Brands are built to endure. Yet, every year sees a flurry of rebrands and 2022 was no different.
Regardless of whether this manifests as a change in positioning, communication or brand identity, the underlying driver is always the same: Shift brand perception in a desired direction.
We’ve collected all the notable rebrands of 2022 and in each case, we’ve started with the ‘Why?’ This year, we’ve also included significant new launches to create one handy list for an industry.
Airlines
Akasa Air (New Launch)
Who: New, low-cost carrier Akasa Air
Slogan: ‘It‘s Your Sky’ created by LK Saatchi & Saatchi
Brand identity: Created by 26FIVE India Lab. The fun and functional crew uniforms with sneakers created quite a stir. They were designed by Rajesh Pratap Singh, also the designer behind the Indigo uniforms.
(You may want to read this related story on the Vistara brand identity).
Airports
Goa Airport (New Launch)
Who: The new greenfield airport at Mopa, North Goa
Brand positioning: ‘Delivering a New Goa Unrestrained. Responsibly.’ The brand strategy for the airport was developed by Vertebrand.
Brand identity: Developed by Spread, the design aimed to deliver the Goan experience as soon as travellers land at the airport, as well as when they approach it to depart.
Read the full case study here.
Alcohol
AB InBev
Why: The world’s largest beer company is moving beyond beer
New purpose: ‘We dream big to create a future with more cheers.’
New brand identity: The new logo has three connotations: 3 glasses clinking, barley leaves and a globe. The new purpose and identity were developed by Prophet.
Grey Goose
Why: In 2019, Grey Goose launched a new brand platform called ‘Live Victoriously.’ The objective was to stop customers moving to cheaper, mass brands and address the question “Why is it worth paying more for?”
New products: For the first time, Grey Goose has introduced ready-to-drink cocktails in cans in October, 2022
New brand identity: Intertype Studios reworked the brand identity in December 2022, crafting a new logotype and modifying the symbol from one to three geese, to better convey the “convivial spirit of vodka consumption.”
Tamras Gin (New Launch)
Who: A new gin from Goa, made with exotic botanicals and slow-distilled in copper
New identity & packaging: The lush identity and packaging, complete with quirky typeface, was designed by Irregulars Alliance.
Tuborg
Why: The Danish brand had not seen a brand refresh in decades – it needed to appeal to new audiences and unify its brand systems, across products from Tuborg’s Grøn pilsner to its 0% alcohol, Nul.
New identity & packaging: Robot Food, the agency tasked with the rebrand, decided to use the well-recognised clockwork man device across all Tuborg ranges to unite the brand on shelf.
Automobile
Aston Martin
Why: Part of an overall strategy to appeal to younger customers
New slogan: ‘Intensity.Driven.’ Here’s the launch film that explains the concept, which emphasises speed.
New brand identity: ‘Subtle, but necessary’ changes by Peter Seville include a tweaked logo and colour palette.
Bugatti
Why: Signal that Bugatti goes beyond an exclusive hyper sports car manufacturer to a modern luxury brand
New brand platform: ‘Create the Incomparable’
New brand identity: Focused on the EB logo, drawn from founder Ettore Bugatti’s initials. Modern, custom typeface and a brighter blue for brand colour. Both strategy and identity developed by Interbrand.
Buick
Why: Shift to only electric vehicles by end of 2024. Launch of new EV models in China to appeal to a younger demographic.
New brand identity: Tri-shield logo was modified after 30 years, with the enclosing circle removed. A modern logotype replaces the old sans-serif one.
Citroen
Why: Announce the move to electric
New brand identity: Created by Stellantis Design Studio, the new logo sees the return of the oval that encloses the two chevrons – a throwback to Citroen’s first logo in 1919.
Skoda
Why: Signal the move to a more electric and digital future as part of its Next Level ŠKODA Strategy 2030
New brand identity: The 2D symbol and wordmark have been separated for easier application on different interfaces and the winged arrow symbol has been simplified. Škoda’s wordmark now integrates the caron above the ‘S’ to cue the brand’s Czech heritage and remove any confusion about pronunciation. Brighter emerald and electric greens have been added to the colour palette.
Vida from Hero (New Launch)
Who: The very first electric scooter from Hero Motocorp
Brand platform: ‘Make Way.’ The launch campaign created by Wieden & Kennedy celebrated its status as ‘India’s not-first electric scooter.’
Noteworthy: Under a family agreement, the members that own Hero Motocorp are not allowed to use the ‘Hero’ brand for EVs – hence the endorser strategy.
Collectives
Khoj
Why: Khoj is a not-for-profit association for artists, with a 25 year-old legacy. Starting with a need to overhaul its digital experience, the project also culminated in a new identity for the collective.
New brand identity: Created by Novel, based on the idea that Khoj’s differentiation lies in its curatorial eye.
New digital experience: Created by Thoughtput, the award-winning Khoj website serves both external and internal audiences.
Read the complete Khoj case study here.
