No doubt you've seen the new Gap logo that has had the collective internets in a tizzy since they unveiled it a few days ago.
Brand design blog Brand New was one of the early breakers of the news, and got over a hundred thousand page views and hundreds of comments.
Some have decried the logo to be, at best, "unimaginative," and at worst, "fugly."
The logo already reached internet meme status, with someone registering the domain Craplogo.me and letting user create their own "crap logo" themselves, with the tag "Why hire an expensive firm to rebrand?"
Gap has responded to the criticism by posting on their Facebook page:
The new logo was designed by Trey Laird and his firm Laird and Partners, who have served as Gap’s creative directors for many years, while working closely with Gap of North America president Marka Hansen. While Chandler stresses that Gap stands by the logo they’ve created, they also want it to signify that the company itself is changing — and that should come with input from consumers.
“I’m not going to comment on specific aspects of the dialogue. But we’re thrilled about the energy and passion that customers have shown. We want to collaborate with them.”
— Bill Chandler, vice president of corporate communications on Co.
What will be interesting to see is how Gap decides to deal with the criticism - will they push forward with the logo or revamp? Is this an earnest rebranding or a conspiracy along the same lines as the "New Coke" fiasco?
So what do you guys think? Have you been a part of a relaunch or revamp that was initially received poorly? How did your CU deal with it? Let us know in the comments section!
DeAndre