Kellogg’s New Brand Refresh

Kellogg’s announced their newly refreshed brand as ‘the most significant update of its marquee identity in the company’s 106-year history.’

The visual identity has been refreshed, as they say, with ‘distinctly bright visual graphics and images that reflect company and consumer values of optimism and a bright outlook today’.  New branding will appear on the brand’s website, all packaging, advertising and other marketing materials.

The new Kelloggs logo looks like the same visual signature, apart from the color. The differences are very subtle and will hardly be noticeable by consumers. But, it is a “refresh” not a “new” logo. As stated by Kim Miller, senior vice president of global brands at Kellogg, “By refreshing our brand in ways consumers will continue to relate to, we can build on current relationships and establish strong new ones for the future.”

In the image above I have placed the new visual over the old. By fading the old to pink, we can see how subtle the changes really are and where the letters slightly differ.

Here are the differences:
• new darker red color replacing the more vibrant red
• all the letters are now joined except for the K
• the K as a letter has all its elements connected
• the thicker areas of some letters are trimmed down and not quite as pudgy

More of the change to the brand can be seen with its digital strategy.

A new strapline, ‘Let’s Make Today Great’ has been introduced; and the positioning aims to convey ‘a more conversational tone that supports the relationships consumers desire to have with brands today, particularly in the social and digital worlds’, according to the brand. The move places digital and social media “at the core of its engagement efforts.” Kellogg’s US joined Twitter to further engage fans and to help promote its London 2012 Olympics sponsorship of eight Team USA athletes which it’s also showcasing on its Facebook page.

Below, Kellogg’s “Team Kellogg’s” Facebook app promotes its Team USA sponsorship:

The new brand identity with its bright graphics, vivid colors and real stories conveys the upbeat sentiment of a new day while reminding consumers of the importance of a good breakfast. Kellogg’s also makes a connection with consumers by including their community projects – “Team Kellogg’s” and “Share Your Breakfast” program – on the homepage banner.

A far cry from where they were in 1963 in print. How times change and sometimes change can be good!