Over time, every brand needs a refresh, even if itâs to catch up with prevailing trends to remain contemporary or remind consumers that you’re alive and well. Brands that donât want to wither away and die need to interject relevance, build relationships, and, yes, contribute to the cultural conversation.
A change-up is also a way for a brand to garner some attention, which can, unfortunately, inspire refreshes for refreshâs sake with very little substantive change. A good update should serve a specific purpose and be an opportunity maximized.
This year saw several brands with a heritage based on racially inappropriate imagery loudly announce an upcoming redo, many as a result of the Black Lives Matter movement, starting conversations about deeply embedded systemic racism in private and public institutions beyond the justice system. We saw racist mascots such as Land Oâ Lakesâ indigenous maiden and Uncle Ben get the ax. The Washington Football Team started the current NFL season absent its long-heldâand defendedââRedskinâ mascot and moniker, playing nameless, as they have yet to debut their new branding.
