and meaningless -- simply unappealing, even in the animated version ("a dynamic logo designed for the screen"). It's one of those logos that you understand only (maybe) after reading the agency's brand manual ("The implied Swiss cross in the logo, the warmth of the red shade and the axis as the central starting point create a sense of closeness, combining and uniting our customers’ different experiences. The dynamism of the logo shows that life is a moving force and full of surprises. Swisscom gets things moving, has its fingers on the pulse and is part of everyday life." - quote via Alceste ). Bah! Your opinion?

Comments

[Nico]

I completely agree - if anything, than it sort of looks like the logo of an organ transplant organization. But no associations with anything that Swisscom does or would like to stand for whatsoever.

[cenovis]

Maybe it was designed by a med student!

http://intmed.muhealth.org/gast/patient_resource/anatomy_function/pancreas.html

[Alberto]

I thought we were in the era of simplicity, but this looks like it was produced by the make-simple-things-complicated department. Or maybe it's just a joke.

[Marco]

I agree. Moreover, my browser crashed viewing the animation...

[marc duchesne]

Looks like a pear being peeled off to me.
After seeing the Flash version, I got it : Swisscom is readying the forthcoming launch of its brand new broadband service which will be available only with flexible OLED displays.
Or, maybe Switzerland plans to take over Russia (have a look on the colors ;-)

[dan]

The swiss cross it's the first think I saw. I pretty like it, even if I'm not a big fan of 3d logos, I would like to see the flat version.

Anyway, the only think a bit ambiguous i noticed, it's that the shape it's a PEAR! nothing terrible...

[Yury, logo design fanatic]

Looking at this I have strong associations with 70's style of design.

[Laurent]

I tried to wait to see if it was one of these logos where you need a bit of time to get used to it... But no, it's really what has been said: senseless, organic in a twisted way, disordered, doesn't reflect anything. The font is cool but that's about all.

[Bertrand Delacretaz]

Totally agree on the blandness, and the "music" of the animated version is in the same league.

It seems like the logo is trying to say
something (is there a distorted swiss flag in there?) but to me the message comes out garbled. Not good for a communications company...

[cristiana]

Harder and harder to protect ourselves from visual pollution.
Another - difficult to digest - logotype in the world.
The worst about horrible graphic design and terrible branding experiences is that we end up getting used to them - as we get used to bad salad sauces in most restaurants, no smiling faces while walking around...
This is a public health concern!!
So, a suggestion: try to avoid it and keep your visual memories clean! As much as you can!
some tips:
-cover the logo with a nicer one (ie: a sticker)
-turn your head each time you face visual pollution,
-avoid coments,
-each time you see it, try to think of something you like.
...
Almost anything is valid to build your own clean visual memories - and yet - I still think companies should be more responsible and visually educated. They should help to increase the level of beauty in the world, at least with their logotypes!!

[Gary J Moss]

Am I nuts or does it look like an apple and a half pear? And they probably paid many thousands for this absurdity. Not only is it semantically void, but its form has no aesthetic consideration.

[Peter Warne]

There is a whole field of study waiting for this; large companies that change their brand identities. Why do they do it? Is it worth it? This sort of exercise does not come cheap, and consultants make lots of money from it. Think of the brand logos you know and understand; in general, they have been left untouched for years. And yes - I agree, it's rubbish but the typeface is really pretty.

[Davide Tarasconi]

welcome into the dark age of logo redesign...

[BrunoG]

So pretty much everyone seems to agree, including on other blogs, such as Swissmiss:
http://swissmiss.typepad.com/weblog/2007/12/oh-my-swisscoms.html
while Fredy Künzler points out the striking similarities with the Al-Jazeera logo:
http://www.blogg.ch/index.php?/archives/705-Firmenlogo-Bashing-Vol.-2-Swisscom.html

Just a couple more details: the font is the work of Swiss typographer Bruno Maag; the graphic element was developed by the London-based agency Moving Brands. And Swisscom says that implementing the new brand across the company will cost "a one-digit multimillion sum".

[Stephanie Booth]

Let me second your "bah!" :-)

[David Mantripp]

"the font is the work of Swiss typographer Bruno Maag; the graphic element was developed by the London-based agency Moving Brands"

Well there's a surprise. Anything design-wise coming out of London these days is risible.

I am looking forward to seeing how they're going to cope with the installed user base of bluewin mail addresses and web sites...

[Emoxe]

My goodness I live in Switzerland and I truly believe our main telephone operation company has made a terrible mistake and some big waste of money on this one! Just look at THAT. What's this piece of crap?! Squashed chewing gum on the sidewalk often looks better! And I do NOT think the animated version adds any appeal to it. It's just a waste.

There was a time when Swiss Graphic Design was worthy of respect. Burn this logo.