Not All Brand Redesigns Are Trainwrecks

Like showing your mom a new neck tattoo, unveiling a brand redesign risks ridicule and disownment. No one knows this better than Cracker Barrel, Jaguar, and Tropicana—all of which faced fierce backlash after changing their aesthetics in ways that customers construed as betrayal.

But some brands have been able to pull off a makeover that satisfies most people’s sensibilities. So, here are some brands that landed a glow-up and kept their designers off the industry blacklist.

The English Premier League focused on its mascot’s mane: The world’s most-watched national soccer league was able to update its image for the 2016–2017 season without getting booed by fans. It zoomed in on the head of the lion from its original full-body lion logo, creating a streamlined brand symbol that’s still recognizable. While there was some grumbling from fans, designers cheered the change.

Dunkin’ dropped the Donuts: In 2018, the Munchkins purveyor seamlessly removed “Donuts” from its name and branding to reflect that coffee had supplanted sugary treats coworkers are always foisting on you as its main product. Positive buzz among Dunkin’ customers grew in the days following the rebrand, according to a YouGov survey.

Rolls-Royce wooed youths and women: In 2020, the bougie automaker smoothly switched lanes to signal that it’s a lifestyle brand instead of just a luxury car company. It swapped the double-R logo for the winged woman that appears on the hood of its cars, known as the Spirit of Ecstasy, making the logo version of the figurine sleeker and more aerodynamic. One design critic praised the switch-up for successfully carrying “the company’s sense of luxury into the digital age.”

Reddit glowed up to grow up: Redditors, who are known for strong opinions on any new development, didn’t downvote the site’s makeover ahead of its 2024 IPO. The famed design agency Pentagram unified Reddit’s previously scattered aesthetic, which it had accumulated over years of its user-centric, DIY approach to running the site. The result was a sleeker 3D version of its alien mascot (named Snoo), a more mature-looking logo, and a custom font.

Even eBay decluttered: After successfully redesigning its logo in 2012, eBay made its website less busy in 2024. The company gave it a more contemporary feel by reducing product and sidebar text, and added more white space in a bid to court younger shoppers. Fast Company commended the new look for following the best layout design practices “without appearing too cold to middle America.”—SK

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