Arek Dvornechuck
Branding Expert
Welcome to our annual list of the best logo redesigns and rebrands of 2023.
This year, many big brands have unveiled new rebrands—Some rebrands are big changes, and others are small updates, but all aim to make brands feel fresh.
From modern updates to classic revivals, these logo redesigns are sure to inspire and impress even the toughest critics.
The rebrands here represent the latest in branding and design this year—They show how brands try to relate to modern culture and reach new audiences.
In this article, we will go through my 8 picks for the top logo redesigns and rebrands of 2023, as well as explore the strategy and impact of these major rebrands.
So without further ado, let's get going.
The first on my list is the rebrand of Toblerone that was done by London, UK-based Bulletproof
Seemingly not a big change to the logo itself, but it is more about the whole visual identity system.
Toblerone is one of the most popular chocolate brands around the world, which is thanks to its distinctive triangular product shape and packaging
The new branding of Toblerone highlights its brand purpose “Be more triangle” in all of its visuals and messaging:
”Challenging conformity by empowering triangles in a sea of squares.”
Basically, the brand plays on that ethos trying to encourage people to dare to be different.
The new identity of Toblerone also includes a secondary script logo, Tobler—which speaks to the history of the company and its founder Theodor Tobler
I like the gold finishes on the packaging, which together with the secondary color palette and the custom typeface make the brand look more premium and upscale.
Overall, a beautiful brand identity that playfully leverages the distinctive triangular shape of the Toblerone chocolate bars.
Second, on my list is the rebrand of Instacart that was done by Wolf Ollins.
In case you don't know, Instacart is a very popular grocery delivery service in the US and Canada.
The company was founded about 10 years ago but experienced tremendous growth and fierce competition during the pandemic
As the business continues to grow and expand, Instacart needed to show that change.
The new branding can be pretty much summed up as:
“Grounded in Their Roots, Growing Into the Future”.
Back then, the brand chose a carrot symbol as its logo because it was fun, friendly, and approachable
However, now this carrot now turns into a much simpler icon—it's just a carrot top that also doubles as an arrow.
The new Instacart symbol stands for the fact that you can add anything to your cart (not just groceries).
I like how simple yet original the new icon is and how the team at Wolf Ollins was able to preserve brand equity and at the same time take it to the next level.
I encourage you to read the case study either on the agency's portfolio or on the official Instacart website
I really like the modern serif typeface that nicely complements the bold sans-serif wordmark.
I love how flexible the new symbol is—it works even as a tiny icon. (app icon, favicon)
The photography style illustrations are also on point—making it all come together to portray a unified brand image.
The 3rd is the totally new logo and identity (revolutionary change) for Hootsuite, done by Prophet
If you're not familiar, Hootsuite is the leading social media management platform—it basically allows you to schedule and post on social media.
Hootsuite used to be the pioneer and the leader in this category, but now they're facing strong competition.
The reason for the rebrand was to reassert their leadership position.
When we look at the old logo— it seems a bit too serious and gloomy in my opinion.
The Owly from the old logo becomes something totally different, more of a mascot.
The Owly expands into a full body with poses so it can be used in various applications—or as the team says, quote:
“Owly can now emote, react, and empathize.”
I like the way they went away from this boring flat icon—The new symbol is a bit goofy and drawn with a certain character to it.
I really like how the new logo is a bit weird and playful which in combination with pretty striking colors and a bit of funky typeface makes for a very distinctive brand identity
All of this makes Hootsuite break from the sea of sameness with a pretty brave rebrand (probably the biggest on my list).
The next rebrand on my list is Girl Scouts with the new logo designed by the New York office of COLLINS
For those who don't know, GirlScouts is a very popular youth organization for girls in the US.
The idea behind its existence is to basically “Prepare girls to meet the world with courage, confidence, and character”.
The reason behind the launch of the new visual identity can be described as:
“Reasserting the Girl Scout identity as a clear emblem of their mission.”
The problem here is that Girl Scouts work with many councils, and they all need to design communication pieces—each doing its own thing and therefore making the brand look very inconsistent
The main reason for the change was to unify the brand, set guidelines, and bring some clarity & consistency
The old logo as well as all other previous logos has always been using the trefoil symbol
The logo features the iconic trefoil symbol but without girls' faces in it—making it much more straightforward and flexible for use in brand identity.
While the font and primary colors basically stay the same, there's a huge update to the whole brand identity system.
A secondary color palette has been developed, together with a custom typefacephotography style brand illustrations, and more.
I also like the new set of shapes that can be used as building blocks for design and interactivity.
In my opinion, the new look & feel looks very appealing to young girls (it's very cool) so it will surely make them interested in joining the organization.
