When is the last time a corporation or other entity made a good choice when changing their logo? It's been quite some time...
The Big Ten Conference in college football is the latest entity to come up with a new logo which stinks on ice. It's so terrible that it looks like a high school graphic arts student designed it in 2 minutes, while under the influence of salvia.
Earlier this year, the geniuses at Gap attempted to bestow a new logo upon their brand only to fail miserably. The new logo was so poorly received that Gap supporters took to Facebook and other social networks to state their displeasure. A mutiny was underway and the suits at Gap realized the new logo wasn't just pathetic, it was an atrocity of mythical proportions. Within a week they went back to the old logo.
Already, college football fans and BigTen supporters are destroying the abominable new Big Ten logo. One has to wonder what their marketing department is inhaling over there. Just what is the point of having a "1" in place of the "I" in the logo? To quote the Double Rainbow guy, "What does this mean?" While there had to be some sort of logo adjustment or change due to Nebraska joining the Big Ten (thus making it 12 teams) this was a horrendous choice. Why not just modify the existing logo so it has a "12" integrated into it, rather than an "11?"
The Big Ten's failed new logo is the latest example of just how out of touch the suits are in corporate America. They think they know more than the public because they went to Ivy League institutions or they have a masters in Marketing or Business Administration.
The reality is many of these suits are out of touch with the public. The public hates change. When you have a logo that works, stick with it. People in America are fickle and like to be comfortable with something they've grown to like and trust.
Don't be surprised if the geniuses in the marketing department for the Big Ten Conference come to their senses in a week, much like the braintrust at Gap did.