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The November 16, 2009 online edition of Le Soleil, Quebec City’s daily newspaper, features an interview given by Philip Unger (in French) to Ian Bussières.
A new butterfly for MSN, then what?
The new MSN brand identity. MSN ®
On November 5, Microsoft introduced the new brand identity for MSN. Intended to work along side Bing, Microsoft’s web search engine, the new identity and home page, MSN is designed to be the best home page on the Web. Microsoft also announced it had reduced the number of links by half and content is provided by partners MSNBC. FOX Sports, Mayo Clinic and others.
Well, that’s fine, but was it necessary to revisit their 9-year old MSN brand identity?
Coming soon: Disneys stores
The New York Times and other news sources have reported that the Disney stores will go under a major transformation. Steve Jobs (a member of the Disney Board of Directors since 2006), the Times story states, allowed Disney access to Apple’s proprietary information about the highly successful Apple stores. Mr. Jobs also pushed Disney to build a full size prototype of the new store design in a warehouse in Glendale, California. Continue reading →
The Apple/Woolworths fight
There are numerous reports on news web sites and blogs that Apple Inc. is trying to block Woolworths Limited, the supermarket chain in Australia, from registering their newly launched brand identity. Woolworths, with over 700 stores down under, is said to be attempting to register their brand identity as a trademark for, among other things, computers, software and other related products.
No surprise, Apple is fighting back. While the two apple symbols do not look anything alike, Apple cannot let this go by unchallenged. To sit back and do nothing could potentially open the door to others attempting to encroach on Apple’s trademark.
While this may not end up as protracted a fight as Apple Inc.’s argument with the older Apple Corp. (of Beatles fame) which was finally settled in February 2007, this one too will probably be settled with some form of agreement. News reports state that the most likely outcome will be that Woolworths will able to register their trademark for a number of products but not for any computer, music or other products that Apple Inc. has covered under the trademark protection of its apple icon.
The old adage “the best defense is a good offense applies to protecting brands as well.
TD Banknorth becomes TD Bank
TD Banknorth announced today that all its 426 location will be rebranded as TD Bank this weekend. (This is similar what TD did in August 2001 when it converted the 435 Canada Trust and 896 TD locations to TD Canada Trust.) More than 6,600 signs will be required for the changeover to TD Bank, and the bank also states that there will be a number of events to mark the name change with fanfare.
This change is not unexpected and makes sense. The only thing, is that the bank should get its PR or brand consultants to get their colours straight. Both TD brand signatures shown above were taken from the same newswire source, and yet the colours are not consistent. The world will not come to an end as a result, but it is the sort of thing that should not happen with the brand identity of an organization like TD.
Hilton launches its new corporate identity
The new Hilton corporate brand identity
Hilton Hotels Corporation today launched its new name, Hilton Worldwide and new corporate brand identity. It had also recently moved its global headquarters from Beverly Hills, California, to McLean, Virginia.
The company indicated that the hotel brands, including Hilton Hotels, will remain unchanged. However, the Hilton HHonors brand identity has been updated to bring it inline with the new corporate brand identity.
Quebecor World relaunched as Worldcolor
The new brand identity that has emerged from the ashes of Quebecor World.
After emerging from bankruptcy protection on July 21, Quebecor World, the large printing company, was renamed World Color Press Inc. Les than two months later, the company is now called Worldcolor and has introduced its new brand identity. One can surmise that the company did not have the new brand ready in July.
The colors are explained as blue being a heritage color from Quebecor World and World Color Press Inc. Interesting, how can one accumulate heritage in a brand identity that was less than two months old? Green was explained as representing the company’s commitment to sustainability. The W is meant to represent a webpress or probably more precisely paper from a roll going through a press.
See the September 2009 issue of New Identity Alert for more.
An Ornge/Orange motorcycle
Paul Teutel Sr. unveils the Ornge chopper.
A few weeks ago on September 3, Paul Teutul Sr., founder of Orange County Choppers (OCC) (and star of the TV show American Chopper on TLC), unveiled the Ornge chopper in front of an enthusiastic crowd at the foot of the CN Tower in Toronto.
Ornge, a Method Branding client, provides transport medicine across Ontario, transporting patients to hospitals by land ambulance, fixed wing aircraft and helicopters. Most Ontario residents are familiar with television new coverage of Ornge helicopters landing on highways to take critically injured people from the site of a car crash to a trauma centre.
In an effort to raise awareness for the organization and the work they do, Ornge entered into an agreement with Orange County Choppers to have the trophy motorcycle built and unveiled by Paul Sr. on an upcoming episode of American Chopper. A second, production model, motorcycle has also been built (though not yet seen in public) and will be used to help raise funds for the Ornge Foundation.
Following the reveal of the Ornge chopper, Paul Sr. rode the bike to the infield of the Rogers Centre (next door to the CN Tower), where he threw out the first pitch for the baseball game between the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees.
I have to admit, that when we created the brand identity for Ornge three years ago, we never imagined that one day it would be applied to a motorcycle. No one at Ornge, I am sure, thought of that either at the time.
The Ornge episode of American Copper is scheduled to be aired on November 12th.
For more information on the Ornge chopper, go to www.choppersforchoppers.ca
This is the first time that OCC has built a chopper with a sidecar, let alone one with a stretcher.