{"id":174,"date":"2026-04-20T06:05:18","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T06:05:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kinsta-stag-advertisingweek.md-staging.com\/?p=174"},"modified":"2026-04-21T05:48:41","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T05:48:41","slug":"timeless-or-tired-how-to-keep-logos-relevant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kinsta-stag-advertisingweek.md-staging.com\/aw360\/podcast\/timeless-or-tired-how-to-keep-logos-relevant\/174\/","title":{"rendered":"Timeless or Tired? How to Keep Logos Relevant"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Jess Kaye Director at CHILLI<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kellogg\u2019s, Pepsi, Starbucks\u2026 what do their logos have in common? They\u2019ve mastered the tricky balance of evolving with changing trends and tastes, while holding onto their established identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Logos are the face of a brand: the visual ID that carries weight with consumers \u2013 and as such, can completely shift how they feel about you. But people often underestimate the power of what a logo truly means.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s one thing  for designers to make a logo look good, but the challenge goes much deeper than that \u2013 it\u2019s creating a logo that stands out, tells the brand story and<\/em> connects with consumers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Years ago, logos mostly lived on storefronts, packaging, or letterheads. The competitive set was smaller, and standing out was easier. Today, especially in the bustling FMCG marketplace, there\u2019s so much choice that distinctiveness is harder to achieve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To adapt to the changing digital landscape, trends, and increased competition, many brands have flattened or simplified their logos to the point where they\u2019ve lost their voice. So how do you evolve without erasing what makes you, you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The four non-negotiables<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A strong logo hits four key notes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Simplicity<\/strong>\u00a0but not blandness. A lot of logos in the last 5\u201310 years have been simplified to the point of losing personality. Apple or Nike prove simplicity \u2013 when done right \u2013 can still be powerful, distinctive, and instantly recognisable.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Memorability<\/strong>. \u2018if someone can identify your brand after one glance, then you\u2019re winning \u2013 (Logo board game, anyone)?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Versatility<\/strong>. Your logo should work across colours, formats, contexts and platforms \u2013 whether in motion or static. If it only looks good in one place, it\u2019s limiting.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Timelessness<\/strong>. Trends come and go, but your logo needs staying power. Constantly chasing trends only makes you look uncertain and inconsistent.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    The balancing act: heritage vs. hype<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Here\u2019s the million-dollar challenge: balancing your timeless brand identity with the shifting cultural and competitive landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The best logos stay centred on who the brand is at its core. They evolve with subtlety rather than chasing trends that may not fit their brand or their consumer demographic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Take Burberry. They moved from a heritage-rich logo to a stripped-back wordmark that lost its story. In the bid to modernise, they abandoned what consumers loved about them: heritage and tradition. When they reintroduced the equestrian knight, they regained authenticity and distinctiveness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Meanwhile, brands like Guinness and Robinsons are masters of micro-change. Over decades, their logos have evolved subtly. Consumers barely notice, but the brands stay current. It\u2019s a strategy that signals confidence and avoids alienating audiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    And then there are brands like Absolut Vodka, which show that simplification can work if it fits the brand and its market. Their pared-down \u201cAbsolut\u201d wordmark is strong, versatile, and instantly recognisable and not restricted to limited editions, flavours, and platforms including digital. The trick is knowing whether radical change will serve your brand, or strip it of its essence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The lesson? Don\u2019t try to please everyone. Know your audience, stay true to your DNA, and update with intent, not panic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Designing for tomorrow<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Looking forward, logos will face even more pressure to flex across digital platforms, formats, and screens. Versatility, simplicity, and timelessness will continue to matter, but personality and authenticity will be what separates the forgettable from the memorable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Yes, technological advancements like AI might help speed up some aspects of the design process. But a great logo can\u2019t just be spat out by a machine; it has to feel real. Consumers are too savvy not to notice when something lacks substance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We\u2019ll also see logos needing to work harder in motion. So animated, dynamic, or interactive identities that still carry the brand\u2019s voice.  Collaboration between design and brand storytelling will become even tighter, ensuring logos feel alive rather than static.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In the end, a logo must be timeless. It\u2019s the most concentrated expression of who a brand is: past, present, and future. Get it right, and you\u2019ll build trust, memorability, and relevance. Get it wrong, and even the most beautiful design will fail to resonate.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    By Jess Kaye Director at CHILLI Kellogg\u2019s, Pepsi, Starbucks\u2026 what do their logos have in common? They\u2019ve mastered the tricky balance of evolving with changing trends and tastes, while holding […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":185,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[7],"topics":[],"class_list":["post-174","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-podcast","tag-brands-marketers"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kinsta-stag-advertisingweek.md-staging.com\/aw360\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/174","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kinsta-stag-advertisingweek.md-staging.com\/aw360\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kinsta-stag-advertisingweek.md-staging.com\/aw360\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kinsta-stag-advertisingweek.md-staging.com\/aw360\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kinsta-stag-advertisingweek.md-staging.com\/aw360\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=174"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kinsta-stag-advertisingweek.md-staging.com\/aw360\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/174\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":194,"href":"https:\/\/kinsta-stag-advertisingweek.md-staging.com\/aw360\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/174\/revisions\/194"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kinsta-stag-advertisingweek.md-staging.com\/aw360\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/185"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kinsta-stag-advertisingweek.md-staging.com\/aw360\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=174"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kinsta-stag-advertisingweek.md-staging.com\/aw360\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=174"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kinsta-stag-advertisingweek.md-staging.com\/aw360\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=174"},{"taxonomy":"topics","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kinsta-stag-advertisingweek.md-staging.com\/aw360\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topics?post=174"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}