The 5th example on my list is the new symbol and new identity for Visa, done by Mucho
Visa probably needs no introduction—most of us know it as a credit card company.
This rebrand is actually more about just adding a new symbol and developing a better identity system rather than a typical redesign.
This is because the wordmark hasn't changed at all, however, here's a big update to the whole identity system.
One of the most important considerations when developing this new identity system was to create worldwide consistency for the brand.
“The new symbol brings the heart of the brand to the forefront”
Mucho developed what they call “Six Design Principles” to guide the team on how to develop things that will look “on brand”.
Basically, they brought back the old symbol that now is used along the existing wordmark—it works as a unifying symbol, similar to the overlapping circles of Mastercard.
I love the new corporate identity (see more images on Mucho's website), and how the symbol works with the wordmark to be used in various layouts and on different applications.
Also, a custom set of minimalist icons has been developed, together with a new photography style, a custom typeface (Visa Dialect), and more.
Overall, it's a pretty big step forward for Visa, and I love the brand refresh.
LG's newest rebrand was crafted by Wolff Olins, a renowned brand consultancy and design agency.
The rebrand included the introduction of a new 2D logo that incorporates nods, winks, and spins, symbolizing a playful and engaging spirit in LG's branding.
LG unveiled a new brand direction and visual identity aimed at engaging more customers, especially younger generations, and establishing itself as an iconic global brand.
The focus on being more lively and engaging, especially with younger audiences, makes sense for LG.
As a tech company, they need to continue attracting new generations of customers who respond well to relatable, interactive branding.
The new brand strategy emphasizes LG's core values of customer experience, human-centered innovation, and conveying warmth.
Retains the "Life's Good" slogan which encompasses how LG enables a better quality of life.
The new brand mission is "Innovation for a Better Life" focusing on shaping a better future.
Rolling out new visual identity and digital logo animations on all consumer touchpoints globally throughout 2023.
Using interactive brand symbols and colors on packaging, and marketing materials both online and offline.
It aims to strengthen LG's unique identity and evolve along with younger generations.
CEO highlights new strategy harmoniously blends innovation and warmth to make LG an iconic global brand.
Perplexity, an AI-powered search engine startup, unveiled a new brand identity and logo designed by Smith & Diction.
The rebranding aims to align with Perplexity's innovative technology and establish a distinctive brand image.
The logo is a minimalist asterisk icon representing Perplexity's commitment to transparency through footnoting search results.
It evokes layered meanings - flipping pages, windows, revolving doors.
The animated version has the icon spinning inside the search bar.
Paired with customized wordmark in FK Display font.
The latest branding also features a broader identity.
The color palette moves away from hyperlink blue into more refined dark blue and earth tones.
Grid systems and geometric shapes add visual interest to marketing materials.
The collage-style poster shows converging sources—Patterns and textures provide flexible brand assets.
The previous logo was ambiguous—The new logo better connects to Perplexity's mission.
Rebrand aims to craft an elegant and functional identity aligned with its tech.
It gives Perplexity a distinctive and modern aesthetics fitting its industry innovation.
Full rebrand rollout timed along with Perplexity's series A funding announcement.
Comprehensive application across digital properties, marketing, and packaging.
Dribbble unveiled a new logo and visual identity, moving away from its previous iconic script logo.
The rebrand signifies Dribbble positioning itself as a more professional platform while trying to maintain its creative roots - a challenging balance.
The Old logo represented Dribbble's beginnings as a community for sharing creative projects.
The new logo signals Dribbble as a professional platform and talent marketplace.
The change of logo aims to appeal to both casual creators and aspiring professionals.
The new logo design uses a stylized upright wordmark instead of the casual script logo.
Has a capital "D" for a more sophisticated look and angular letterforms with some soft curves, but loss of triple-"b" ligatures.
Aims for maturity and readability over the old logo's personality.
The new logo sacrifices some personality for maturity in order to appeal to this expanded audience and shift in identity.
Rebranding is essential as companies evolve and they must welcome new challenges and stay relevant
New branding helps companies position themselves and allows us, consumers, to understand what they offer, what their philosophy is, and what sets them apart from the rest.
There's no doubt that poor branding is counterproductive for companies and that an identity that does not represent the business well is doing more bad than good.
That's why it's important to review your logo and identity from time to time.
Here are some of the most common reasons why companies rebrand themselves:
In general, there might be many various reasons why companies embark on a rebrand.
However, before you embark on any type of design work, it's important to develop your brand strategy first.
Also check out my other article—How to Redesign a logo, where I walk you through my own logo redesign (the work I've done for my clients).
Need help with rebranding your business?—Start your project here
I hope that my list of the best rebrands of last year will bring you some inspiration for your own rebranding project this year 2023.
PS. If you want to find more rebrand case studies, I recommend you check out the Brand New blog
