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Seems like everyone is changing their logo nowadays… Some of the more notable ones being Pepsi, Starbucks, AirBnb and a super #fail from GAP.
As a bonafide logo designer who have been designing logos professionally (yes, that means getting paid for my designs) for over 12 years now, I do get into a lot of discussions in regards to anything logo design or design but I wouldn’t blog about it. However, since this is so much closer to home and I don’t call this “Everything Under the Singapore Sun” for nothing, I feel that I should at least weigh in on the latest logo design from Singtel.
According to Singtel’s press release:
The new logo is marked by a signature red arc that reflects innovation and the ongoing evolution of the business. It symbolises Singtel’s commitment to customers to make everyday better with its service, technology and content, and to deliver experiences that are seamless and effortless in everything they do — at home, at work and when doing their favourite things.
The word “Singtel” bears friendlier curves and rounded corners to show the company is approachable, caring and optimistic. The lower case “t” celebrates the company’s heritage as a telco and marks its transformation into a leading multimedia and ICT services company.
Sounds like a ton of designer fluff and BS doesn’t it? Assuming they paid a lot of money for this logo, it is only normal to make it “sound” expensive. You can tell they paid a lot because they even hired super atas and expensive Ogilvy & Mather to help with their brand marketing. (Although I think O & M did not actually design that logo because, if it was me, I’d die from embarrassment by now.)
If a logo is supposed to represent your branding, here’s what I think the new Singtel logo represents:
Make Everyday Unimaginative
“No, we don’t even try to be unique or special. Our motto is to maintain the status quo. Don’t read too much into it as we do not want our customers to expect too much from us. Come on! It is just a logo change and everything else remains the same.”
I’m not against dotted logos because if they mean something. In this case, the use of dots here is just meaningless fanciful filler.
Make Everyday Boring
If you are going to update your logo, shouldn’t it be more creative? How is it even possible to make it look even more boring than the previous logo? There’s not even a hint of excitement.
We Look Cheap
Yes it does. But Singtel is not cheap.
We Are Dated
Not only is this design boring, it is also dated with its solid black and red colors and lack of dynamism. It is very flat and 2D and does not hint at technology or any technical advancements whatsoever.
Not-So-Friendly Actually
People hate change, and it is not a change for the better. It makes them uneasy and untrustful. Singtel could have simply updated their logo instead of changing it completely. See the simple fix above? It only takes literally 5 mins. If anything, it is definitely more “Signature” and iconic than the current logo concept.
So, in quite an ironic way, I do think that the new logo is actually, very much completely Singtel-esque. The boring-ness and lack of innovation in their logo totally describes them as a company. Although they said they are going to “listen to their customers” better from now on, it seems that almost immediately all the customer’s feedback on their new logo has been brushed aside and not taking into consideration. The absence of movement and dynamics in the logo represents their fear of adapting and not willing to accept forward-thinking. So in fact, the new logo represents Singtel so much more now that they have updated it.
Which makes me wonder if the designer thought of it as a joke and because they actually secretly hate Singtel, hahaha!
Feel free to drop a rant below on what you really think about Singtel’s new logo, or if you want to complain about anything I had just said about that logo!
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