I also just read the article (thanks to a link from Kathleen Tinkle on DesktopPublishingForum.com).

It's a little disconcerting that this somehow is part of a new corporate trend in homogeneous branding via "marketingspeak". Sort of reminds me of the explosion of high-tech engingeering firms of the '80s when EVERY logo was either in Helvetica or Eurostile/Microgramma.

'Leap ahead' seems to me a most unfortunate tag line. 'Ahead' suggests a highway warning of some kind, that one is going to encounter something ahead if one keeps going. And what is one going to encounter? A leap. What kind of leap? A leap over something? Alarming, but presumably survivable. Or a leap into something? An abyss perhaps.

I like the notion of making one logo combining the feeling of the old but ugly "Intel Inside" mark withe the basic intel logo to create one brand. I actually like the new type except for the "e" which looks like straight AG and does not marry well with the rest. I do miss the dropped positioning of the e but wonder if it would work in that new configuration.
The big thing is that, branding speak aside, I don't think it shows any "change in direction" or any of the tired old "feeling of movement".
It seems like in today's world, you "rebrand" every 30 days whether you need it or not--kinda makes the Vice President for Marketing feel very important.

ChrisL

i think it is time for some of these executives to get their heads out of their asses and start opening their minds to the kinds of things that innovative design consultants have to offer these days. there is so much talent in the design community and some of the biggest, most influential companies are letting their indentities go down the toilet with these tired, overused design clichés. i am totally blown away and left with a feeling of great disappointment.

i recently reviewed the threads here and on Speak Up regarding the AT&T (or at&t) rebrand and although that was controversial, this brings us to a new low. i'm sorry, but the fact that a company like this will go for something this bad is bad for us all.

Chris– i agree about the fact that ego plays a huge role in most of these re-brands. i just hope that some of these corporate big wigs start to realize that good strategy and good business are more important things to take pride in.

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nc

Nick,
I fear the marketing and PR firms have taken over the branding business. Many of them make their money from the testing and the hooplah of the rollout. The less they spend on the actual design, the bigger their profit.
It is kinda like spraying "New Car Smell" from a can only this is "New Logo Smell" fired out of their can :-)

ChrisL

>new logo smell!

i love it! where can i buy a can?? seriously though…

my girlfriend is in PR and i am a graphic designer which i believe is a powerful combination when things are executed with harmony. the insight that we are providing eachother is immense. however, we are still too young in our careers to do any damage.

some day though…

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nc

Blue needs to be reinvented.

In the past year I've inherited two identity systems that are rooted in blue. It's such a nameless color. Especially near-cyans.

At least it's not orange.

what the heck is wrong with orange???
: )

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nc

My problem with rebranding isn't with the look(s) but with the implementation. You have to change packaging, signs, stationary etc. Its a huge task and needs to be planned because it takes time and a lot of money. Look at UPS it took them a couple of years to just get their trucks converted to the new logo. So change for change sake is a huge mistake.

http://www.37signals.com/enormicom/

An older logo (1995ish) from a friend's Internet consulting group for entrepreneurial startups.

Stephen: You are so right.

Dan: If the cost is huge because of complexity and replacement, it means that the logo should be awesome and not just poor typography with a swoosh. In blue. Change for change's sake is inded a huge mistake, even if that change is intended to be the harbinger of the future. Indeed if this IS the harbinger of the future, then buy AMD stock now.

Nick: I think you are bang on about PR and Graphic Design being a formidable combination.

While I never really like the 'Intel Inside' logo and swoop, I always thought the 'intel' logo with the dropped 'e' was pretty cool and it always seemed both friendly and technical to me.

The new logo suffers from an unmatched e and a swoop and its blueness.

It's too bad.

Focus group addiction is killing everything.

any idea what font family Intel is using for the new graphics splashes on its web site?

I happened to post about the new Intel font at The FontFeed yesterday. It's a modified combo of Neo Sans and Neo Tech.

Took a look at the post in FontFeed Stephen. Thanks!

Jon

Man. I am heartbroken.

The R&D guys at our bigshot ad agency assured as that we could own this look. And to think, after we spent all that money, Intel goes in and swooshes in right before we get a chance to officially unveil it.

Gutted.

Haha, nice work Jared! Taking over for Chris in the humor dept. I see ;-)

Don't worry Jarred, you can always use this one instead:

ChrisL

Maybe it's me, but "Just kern it!" sounds like an insult you'd holler while flipping someone off in traffic. Or maybe rather, "Go kern it!"

But then it would not resemble "Just do it" campaign slogan?

ChrisL

> But then it would not resemble “Just do it” campaign slogan?

I know, I know ...

Take a look at the crap kerning on the Intel homepage....

http://www.intel.com/homepage/pix/leapAhead/leapAhead_main.jpg

I don't believe I've seen kerning that bad in a while

PS: I'm looking for branding and design projects in Melbourne. Email amicusstudios@netspace.net.au Cheers

Daniel,
Take a look at the link Stephen posted above, there is a brief discussion of the font and the kerning in that image.
http://www.fontshop.com/fontfeed/archives/2006/01/in_use_neo_sans.cfm

Here's the new logo... just in time to be fresh.

Lovin' it Joe!

ChrisL

Joe,

I think this will make Typophile look pretty cool and it will always seem both friendly and technical to me.

Jon

Joe,
I think your logo will help break the Typophile image of being kind of reserved and scholarly and instead make us lokk, well, Chipper! :-)

ChrisL

Even worse than the fuzzy aspiraional ambiguity of the "leap", the power of "Intel Inside" was its presumption of superiority. They are practically conceding their leadership position to AMD through this change in the language.

But I digress. I always liked the drop-e ... maybe something to do with it creating such a distinct word contour.

-Nicholas