–Dan Kelly, Attorney
Over the years, we have documented a number of branding trends, from blue ovals, to the 3D trend, to our AlphaWatch. With its recently announced new logo, Microsoft appears to be bucking all trends. Without further ado, here it is:
Did you catch that? I know. Blink and you miss it. Look, I will freely confess my bias: I don’t care for Microsoft products. To me, this logo reinforces what the brand communicates to me: square, flat, and boring. But I’m not here to rail on Microsoft — an obviously successful company that clearly knows things about branding and computer software. I’m here to ask whether this cements a new-ish trend. See, look at these:
Is there a developing trend of logos using the three primary colors plus green? Susan and others have examined color issues here (more here). These logos are located in the center of Nora Reed’s color wheel. It also seems to me–and this may simply be the power of suggestion–that in the world of logos that use four colors, there are many more primary + green logos than either primary + orange or primary + purple logos. I would not be surprised if there is a 101 explanation in the creative arts for this phenomenon, but not having formal schooling in these fields, I am at a loss.
It is also worth noting that several of these marks are embracing the lowercase trend that Steve has repeatedly blogged about (collected here), although Microsoft does not.
Microsoft’s refresh also cements its commitment to Not Be Apple, which opts for a colorless or greyscale palette when it comes to branding, although Microsoft’s home page has migrated towards the white background that has defined Apple for so long, but without the same use of white space nor the soft edges and slight drop shadows that soften the appearance of Apple site.
As time permits, I will update with other logos with the primary + green scheme.