Just in case some of you missed it on the slow media day of July 4, the article in the url below discusses the meaning behind Wal-Mart’s new logo:
“Something's up at Wal-Mart. Visitors to walmart.com will notice that the logo consumers have become accustomed to over the past 17 years is gone. Gone, too, are the sharp, uppercase letters spelling out the name of the Bentonville (Ark.) company and the pointy star that served as a hyphen. In its place: a new logo made up of rounded, lowercase characters. The hyphen has disappeared. And in place of the star is a symbol that resembles a sunburst or flower. It appears after the "Walmart" name, like an asterisk begging for a footnote.”
http://images.businessweek.com/story/08/190/0702_walmart.jpg
The article argues that the logo, which was officially launched on June 30, is an attempt by Wal-Mart’s to capitalize on its increasing reputation for progressive action in relation to environmental sustainability. The introduction of the new logo (changing from “Everyday low prices” to “Save money. Live better.”):
“… coincides with CEO H. Lee Scott's goal of transforming Wal-Mart—most recently under fire for losing a Minnesota court case over breaking labor laws—into a more environmentally friendly corporation.”
The article contains quotes, however, that suggest the design will fall short of its intentions:
“[Marty Neumeier, president of Neutron, a branding firm in San Francisco] adds that the image lacks the distinctive power of the most successful logos, such as Target's (TGT) bull's eye, which is immediately recognizable. Wal-Mart's new sunburst, in contrast, "is designed so simply that there's no ownership to it," Neumeier says. In other words, it could be used by almost any corporation.”
Have a good weekend.
Dave
Bill Werther & David Chandler
Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility
© Sage Publications, 2006
http://www.sagepub.com/Werther
Business Week Online
Insider Newsletter
July 3, 2008
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Wal-Mart Gets a Facelift
Gone are the mega-retailer's blocky letters, hyphen, and star. Can Wal-Mart remake itself by remaking its logo?
by Reena Jana
http://newsletters.businessweek.com/c.asp?713736&c55a2ee820194f0f&14
