There’s nothing we like more at VIPstaple than a nice, quality rebrand. After a heated discussion on an even hotter summer’s day, regarding everyone’s favorite rebrands, we’ve managed to settle it civilly, reach a consensus, and comprise our list of best rebrands according to us.

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When a company decides it is time to change its public image and how its buyers perceive it, it starts working on a rebrand. We hear this word all of the time - in the news, social media, blogs. But, what exactly is a rebrand? It is a process of reimagining your company’s logo, typography, colors, packaging, and general tone of voice.

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A rebrand can either make or break a company, so it needs to be executed carefully, based on research, and at the right moment. 

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In this article we’re going over 5 iconic rebrandings and how they made a positive impact on the company image, even if it may have not looked like that at the time of the rebranding.
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1. Instagram

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When Instagram first announced that it was changing its recognizable Polaroid camera logo in 2016, it triggered a heated uproar in the community. People were quick to call it soulless and boring, with some even complaining about having trouble finding the app on their phone after spending years with the old app icon. 

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If we put the pink goggles aside, and look at things from today’s perspective, we can see that it was the right step to take at the time. Instagram’s new identity was aligned with the modern values that they were introducing. Instagram was no longer a photo-sharing platform, it introduced a variety of media and needed a new image to follow. 

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Along with that, Instagram kept working on its UI design and making it as simple as possible, making the platform content-centric.

Recently Instagram has touched up their brand with a “refresh”.

On their website, they wrote:

“We refreshed key elements of our brand identity to celebrate the global community of creators on Instagram. We created a custom typeface, updated our gradient and color palette, and refined our approach to layout and design.”

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2. US Open

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From the creative genius Sagi Haviv of the Chermayeff, Geismar & Haviv - one of the world’s leading design firms that focuses on branding, comes this beautiful rebranding of US Open.

If you, by any chance, do not know what US Open is, it is one of the four major tennis tournaments in the world, which are called the Grand Slam tournaments, alongside Wimbledon, Rolland Garros, and Australian Open. 

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The old logo felt a little bit out of touch with the current times, and the entire tournament was in dire need of a change of look and feel. And what better time to do it than the tournament's 50th anniversary?

Here’s what Chermayeff, Geismar & Haviv wrote about this rebrand:

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"For this gold anniversary, the United States Tennis Association decided to reinvent its visual identity. The mark that had been used for 20 years—an illustration of a flaming ball paired with a thin serif type and a red swoosh—was a complicated image that had challenges in digital media and did not represent the tournament well as a premium sporting and entertainment brand.

The new mark expresses the energy, spirit, and velocity of the flaming tennis ball and the U.S. Open itself while modernizing the look, providing a more youthful appeal, and optimizing the identity for applications on everything from apps and Instagram to billboards, print ads, and swag.”

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The blue and yellow contrast so well against the natural greens of tennis or a crowded crowd. It is a perfect color palette for such a prestigious tournament. 

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3. Facebook becomes Meta

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If you’re having trouble remembering, it is because they did a remarkable job rebranding. In 2018 information emerged that Cambridge Analytica, a data analytics firm, exploited the personal information of millions of Facebook users without their consent. The firm accessed this data through a third-party app that collected information exposing a total of 87 million users' data.

In October 2021, Facebook Inc. made a bold and significant move by changing its corporate name to Meta. This rebranding decision was not just a cosmetic change; it was a strategic pivot. One of the primary drivers behind the rebrand was the fallout from the Cambridge Analytica scandal. 

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The rebranding to Meta signifies a broader and more ambitious vision for the company. Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO, announced that the rebrand was part of a strategy to pivot from being a social media company to a metaverse company. The metaverse is envisioned as a virtual reality space where users can interact with a computer-generated environment and other users in real time.

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The rebranding process involved not just a name change but also a comprehensive overhaul of the company’s branding elements. This included a new logo, corporate website, and marketing materials. The new Meta logo, an infinity-like symbol, represents the endless possibilities of the metaverse.

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4. Mastercard

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In 2016, Pentagram, a New York based design studio, created a new logo and visual identity for Mastercard, the credit card company's first branding redesign in 20 years.

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Mastercard's rebrand is a notable example of modern branding strategies focusing on simplicity and adaptability.

The most visible change was the simplification of Mastercard's logo. The iconic overlapping red and yellow circles were retained, but the word "Mastercard" was removed from the logo in many applications. This shift emphasizes the symbol's recognition and allows the logo to stand alone, making it instantly recognizable.

The rebrand aligned with the shift toward digital payments and a more tech-savvy consumer base. By modernizing its visual identity, Mastercard aimed to create a more digital-friendly appearance

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Mastercard was always known for its genius advertising. Years of clever ad placements led to bringing the red and yellow circles global popularity, which made the rebrand possible. It goes to show the power of a brand.

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We found this rebrand to be simply priceless.
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5. Airbnb

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Airbnb’s rebrand was everything it should be - innovative, exciting, with a clear new message.

Design Studio which worked on this rebrand redefined Airbnb’s brand mission as ‘Belong Anywhere’. This higher purpose gave Airbnb a clear reason for everything they did throughout the business. It all came from their focus on Belonging.

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With that idea in mind, a new bran identity was born. The new ‘Belo’ logo sat at the heart; a symbol that represents Belonging, transcends language, and is simple enough to be drawn by anyone.

The purpose of the new brand statement “Belong Anywhere” was to make travelers not feel like tourists, but rather give them a temporary home with all of the warmth that comes with it.

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“When I look at this brand, I suddenly realize everything I’ve been trying to say, now we have a way to express it.”

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- BRIAN CHESKY, CEO & CO-FOUNDER AT AIRBNB

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That would be all from us. Tune in next week for our new blog on how we made a brand refresh and applied the before-mentioned principles to one of our own client’s brands.

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