Over the years, I’ve written a lot about how so many of the great ideas I’ve seen have come from the minds of designers rather than adfolk.
Where so many in my industry look to create eye-candy, designers are approaching their task in terms of solving the clients fundamental problem in the best and most visually interesting way.
There’s a lesson for many of us to learn in that.
However it’s not all great for designers.
Like that Pepsi bullshit from years back, there’s still examples where designers are taking the piss more than a catheter.
For the latest example, may I present to you Vodafone.
Whether we like them or not, our lives are very dependent on the telecommunications industry.
Sure, we might not use their service to make phonecalls anymore, but our smartphone addiction means we need their data so we can instragram our food at every possible moment.
Now obviously the telco industry doesn’t like being seen as just a ‘service provider’.
Part of that might be because of corporate ego, but the main reason is likely to be that for them to grow, they need to be regarded as an innovation company … someone who creates the future as much as serves it.
Whether you think that’s bollocks or not is up to you, but the reason I’m saying it is because that’s kind of the explanation Vodafone used for creating their new logo.
“What new logo?” I hear you cry.
This one …
“No Rob …” you reply, “… you’ve made a mistake, that’s the old logo”.
Oh no it isn’t folks, that’s the new one.
No seriously.
I swear to God.
Oh hang on, I don’t believe in God … OK, I swear on my heart.
Still don’t believe me?
OK, if you want absolute proof, here’s the old logo for comparison.
“But … but isn’t that basically the old logo just with the colours inverted?”, you stutter.
Well, I would agree with that assessment however we would both be wrong because apparently it is a new logo and, when you hear how the people at Vodafone describe it, it represents a new dawn for the company and it’s role and goal in society.
Here’s Ben Macintosh, Vodafone Australia’s customer business director …
“The changes represent the company’s ability to ‘innovate for the future ‘and supply choice for customers. The wants and needs of our customers have changed, and with that we’ve changed too. We challenge the status quo and push the boundaries to give people something that they won’t find anywhere else.”
I swear to god this is not an April Fool.
This really is their new logo and Ben Macintosh really did say that.
Look, I get Apple generated billions in extra revenue by simply adding a small ‘s’ to their otherwise near-identical product but this is a whole different scale of idiocy.
For me, there’s only 2 possible scenarios …
Either the branding company [which, let’s be honest, is not a design company] are fucking delusional or Vodafone is.
Whatever the truth, if I was a shareholder in the former I’d be buying more shares in them for their ability to charge millions for taking 10 minutes to literally invert the colours of their clients existing logos and if the latter, I’d be selling my shares as fast as I could possibly get rid of the worthless bastards.
On the bright side, I’m about to make a fortune as a branding consultant and my 1997 copy of Microsoft Paint.