11 New Logos for 2021: How Brand Identity Is Changing

Contents:

• ABBYY: A New Look at the Brand
• Conclusion
• Yandex: Brand Evolution from Logo to Product Packaging
• Profi Brand Update: Design That Speaks for Itself
• Xiaomi: The Perfect Balance Between Forms
• Citymobil: A New Look at Urban Mobility
• Gett's New Logo: A Step Toward Modernity
• Kia: Transition to Electric Mobility
• General Motors: Reimagined Logo and New Era
• Updates in the corporate style of Renault and Peugeot

Modern trends in logo design emphasize the importance of minimalism, eliminating unnecessary elements and focusing on bright, fresh color schemes. Analyzing the latest identity updates for famous brands, it's clear that these styles are becoming increasingly popular. A minimalist approach allows logos to remain memorable and easily recognizable, which in turn helps strengthen the brand in the marketplace. The use of bright colors helps distinguish a logo from competitors, attracting the attention of the target audience. Thus, modern logos not only reflect the company's essence but also create an emotional connection with consumers.

In this article, we will discuss 11 major Russian and international companies that updated their corporate identities in 2021. We will analyze changes in brand visual identities and their impact on company perception. Corporate identity updates are often driven by a desire to improve a company's image, attract new audiences, and adapt to modern trends. Let's look at the key aspects of each change and its implications for business.

ABBYY: A New Look at the Brand

ABBYY, a recognized leader in intelligent data processing and business process analysis, has undergone significant changes over the past year. The expansion of its product portfolio served as the basis for a successful rebranding, which emphasized process optimization and increased efficiency. The company's new image reflects a commitment to faster and easier solutions, enabling clients to achieve better business results.

Design bureau Shuka developed a new visual style, centered on a swirling ribbon. It unfolds from left to right and transforms, changing its texture from a monochrome color to a vibrant gradient with a geometric pattern. This ribbon becomes the basis for new brand visual solutions, emphasizing the company's uniqueness and modernity. The new style allows the company to stand out from the competition and draw attention to its products and services, creating a memorable image.

The logo with red ABBYY letters maintains its originality despite the changes within the company. Ivan Velichko, co-founder of the Shuka bureau, emphasizes that the "logo has its own history and is loved by the public." The main goal was to preserve this "key" to the brand, which remains understandable and recognizable to everyone. Maintaining the recognizability of the ABBYY logo helps strengthen the company's image and its connection with customers.

The designers concluded that the ABBYY logo should be minimalist and free of unnecessary decorative elements. This decision is due to the fact that ABBYY operates in the B2B sector and offers advanced image recognition technologies. The logo's simplicity promotes easy brand recognition and memorability, which is an important aspect in the competitive technology environment.

The logo has become lighter and more modern thanks to increased white space and optimal letter spacing. In the previous version, the letters "ABB" were too close together, while there was significant space between the "YY" letters. The first versions of the new design resembled a ligature, which gave them a stylish look but made the complex name difficult to perceive. Now, the updated logo provides improved readability and visual harmony, making it more appealing to the target audience.

The color palette of the new logo has become more saturated, significantly updating the company's image and making it more modern. The new bright shades attract attention and emphasize the uniqueness of the brand, which contributes to improving the company's perception in the market. The updated logo visual style reflects the company's commitment to innovation and quality.

Conclusion

ABBYY's updated corporate identity emphasizes modern design trends and underscores its commitment to clarity and simplicity in customer communications. It's important to stay current in branding to remain competitive and meet modern standards. An effective corporate identity helps strengthen a company's image and establish trust with its audience.

Yandex: Brand Evolution from Logo to Product Packaging

On March 31, 2023, Yandex presented an updated A logo designed in a modern, bold font. This update also introduced a new symbol—the letter "Y" in a red circle. This redesign emphasizes the company's modern style and commitment to innovation. The new logo reflects Yandex's dynamism and proactivity as a leader in technology and internet services.

