Brand New is a blog with a smart idea – tracking the re-branding of corporate logos and their design. Moreover, it also parses out the corporation’s rationale from their press releases so that we can really understand how the new logo will be alter the course of history and improve said corporation’s fortune. At least that is what the marketing-speak would have us believe. Take for example the rebranding of Dairy Queen.

More than once the “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” adage applies to the logos we review on this site. But I think this one takes the crown for the least broken with the worst fixin’. Dairy Queen’s ellipse is one of the most highly recognizable marks, it is (was) unique, memorable and impactful. Despite this equity, Dairy Queen considered it was time to change and make the wrong moves in all the wrong places — from the press release: “The traditional logo is the foundation for the new one, a more symmetrical ellipse enhanced with gold and blue curved swishes signifying food and treats. The DQ lettering also has been updated to a font that is more current, adding greater personality.” The new mark has melted into a generic cacophony of unrelated forms (swishes! Italics! Bold!) and colors… Actually, in that respect, the new mark is the equivalent of Dairy Queen’s famous Blizzard treats: A jumbly mess.