Yahoo! is re-branding. Many products and services are in dire need to do the same. But why?

One of the most important things you can communicate to your potential customers and clients is how you can help them. How can you make their world easier? It also helps if your message looks good. Whether you’re only interested in a particular part of advertising or are looking into a revamped marketing strategy as a whole, you need to make sure that your product, your service, your unique selling point is pushed into the spotlight.

(Unique Selling Point: the main thing you have and can offer your clients that no one else in your industry has or can offer)

For example, one of Album’s USP is Confidence. While other items are important, our clients know that they will receive the best service, product, and help possible. We are dedicated to only launching/releasing the best work possible.

Here’s a commercial that does a GREAT job of pointing out their USP, and in a funny way to boot. Can you find the USP?

USP: They help you learn English better.

Pfizer, “the world’s largest research-based pharmaceutical company”, recently released a refreshed brand identity.  For most people the logo update will go unnoticed, but the overall brand identity (colors, fonts and design style) have been upgraded dramatically.  According to Siegel+Gale, the agency behind the design strategy, the new logo “signals positive change and forward momentum and asks people to take a fresh look at Pfizer because it is not the same company it was in 1991″ (the last time the logo was refreshed).

The most noticeable difference in the new logo is the oval shape, which was tilted to create a more dynamic arrangement.  Subtle changes to every character in the font have resulted in a more rounded, friendlier and soothing feel, with the biggest changes coming to the “z” and the “e”.

The new color palette is bold and fluorescent and contains a lot of visual energy.

Pfizer’s new identity also carries a strong circular theme, as evidenced in their new home page pictured above.  Overall, this is the right move for a global brand that has produced two of the most popular drugs in the world: Lipitor and Viagra.  The change positions them as a more progressive and lively brand that is helping to change lives for the better.  I applaud them on this strategic step and believe it’s a boost to their brand resonance.

Now 8 years after that fateful day, limited progress has been made on the completion of a memorial and museum at ground zero.  Courtesy of Brand New, the image above shows a recent decision to shorten the lengthy name to simply “9/11 Memorial”.  From a branding standpoint, this makes it much easier for the public to “remember” its name.  The new logo solution is bold and simple, leaving the simple element of the blue towers as an impactful reminder of what actually happened.  Check out the official 9/11 Memorial site for tons of information on what’s coming.  We salute our fallen heroes.

After the FritoLay’s Baked Snacks, the same company just released Flat Earth rebranded packaging.

One question about both the rebrands: Once again they mention women on this rebrand as a reason for it, so are all baked chips focused on women? are they supposed to be the ones who eat chips the most?

I, personally, liked both the redesigns, but I don’t see much of the mentioned feminine appeal. I see a clearer more direct message with better cleaner colors and a simpler design, which if you look at all the new packagings for chips and cereals seems to be the real trend.

More about this at The Dieline

Today, Verizon announced a new logo to roll out in July 2009 after 10 years in business.  Or did they?  This is actually an April Fools Day prank put on by www.underconsideration.com.  They even created a website (www.soveryverizon.com) and wrote a press release to look as though it came from Verizon.  All kidding aside, the blog post actually makes sense.  It gives some good justification for Verizon to rebrand themselves.

Most designers and marketers agree that the current Verizon logo is terrible.  The red to white gradients always look clunky on phones and in their print media.  And what does the check mark mean?  With all the hype and coolness of the iPhone, AT&T is gaining brand points on the cool scale.  Maybe Verizon will pay attention to this hoax and learn something.

I’m a fan of baked chips. And even though I’m not exactly the target audience (mostly women), this redesign caught my eye. The old packaging always looked too shiny, Vegas-like, and busy, while the new packaging speaks natural, healthy, and “good for you.” Looks like a homerun to me.

OLD

NEW

Thanks to Under Consideration for pointing this out.

Coke’s rebranding took a famous but cluttered identity system with its complex graphics and brought it down to the simplest forms, accomplishing a beautiful example of identity design. Simple but very effective, this new approach won the Design Grand Prix at Cannes Lions 2008.

This video about the rebranding is really interesting and shows the new identity really well.

This is a great site that showcases recently refreshed brands. There are over 10 pages of examples.