The company's new visual identity reflects its modern values ​​and is adapted for various media. It looks effective on mobile devices and on product packaging at Lavka. This creates a unified style that enhances brand recognition and promotes its digital reach.

Gennady Lokhtin, Design Director of Search at Yandex, emphasized that the new corporate identity is the result of collaboration between the Yandex design team and Ilya Ruderman, co-founder of Type.today. The updated style is aimed at improving brand perception and increasing its recognition among users. The innovative design approach reflects modern trends and audience needs, making Yandex more appealing to users.

The Yandex logo, which was previously used, was developed almost 13 years ago, at a time when the capabilities of internet companies were significantly limited. At that time, no one could have imagined that Yandex would actively develop such areas as grocery delivery and financial services. Since then, the company has significantly expanded its range of services, necessitating an updated brand visual representation to meet modern user requirements and expectations. Yandex Sans, a key graphic element of the new visual style, is used for large headlines and provides simple and clear typography. This allows the brand to effectively communicate with users, creating a unified visual language that facilitates better information comprehension and strengthens connections with the audience. Using Yandex Sans helps emphasize the brand's modernity and accessibility, an important aspect of its communications strategy. Today, Yandex is perceived as a unified whole, where every message is an important part of the brand. It is important to ensure the harmonious coexistence of the logo and Yandex Sans font to create a unified visual style. This will not only strengthen the company's identity but also increase brand recognition among users. The right combination of design elements promotes better information comprehension and creates a positive impression of the company.

Ilya Ruderman described the new logo as a "cocktail" that combines 10% Art Nouveau, 10% homemade bag stencil, 40% elements from Yandex.News, and 40% futuristic technology inspired by companies like SpaceX. This unique design reflects modern trends and an innovative approach, making it relevant in the context of today's digital world. The new logo not only attracts attention but also emphasizes the company's commitment to progress and development.

Updating Yandex's logo and corporate identity is a key step in their quest to maintain relevance and modernity in a rapidly changing digital world. This update not only reflects changes in brand perception but also demonstrates the company's willingness to adapt to new user demands and expectations. In the face of increasing competition in the digital technology market, a fresh identity helps Yandex strengthen its position and attract the attention of its target audience.

Profi Brand Update: A Design That Speaks for Itself

Since its launch seven years ago, the "Profi" service has established itself as a reliable assistant for customers seeking qualified specialists in a wide range of fields, including repair, education, and training. During this time, the platform has undergone significant technical improvements, but the visual style has remained the same. This necessitated a design update to meet modern user requirements and improve the service's usability. The updated visual style will help improve navigation and attract more customers and specialists to the platform.

The company launched a competition to develop a new logo, with three leading Russian design studios participating. Following discussions, it was decided to exclude complex elements, such as unusual fonts and symbols. This allowed for the creation of a simple and clear visual image that is easy to perceive and remember. The new logo reflects the company's core values ​​and is aimed at improving its market recognition.

The result is a new logo that reflects the service's name in Cyrillic. The exclusion of the ".ru" domain emphasizes the international status of the company, which is actively expanding its activities in the Ukrainian and Belarusian markets. The new brand is simple and concise—"Profi"—which contributes to its memorability and recognition among users.

The logo is an integral part of the company's overall identity. Its development is integrated into a large-scale redesign strategy that encompasses the visual style of the website, application, and advertising materials. The main idea of ​​the update is to implement the concept of "design without design," where the emphasis is on simplicity and functionality. This approach will improve brand perception and increase its market recognition.

Linda Kosichkina, art director of the ONY agency, emphasizes that in recent years there has been a positive trend towards the aestheticization of the Cyrillic alphabet. This process may have been one of the factors that influenced the brand's new direction. The aesthetics of the Cyrillic alphabet opens new horizons for designers and marketers, allowing them to create unique visual solutions that attract attention and enhance brand identity.

A logo change is the initial stage of a comprehensive redesign. A key aspect of this process is ensuring that the visual style aligns with the brand's philosophy. It is essential to strive for simplicity, avoiding excessive elements and decorative details to focus attention on the essentials. This will help create a clearer and more memorable perception of the brand, which in turn will increase its attractiveness to the target audience.

