Walmart Unveils a New Logo
No that’s not a typo in the blog title. Walmart recently replaced its widely recognizable logo and ditched the star and hyphen. It seems Fox News (along with perhaps other major media outlets) must not have received the memo, because as I began this post, the network flashed a caption that included the hyphen. The retail monster giant has been plagued by media coverage of its business practices and poor treatment of employees and like many companies concerned with their image and reputation, Walmart is attempting to improve its public perception. This is quite a feeble and poorly executed attmept I must say. Branding company Lippincott is reportedly behind the new logo, but this information has yet to be confirmed (via: Brand New). I guess the agency doesn’t want to be associated with this mess. Click here for an artist rendering of a sign to be used at a test store in Memphis.
The rebranding effort will also include the “Save Money. Live Better” slogan, which replaced the long-standing “Always Low Prices” in 2007 (via: Huffington Post). The old navy blue, sans serif logo was introduced in 1992 and used a five-point star as a hyphen–perhaps for patriotic effect. Click herefor a Walmart logo timeline. The color is definitely softer and is meant to represent the company’s supposed commitment to environmental responsibility. The font is no longer in all caps, which Brand New points out, “…helps humanize Walmart with a name that reads more like John, Albert, Sarah or Wilbur.” The new design seems to be very Web 2.0 influenced. Click here to see examples of Web 2.0 typography and let me know what you think.
A press release from Walmart states, “This update to the logo is simply a reflection of the refresh taking place inside our stores and our renewed sense of purpose to help people save money so they can live better,” but does not explain the significance of the asterisk-like starburst. Brand New commenters have brilliantly compared the starburst to an asshole, which pretty much sums up the suites that run the company.
