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Think of your favorite brand or company, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? Probably the logo, in fact, if anyone mentioned any popular brand, the first thing you’ll think about is the logo.
Thinking about the logo can sometimes mean that the brand has a very strong visual identity since a brand’s visual identity consists of the logo and other factors, but not every strong visual identity has a strong logo. What distinguishes a brand from another is keeping a strong logo despite the rebranding and the evolution of the logo.
One of the international brands has kept its visual identity and logo memorized even though the logo has gone through many changes, this brand is Barbie.
A few days ago, Barbie was trending worldwide due to the release of the movie, which made us think, Did Barbie have a strong rebranding, or is the visual identity too strong?
What Is A Logo?
A logo is a symbol or the name of the brand that is used to promote it and makes it recognizable.
The logo is the most important part of the brand, it can be the reason the brand stays memorable or it can be the reason for its failure. There are many brands that received a huge attack due to their bad logo or sometimes stolen logo, as some brands tend to copy other brands but with a little bit of change in the details.
This is also why some graphic designers tend to dislike creating logos due to the debate they have with the clients.
As many brands changed its logo multiple times over the years, Barbie didn’t go through much rebranding, yet, whenever anyone mentioned Barbie, people remember it immediately with its logo, colors, and everything, which means they remember the visual identity of the brand not just the logo.
How Barbie’s Logo Developed Over The Years
The doll brand hasn’t changed its logo as much as the other brands did. Ever since 1959, the brand changed its logo 6 times, and the last logo is pretty similar to the first one.
1959 — 1975
Barbie’s first logo looked used a handwritten font and it was entirely in pink. The logo lasted for 16 years until 1975 when the brand completely changed it.
1975 — 1991
In 1975 the logo was modernized as it gave the sense of 3D and it was written diagonally and it was written in white with a pink outline.
1991 — 1999
1991 was the year the logo and the color changed, the brand went for a lighter pink, and “Barbie” was a bit simpler than before.
1999 — 2004
The brand kept the light pink colors but made some changes, the logo was written in italics with a slight bend to the right and it also appeared like a handwritten font just like the very first logo.
2004 — 2005
In 2004, the logo completely changed, the brand used a different shade of pink, different font, and added a little flower on top of the logo.
2005 — 2009
After just one year, Barbie kept the font but again changed the shade of pink and removed the flower on top.
2009 — Today
Barbie decided the get back to the original logo in 2009 and hasn’t made any changes ever since.
What Is Visual Identity?
A visual identity is the visible representation of a brand, which consists of the logo, the colors, the font, the website, and the physical stores’ design.
A strong visual identity can emotionally connect with consumers and can boost brand awareness and make people interested to buy the product.
In Barbie’s case, the brand used a feminine color to attract girls, since the product is female dolls.
Barbie’s Popularity: Is It The Logo Or The Strong Brand
Which one is stronger? The logo or the whole visual identity?
There are brands that are memorable due to its logo only and there are others that are memorable due to its whole visual identity. Barbie belongs to the second one.
Barbie has a very strong visual identity, when someone mentions the brand’s name, people instantly remember the dolls, the logo, the color, and even their childhood memories. The color pink has been Barbie’s color to the extent that when someone wears it, people would tell them they look like Barbie.
Therefore, the visual identity of the brand is the reason why Barbie is memorable; in fact, not many people would remember the changes the logo went through but they would remember how the brand is represented.
In the end, brand owners need to create a very powerful visual identity that has a very powerful logo; both are connected and they complete each other.