Xiaomi: The Perfect Balance Between Forms

Xiaomi's recent rebranding was the result of a collaboration with renowned Japanese designer Kenya Hara. He reimagined the traditional square logo, giving it a more rounded shape. The new logo concept is based on the mathematical formula of a superellipse, symbolizing the company's flexibility and dynamism. This approach not only updates the visual style but also highlights Xiaomi's innovative approach to product development. The new logo reflects the company's desire to be modern and adapt to the rapidly changing world of technology.

Xiaomi's updated "Living" design concept emphasizes innovation and the company's commitment to developing technologies that truly serve people. Xiaomi believes that technology should contribute to improving the quality of life for users. This philosophy underpins all new products and solutions offered by the company, demonstrating its commitment to creating a smart and convenient world for everyone.

Xiaomi's corporate color, orange, embodies energy and youth. When combined with black and silver, which are used for more premium products, it creates a modern and technologically advanced impression. These color schemes emphasize the company's dynamic nature, as well as its commitment to innovation and high quality. The use of orange in marketing materials and product packaging helps Xiaomi differentiate itself from competitors and attract consumer attention.

Citymobil: A New Look at Urban Mobility

Citymobil, previously exclusively a taxi service, has undergone significant changes and expanded its market capabilities. Today, it is not just a taxi, but a universal urban mobility platform that offers not only taxi services, but also electric scooter rentals and car sharing. This approach allows users to easily and conveniently navigate the city, choosing the most suitable mode of transport for their needs.

During the transformation, Citymobil entered into a partnership with the YouDrive service, which is now called Citydrive. This renaming emphasizes Citymobil's desire to become a universal solution for urban travel. The new name, CityDrive, reflects a refreshed approach to getting around the city, offering users a wider range of services and conveniences.

Citymobil has updated its image, abandoning the traditional taxi checkers in the logo and retaining only Name. The brand's new visual style features vibrant purple, orange, and green colors, giving it a modern and dynamic look. This update aims to attract more customers and create a memorable image that aligns with current market trends.

The new logo and font were created by the creative studio Contrast Foundry. The designers worked on the logos for CityDrive and Citymobil, striving for a harmonious and unified visual solution suitable for both Russian-speaking and English-speaking users. This ensures brand recognition and its appeal in the international market.

A logo is more than just a visual sign; it reflects the company's history and concept. It incorporates graphic elements that shape the brand's unique identity. According to Maria Doreuli, creative director of Contrast Foundry, the logo development process begins with a careful analysis of the shapes and rhythm of the letters. This allows for the creation of expressive and memorable symbols that help a company stand out in the market and establish a strong connection with its audience. A well-designed logo can not only attract attention but also convey the core values ​​and mission of a business, making it a crucial tool in strategic marketing.

The new logo demonstrates dynamism through varied letter widths, creating visual rhythm and harmony. The increased space to the left of the letter "L" and the shape of the letter "O" create a visual connection with the wide letter "B." This creates a visual connection between the logo's elements, emphasizing their unity and harmonious perception. This approach helps improve brand recall and enhance its visual appeal.

Citymobil is not only updating its visual identity but also significantly expanding its functionality, strengthening its position in the urban mobility market. This aligns with current trends and the needs of users seeking convenience and variety in transportation services. The company adapts to customer needs by offering innovative solutions and improving the quality of service, making it more attractive to users looking for efficient ways to get around the city.

New Gett logo: a step towards modernity

Gett, a leading taxi company, has unveiled an updated logo that is more modern and minimalist. The silhouette of a man has been removed from the design, emphasizing the company's commitment to versatility and simplicity. The new logo consists only of the company name in a modern font and a bright orange dot at the end. This updated visual style reflects the company's dynamic development and its focus on modern design trends.

On April 7, Gett announced the changes related to the logo update on its official Instagram page. Company representatives noted that the new design not only aligns with modern trends but also maintains a commitment to Gett's traditions and experience. This update underscores the company's commitment to being a leader in taxi technology, providing its customers with cutting-edge and innovative solutions.

