Cracker Barrel came out with a logo, and everyone hated it. I personally hate that they serve very few crackers despite the promise of having barrels full.
Why did people hate the logo? You could throw a dart at a board of reasons why people get angry at anything these days. Any answer you hit will likely suffice.
But why are there so many reasons people get angry these days? The vast majority of it is manufactured, whether folks are aware of it or not. Anger is the easiest route to engagement, and engagement is what drives the economy of social media.
I’ve been victim to that myself — angry at something that I wouldn’t care two figs about in any other context.
When I come across something now that draws my ire, I have to ask, “Am I angry because I care about it, or am I angry because that’s how its designed to make me feel?” Most of the time, it’s the latter.
There are only two legitimate reasons to hate the logo.
One, because it just isn’t good. The design trend of the 2020s has been to simplify everything. Most brands have already done so without fanfare (likely intentionally, in hindsight).
The second reason is because people just plain don’t like change. I’ve seen that everywhere I’ve lived. Little things, big things, whether it is positive progress or not, get panned. If it’s new and different, and begs the question, What was the intent?
Is it an effort to be politically correct? Gasp. Is it a signal to the Illuminati that they’re ready to submit to their nefarious whims? Oh no. Do they have graphic designers on staff who need something to do until they figure out how to replace them with an AI automaton? More likely.
The point is, not every change has to be nefarious. Most of the time, it is solely the desire to improve the brand. But, like all things in our economy, it’s about the money grab. A stale logo becomes ineffective for engagement as time passes. Cracker Barrel promptly chucked that logo into the fires when they realized they would be going backwards in their efforts.
I know this is a monthsold issue, but I am working on a newspaper rebrand for another company, and the concern has been on my mind. Can something new and different even be universally loved anymore? Was it ever loved to start with?
I’m sure it makes every business owner looking for a refresh nervous.