Countries
Bhutan
Why: The mountain kingdom reopened its doors to tourists after two years, with a hike in its Sustainable Development Fee from $65 to $200. The fresh identity and campaign aimed at bringing in the right kind of tourist. The rebrand was carried out by MMBP & Associates.
New slogan: ‘Believe’
New brand identity: The new visual system reflects the country’s character and history through traditional symbols rendered in bold and modern colours.
Education
Chanakya University (New)
Who: New university in Bengaluru with impressive Advisory Council and Governing Board
New brand positioning & identity: Created by Done & Partners , the university aims to create ‘A global knowledge movement that will harness India’s lasting civilisational wisdom.’ The logo is inspired by ancient coins.
IIM Ahmedabad
Why: This logo change created quite a stir. The official reason given for the change was the modernisation of the logo, including the simplification of the jaali motif inspired by the famous Sidi Saiyyed Mosque. Detractors claimed that the process for the change had not followed best practices.
RISD
Why: The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) faced significant criticism in 2020 in light of the Black Lives Matter protests. The rebrand aimed at reflecting a change in the institution’s vision, values and priorities
New guiding idea: ‘Question to create, create to question.’
New identity: The new identity was designed by Gretel, New York, working with independent type designer Ryan Bugden. Joe Gebbia, co-founder Airbnb and RISD alum, was advisor on the project.
Energy
Schlumberger
Why: Signal a shift from oil to a low-carbon future
New name: SLB
New brand identity: A new lowercase wordmark and a shift of primary brand colour to a brighter blue.
Entertainment & Sports
Discovery
Why: AT&T’s Warner Media and Discovery completed their merger to become a single entity: Warner Bros Discovery.
New brand identity: Designed by Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv, the new identity uses the shield and brings Discovery into the Warner Bros monolithic brand architecture system
Minecraft
Why: To ensure that all interfaces for the popular game looked and behaved in a certain way, “reducing fragmentation, aligning the branding of new properties and making easier the development of new ones.”
New brand identity: Based on the idea of ‘A brand to be played with.’ The new design system is built around a simple pixel grid, which can be populated by blocks of logos, typography, images, characters and colours.
Olympics
Why: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) unveiled the latest evolution of its visual identity to create a fresh design system that works across all interfaces.
New visual identity: The famed rings logo remains the anchor, of course. New elements include three custom typefaces, a series of graphic devices and illustrations and a language-neutral, gender-neutral icon system. The new identity was designed by Hulse & Durrell.
Riot Games
Why: The League of Legends and Valorent developer wanted to create a recognisable visual system with unique typography that would help players recognise them easily. (This is the company’ssecond logo change in three years).
New brand identity: Keeps the well-recognised fist icon but tweaks the typography to align with the new design system
Tata Play
Why: Signal an expanded offering of TV channels + OTT platforms like Netflix
New brand identity: Designed by Venturethree, the logo takes inspiration from the Tata mark. It is accompanied by a brand system with a brightly coloured brand palette.
Fashion & Lifestyle
Azorte (New Launch)
Who: Reliance Retail launched its first in-house fashion brand called Azorte to compete with global fast-fashion brands like Zara and H&M. The brand has launched a large-format store in Bengaluru.
Brand identity: Name and brand identity developed by Elephant Design
Dixcy Scott
Why: Innerwear brand Dixcy Scott was acquired by private equity firm Advent and is now part of their company Modenik. A complete brand overhaul aimed to bring the brand closer to its evolving customers.
Brand strategy: Strategy developed by Futurebrands, who identified the target persona as the ‘Transitional Indian Man’ and developed a brand platform called ‘Body language.’
Brand identity & packaging: Created by Codesign, the new identity deliberately moved away from traditional cues like the original crown logo. Read the complete case study here.
Fashion Factory
Why: After taking over Future Group’s debt-ridden, large format stores called Brand Factory, Reliance Retail rebranded them to Fashion Factory.
New slogan: ‘Brands for less’
New brand identity: Note the monolithic brand architecture that Reliance is adopting.
Ferragamo
Why: The storied luxury brand wanted to appear more contemporary
New brand identity: Crafted by Peter Saville, the new logo is a sharp departure from the old one which was inspired by the founder’s signature.
John Jacobs
Why: Lenskart’s premium sub-brand is looking at omnichannel expansion in India and overseas
New brand identity: Developed by Irregulars Alliance. Aims to communicate a balance between form and function
Irth (New launch)
Who: Titan Company’s latest launch is a line of women’s bags called ‘Irth’ and pronounced ‘Earth’. This is in keeping with the company’s long standing strategy of launching brands in unbranded lifestyle sectors.
Noteworthy: The launch ad by Wieden & Kennedy ends with the endorsement ‘House of Titan’ and not the official Titan Company logo.
Tasva (New launch)
Who: A joint venture between Aditya Birla Fashion and designer Tarun Tahiliani, Tasva is a new affordable, ethnic menswear brand.