Since its founding, Gett has successfully operated for over a decade and has established itself as a global technology platform for corporate ground transportation management. The service optimizes employee mobility, ensuring efficient logistics management from point A to point B. The company's new logo reflects its evolution and commitment to innovation in transportation solutions. Gett continues to evolve, offering modern technologies to improve business processes and enhance service levels.

Kia: Transition to Electric Mobility

The recent Kia logo update was a landmark event for the brand, marking the beginning of a new era. Designers drew inspiration from the concept of a handwritten signature, which symbolizes the company's desire to inspire its customers. The logo's symmetrical design conveys confidence, while its ascending lines highlight Kia's ambitious goals. This change not only refreshes the brand's visual appearance but also strengthens its position in the market, emphasizing its commitment to innovation and development.

The unveiling of the new Kia logo in Seoul made a huge impression. A spectacular pyrotechnic show, featuring 300 drones, took place in the skies above the South Korean capital. This event became a symbol not only of the company's updated visual style but also of Kia's strategic transformation. The company now aims to be a leader in sustainable mobility solutions, underscoring its commitment to clean technologies and innovative approaches in the automotive industry.

Kia is actively pursuing the development of the electric vehicle segment, which is reflected in the decision to remove the word "Motors" from its name. This change underscores the company's renewed focus on sustainable mobility and clean technologies. The new logo, which will primarily be used on electric vehicles, underscores Kia's commitment to innovation and environmental responsibility. The introduction of new technologies and the development of electric models demonstrate the company's intention to take a leading position in the electric vehicle market and help reduce its carbon footprint.

General Motors: A Reimagined Logo and a New Era

General Motors (GM) is actively responding to the growing interest in environmentally friendly vehicles and has updated its logo as part of this transformation. The new design, in vibrant gradient blue tones, symbolizes clear skies and the company's commitment to a sustainable, carbon-free future. The letter M in the logo resembles the shape of an electric plug, emphasizing GM's focus on electric mobility and innovative technologies. This logo update is part of the company's strategy to transition to environmentally friendly transportation solutions, making GM a significant player in the electric vehicle market.

According to recent research, electric vehicle sales in the US could account for 50% of total car sales by 2030. This underscores the importance of GM's initiatives to transition to electric vehicles. In 2022, GM announced plans to invest more than $35 billion in electric and autonomous vehicle development, demonstrating the company's commitment to becoming a leader in the electric vehicle market. These investments not only support environmental initiatives but also meet the growing demand for sustainable transportation solutions.

GM's rebranding represents more than just a logo change; it is also an important step in its global strategy to improve the company's image among consumers and investors. The new visual identity emphasizes GM's commitment to innovation and environmental sustainability, which is particularly relevant to a younger audience interested in sustainability. This process includes not only a change in visual elements but also a rethinking of the company's values, which helps build trust and loyalty among customers. GM strives to position itself as a leader in clean technology and advanced solutions, which is important in an increasingly competitive market.

• What are GM's plans for electric vehicle development?
• What does the new GM logo mean?
• When does GM plan to launch new electric vehicles?

Renault and Peugeot Corporate Identity Updates

Recent changes in the logo designs of French car brands Renault and Peugeot demonstrate their desire to follow modern trends and minimalism. The Renault logo has retained its recognizable diamond, but has become more elegant and simple, which is in line with current trends in the automotive industry. The updated logo designs of these brands not only reflect their commitment to modernity but also emphasize the importance of adapting to changing consumer preferences. Both brands strive to create a visual identity that will appeal to new generations of motorists while maintaining a connection to their history and heritage.

Peugeot has updated its logo, adding a detailed lion, now positioned within a heraldic shield. This change strengthens the brand's identity, emphasizing its historical roots and commitment to quality. Such steps confirm the company's strategy to attract new customers and strengthen its position in the global market, which is an important aspect for the further development and competitiveness of Peugeot.