Google’s Rebrand

I’m sure you’ve noticed the big change Google made. Yes, they rebranded, and with it, a new Google logo, Google+ logo and a new Google “G” logo. Being the giant company they are, this change sparked quite a bit of conversation among designers and the public. While some people love it and some people hate it, I’ve compiled all of the chatter here in one convenient place.

The New Brand

On August 10th, 2015, Google died. That day, Google announced they were rebranding as “Alphabet,” a new holding company that includes Google as a subsidiary. Google and all of its assets will still exist, yes, but under Alphabet now. On September 1st, Google’s new logo and branding was published. The internet’s reaction was intense.

The Reaction Heard Round’ The Internet

The reactions to the public were very split down the middle. While many love it, there are many who either hate it or love mocking it. Don’t believe me? Read some Google rebrand reactions here. Even our fellow Red Branch Media designer, Kristine Osbourne, critiques the logo as being a “daycare logo.”

My Design Opinion

Like everyone else, the rebrand was a shock to me as well. My first reaction was uneasy and unsure of the new look. Google, since its creation, has always included serifs on their logo. This rebrand marks the first time Google dropped their serif in a rebrand. Not only did they drop the serifs, Google’s new font is a custom-created geometric sans serif font they call Product Sans.

As the new logo is still growing on me, I feel that the rebrand was necessary. Since Google is a very contemporary, cutting-edge company, using a traditional serif font doesn’t pair well. I feel that traditional serif fonts better pair with the government and news companies, while forward-thinking and “modern” companies usually use sans serif fonts. I like how they chose a geometric sans serif font because the logo is actually very simple and clean. The lowercase “o,” “g” and “e” all share similar dimensions, while the new uppercase “G” stands out just enough from the rest of the logo that it can stand on its own, which it does, in the new Google+ logo.

The rebrand is a great move and the new logo will stand the test of time like most sans serif fonts do. Being “timeless” is one of the most important aspects of logo design, and Google’s new logo does just that. No matter how much backlash this logo can get, it was a necessary and smart move since they just rebranded as a subsidiary under their new brand, Alphabet. As a “modern” and forward-thinking company, choosing a bold, geometric sans serif font sends a more accurate message about the brand than a traditional serif font. In my most simple opinion, I kind of like it.

Kyle Christensen

Kyle is the Brand Director at Red Branch Media.

Kyle leads our Graphic Design Department at Red Branch Media. His ability to manage incoming tasks, collaborate with the design team, hit deadlines and keep our file storage system well-organized has helped to shape the design department clients love today. While he’s away from the branch, he spends his time playing drums, video games, cranking the latest emo, pop-punk and screamo songs on Spotify, drinking local Omaha brews, and enjoying life with his wife. Kyle has a BASA with a Concentration in Graphic Design and a Minor in Art History from UNO.