Evolving an Iconic Brand: Floh Creative Rebrands OWN - The Oprah Winfrey Network - Brand Identity and Logo Design

Evolving an Iconic Brand: Floh Creative rebrands OWN: Brand Identity and Logo Design

The Challenge: Designing a Brand System to Be Future Fit

The key strategy of OWN as a global brand is to create meaningful connections with diverse audiences. A media landscape that is crowded, complex and challenging to capture a viewers attention demands simple, elegant and friendly design for both the team executing brand messaging and audience.

The original logo that launched OWN Network consisted of the letterforms that were bright and multi-rainbow colored. Each of the letterforms themselves was made up of multiple color gradients, which created a challenge right away for various marketing teams to execute the logo identity with consistency. In addition, the gradient letterforms made the logo hard to read, especially at smaller sizes and across multiple web, broadcast and print media platforms as well on various size computer hardware devices and mobile phones.

Long story short - the concept for the logo raised eyes and excitement in the presentation to network executives but proved too costly and time-prohibiting to execute in messaging so it was readable.

Discovery: Evolve. Create Balance. Be Human.

Since the launch of OWN with the multi-colored rainbow logo provided real-world feedback and challenges in execution, this information immediately informed the design thinking for the rebrand. OWN was a new media network without a track record yet, but it was grounded with the years of brand equity of it's founder, Oprah Winfrey.

The team at OWN wanted to capture this valuable brand equity and integrate it with the OWN Network. The launch logo had failed to accomplish this essential element. The additional goal was added to provide the aesthetic of the new design of OWN to be relatable and seen as a strategic part of the larger, overarching brand ecosphere. The potential was still there to bring in the existing audience, already in love with the Oprah Winfrey brand persona, and attract more viewers with the same interests.

The final letterforms for the OWN Network were hand-drawn to ensure their originality and uniqueness.

Form Follows Function. Have Fun. Be Beautiful.

Changing any brand is a hefty exercise. Changing an iconic brand with deep foundations takes careful timing and guided insights. The design thinking process must take the brand strategy, brand identity, design systems, voice, sound, and how the brand persona moves all into consideration to create a balanced and believable identity.

The first consideration was to design simplified letterforms that did not rely on color gradients. For this, 2D letterforms were hand-drawn, based on the boldness of the proportions of the launch logo.

Since the new logo would also serve as the network ID or "bug", proportions were examined against competitive logos to provide a design analysis required to maximize legibility. The final letterforms were executed in several sizes and weights for use on different platforms and in print executions.

Logo Execution: Iconic. Memorable. Expressive. Alive.

Additionally, the brand identity color palette required a full overhaul. Mary Ellen Schrock*, the designer of the rebranded logo explains, "We knew from the initial feedback from the OWN marketing team, a simplified color palette was essential. We wanted to retain the fun and friendly aesthetic feel, but make the letterforms easier to read, friendly, and evoke a natural beauty in their form alone."

For the color version of the logo, a golden light glow was added to the letterforms which transformed the new OWN Logo letterforms into a living persona. This persona comes to life in an expressive and joyful tone, much like Oprah Winfrey herself. The warm glow of golden light enlivens different audience personas with the Oprah they are familiar with, through a simple, light pass motion graphic animation.

Golden light versions of the OWN logo were rendered in static digital sizes, in vector, and in essential black and white versions. Adjusted proportion sizes were created for use in small spaces to ensure maximum brand recognition and consistency in appearance in all executions.

The color version of the rebranded OWN Network logo fills the letterforms with a golden, moving light.

An Iconic Logomark and Brand Identity is Born: Structure, Coherence, and the Ability to Make Connections

The final execution of OWN is a custom hand-lettered design with bold interactive, responsive and future ready letterforms and colors. Fully capable to differentiate OWN anywhere and personalized for everyone.

Mary Ellen Schrock envisioned simple, beautiful letterforms that function as the brand identity for OWN

The opportunity has been realized for the new OWN Brand Identity to deliver on the key strategy of the network: act a global brand to create meaningful connections with diverse, global audiences. A timeless, iconic classic identity and persona has emerged, filled with the aesthetic and as memorable as Oprah Winfrey.

Additionally, the new OWN Network Identity supports doing business at a fast pace full of deadlines. The 2D letterforms accomplishes the executional goal of being simple to execute timely and consistently in a demanding network environment, where it is necessary to manage the complexity of the brand experience across multiple media platforms.

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*Mary Ellen Schrock is the Chief Disruptor of Floh Creative. A bright, intuitive creative she has a passion for solving complex design and business challenges, and brand storytelling. Mary Ellen’s 20+ years of business strategy and creative problem-solving encompasses designing iconic brand identities and campaigns for Corporate, Fortune 50 and Entertainment studios in Hollywood. She iconic designs make up brand identities and brand systems for Coca-Cola, BMW, Nike, Oprah Winfrey, and Disney. She's been the creative force behind the successful brand launch campaigns for Lotus Cars, Disney - The Lion King Broadway, and Warner Bros. Entertainment.

Floh Creative partners with brands and businesses to build tools and deploy strategies to produce measurable results and grow business.

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