The  new logo is significantly different from the former, going from the colorful and bold illustrative logo with the words Comedy Central  brandished atop of buildings/globe to a much more sterile and simple  word mark. That is not to say that simple is necessarily a bad thing, it is just a huge contrast for the look of the network. The strength of the new logo lies within the clever typography; a humorous wink of “central”  spelled backwards and is upside down. It is well done, but the choice of type in both its all-caps and proportion, looks a little like the Cartoon Network’s.

That aside, the icon is made up of two C’s, one backwards C surrounded by a smaller C. Already there has been speculation that it looks like the  copyright symbol, and I believe that was the actual intention. If you  look closely at the brightly colored branded pieces below, the C icon is superscripted in the corner as if they are trying to convey they are “copyrighting” comedy. It’s an interesting solution once the intention is realized maybe suffering from being a little too clever for its own good.  The logo by itself is a bit lackluster – within its branding it’s refreshing and comes to life. Overall it is a smart and subtle solution. Appropriate for the digital space that it will occupy for the next decade. Nowadays it is no longer about a static singular logo but more about being able a wrap a brand around constantly evolving content/media.  This logo does that successfully.

Video explaining the new logo and launch: http://www.comedycentral.com/jan2011/

In this video this flashes across the screen:
“We   should explain…Our logo has changed. No longer do you see the big   buildings and globe that quite literally said COMEDY CENTRAL on top of   it. Please welcome the new mark. We affectionately call it the   COMEDYMARK. It works WAY F*CKING better than that other one we had. Big   building y globe, you served us well, but we moved on.”

In  closing, a new logo for a beloved brand is always an uphill battle.  Unless of course the logo that is being updated is truly awful. In this  case it wasn’t.  Comedy Central is doing an excellent job launching it. Announcing the logo, showcasing how the brand is going to roll out  and defending both the new look and explaining the departure from the old look, is a very smart move.

All of this caught my attention because I am a graduate of MSU and am familiar with the Spartan brand. While I was in school, MSU had gone through a similar change in identity and iconogaphy without any fuss. I can’t help but wonder if this protest is because people truly dislike the logo or if the social networking bandwagon is at it again. Let us not forget that MSU is the 8th largest public university in the nation with an enrollment of 47,000. With that many people and the endless number of alumni and sports fans, it doesn’t take much to get people riled up. Does anyone remember what happen when MSU lost to Duke in the Final Four in 1999? Hello riot. Maybe this logo backlash is just another example of the mob mentality taking over just a bit.

This is not to say that standing up to bad design is not necessary… Look at what happened to Tropicana and IKEA. But when looking at the Spartan refresh my overall thought is that it could have been significantly worse. The changes are pretty subtle. The new icon is little bit more chunky but tougher and more warrior-like. You’d think sports fans would be pleased. As far as university sports logos go, this icon is pretty refined. It is without the usual bevel and emboss, heavy drop shadow, and thick outline.

According to a memo: “This logo is just a single element of a new comprehensive brand and graphic identity project undertaken by the Department of Athletics. They will be unveiling all elements of the new program in April. The new logo, and the other elements in the program, are the result of a two-year collaboration between MSU Athletics and a team of top designers from Nike.”

I predict that this will reach a fever pitch shortly and the new logo will still be quietly released as planned in April. I think that if people were to get behind something it should be about more fundamental things, like the rising cost of education at public universities, the overall quality of education, and allocation of school funds to diverse student endeavors. For example, maybe if more money was allocated to their art school, they would not need “top designers from Nike” and would instead use their internal resources and student talent and/or alumni for their creative and marketing endeavors.

1. Illustrations: Illustration use will remain a constant, as the DIY trend remains strong in book, t-shirt, website, and poster design. I think part of the reason why illustration use has increased is because there is something unique and one of a kind about it. Illustration adds a burst of creative energy to a design and adds a friendliness that stock photography sorely lacks. There is personality and in alot of instances, fun! When was the last time a stock photo made you smile? Perhaps the trend of illustration may be a reaction to the over-use of stock photography. I have seen multiple campaigns where I have seen and/or used the same photo that was featured.

2. Bolder Colors: Muted colors are being slowly replaced with a richer more vibrant color palette. There are more logos that feature 4-6 colors eschewing from the usual 2-color logo rule of thumb. It’s a  great way to add more dimension and energy to an identity.

3. Vintage Design: The resurgence of vintage design continues to grow, from the trend of returning to original packaging to seeing simpler designs with a kitchy twist. Perhaps this can be traced to the rise of Mad Men or maybe because there is something very simple and reassuring about vintage design. Maybe it is partly due to the backlash from the overuse of bevel and embossing, drop shadowing and 3-d rendering; vintage design is a welcome change, it is fun, colorful and uncomplicated.

4. Web Fonts: There will surely be a more mainstream way to embed fonts in a site or an increased number of fonts that are “web-safe.” A designer can only work with Arial and Georgia for so long.

5. Mobile Devices/Smart Phones: The technology is still changing and innovating, phones are getting faster and more robust. Application graphics and integration of graphics, user interfaces, and interactivity is ever growing as is the need for them to be well designed and user friendly. Will all businesses have a proper mobile site? Will iPhones be able to see Flash sites? Will major cities get city-wide wifi? Will the new Google phone be a major contender against the iPhone? Will people be able to use only touchscreens and the physical keyboard will go by the wayside?

6. Larger fonts: I see it more and more, exaggerated and BIG fonts. When in the right hands they can add to the balance, composition and interest or it could also turn into a big hot mess. Either way, I think this trend is here to stay for awhile.

7. Colored and Textured Backgrounds: Color is the new white. For the past decade, website design has equated whiteness with clean design. There are more and more sites that are experimenting with color, texture and gradients. For the most part they are smaller personal sites, but there is always a trickle up effect that will spread to more businesses as they see the landscape change. There has also been a sea change in the way people are designing sites. I am seeing more designers and creative minded people producing fun and intresting personal/portfolio site designs that will hopefully make people re-think how they see web design.

8. Refreshing Change: Companies are recognizing that a refresh and rebrand is necessary to keep market share in adverse economic climates. Many big companies such as Walmart, Aol, MSN, Pfizer and Hertz took the leap. Some with positive outcomes and others where the jury is still out. Either way, people are talking and conversation is a good thing.

9. The Attack of the Footer: Footers seem to be increasing their real estate on websites. You can take a look here and here. I think it makes sense to be able to see the entire site map of a site so easily. And as a bonus, it gives designers another element to think about. A win win for all.

If people thought of their companies as a person the thought of a brand refresh might not seem so scary. Most people don’t have the same look their whole life so why should your logo? I think the number one fear companies have is that all credibility they have built will somehow go away. If I get a haircut tomorrow I am still going to be myself except I will be a new modern stylish improved version of me. Refreshing your brand doesn’t always have to be extreme. Simply re-working your existing logo and breathing new life into it is also an option. Overall a refresh is a great way to show your clients that you are a growing and forward moving company. In fact here at BDC we ourselves are embarking on a brand refresh and it has been quite fun and exciting! You will have to check back soon and check out our new makeover. Perhaps it will inspire you to spruce up your company image soon.