Brand strategy: Positioning, naming and identity developed by Codesign. Brand essence is ‘In My Element: A crafted extension of my true self for celebrations.‘ The brand name is derived from combination of Sanskrit ‘tat’ (that) & ‘sva’ (me/self) – cueing a celebration of the self
Brand identity: The design route aims to stands apart from the over-embellished brands in the space.
Zouk
Why: D2C lifestyle brand Zouk wanted a stronger identity to communicate its hand-made, cruelty-free brand proposition
New identity: Developed by Local, the new identity aims to own an ‘Indian classic positioning.’
Finance
Blume Ventures
Why: One of India’s most important early-stage venture capital firms, Blume was looking to make a leap in its journey, both in terms of fund size and brand perception.
Brand strategy: A comprehensive communication strategy that makes evident the seminal role Blume has played in the country’s startup ecosystem, based on the idea of ‘Conviction Capital.’
New brand identity: Created by Sulekha Rajkumar, the logo is a half-flower, where the petals intersect to form a star at the centre.
Coinbase
Why: The crypto exchange wanted to bring cryptocurrency into the mainstream and reach a wider audience.
New brand identity: Developed by Moniker, the identity aimed to communicate the “excitement and energy of this new financial world, while communicating trust and security.” Many elements of the design system like typography, were inspired by the monospaced typefaces historically used in financial documents and wayfinding symbols.
Noteworthy: What really made news was the Coinbase Super Bowl ad which featured a single QR code bouncing around the screen and led to 20 million hits on the website, which subsequently crashed.
Coinswitch
Why: As the crypto markets melted, Coinswitch Kuber dropped the Kuber from its name and is moving beyond crypto to wealth-tech.
New identity: Designed by Animal, the new identity system, including the logo, is built on the idea of choices and a diverse portfolio.
ET Money
Why: Fintech, ET Money, is part of the Times of India group. The change came in the wake of a new personalisation strategy as well as new services like membership.
New brand identity: Developed by Codesign, the idea of the logo is based on a Wheel of Wealth, and symbolises ‘balanced, diverse and adaptable investment planning centred around the user.’
Navi
Why: Sachin Bansal-owned Navi has filed for an IPO, (although it has received a setback recently when RBI rejected its application for a bank license.)
New brand identity: Developed by Codesign, the new identity is based on the ‘liberating potential of financial services done right.’
1 Finance
Who: New financial planning brand on the block, 1 Finance, launched with a full-page ad in The Economic Times claiming that ‘your financial institution’s interests are not aligned with yours.’ It has also launched ‘Money Signs’ – archetypes that treat money differently. The interesting content strategy continues with an in-house magazine that talks about all things money, conceptualised and produced by the agency Paper Planes. Brand identity by Studio Paperheads.
PayPal
Why: Online payments platform PayPal wanted to make clearer the scope of what it does and the impact that it creates
New brand platform: Focus on PayPal’s role as the ‘empowerer and enabler of opportunity for people.’ Key to the new strategy are customer stories of individuals and businesses.
New brand identity: The logo remains unchanged, but the visual system and colour palette have been modified by Gretel, New York. The ‘P’ is front and centre as a framing device and a yellow-gold colour has been made prominent.
Plum
Why: The insurance-tech startup wanted to communicate that it was an ‘anti-insurance’ brand and set itself apart from the ‘stuffy, boring’ world of insurance. It had also outgrown its first, hastily sketched visual identity.
New purpose: ‘To positively impact the health and financial well-being of every human.’
New brand identity: Crafted by Irregulars Alliance, the new identity replaces the fruit illustration with an interesting logotype and a toolkit with custom illustrations.
Visa
Why: To reposition Visa as a network that enables the movement of a transaction – much beyond the credit card image it is typically identified with
New launch platform: ‘Meet Visa’ developed by Wieden & Kennedy is a nod to the company’s evolution from a cards issuer to a much broader financial-services and tech platform.
New brand identity: After the announcement of the logo change last year, Visa has revealed its complete brand identity system, developed by design studio Mucho.
How We Picked the Brands on This List
- The brand must be significant in terms of either scale or potential impact
- The brand must indicate an important trend in the industry
- The work must meet our team’s threshold of quality
So even if we don’t absolutely love the design, an important rebrand or launch will make the list because it helps us to understand where the industry is headed.
Did we miss anyone who rebranded in 2020-2021? Tell us in the comments.
Superb list! Requesting for Credits for 1 Finance’s brand identity. Please add them.
The agency is Studio Paperheads
IG handle @studiopaperheads
Re. 1 Finance, thanks for the mention! Just want to flag though that there isn’t a heading to introduce 1 Finance. Also, the 1 Finance Magazine is conceptualised and produced by The Paper Planes Agency.
Th tranisiton of Vista Rooms to StayVista – India’s largest luxury villa vacation rental platform. The rebrand was developed by CoDesign.
Hi ! I think one of the best rebrands of the year for me was of Ugaoo. Maybe you can include it in part 2.