Kodak’s New Logo

For the sixth time and joining the recent rebrandings of Intel, at&t and Visa, Eastman Kodak Co. is introducing a new corporate logo designed to help the company forge a new image as a cutting-edge, 21st century innovator.

The box is gone, thus simplifying the logo mark. Above and below the rounded type font are two yellow bars. In my point of view Kodak is giving up a very recognizable logo and replacing it by a non-distinct one.

Update: The yellow horizontal bars that originally accompanied the logo image have been removed, as they are not officially part of the logo. However, the yellow will still be part of the overall identity and implementation.

Kodak.com writes:
The rounded type font and distinctive “a” give the Kodak name a more contemporary look. “We want to break out of the box, in a lot of ways,” says Betty Noonan, director of brand management and marketing services at Kodak.

Although it gives the company a more contemporary look it also feels less catchy. The distinctive a will not help much. An enhancement to the one from 1987 might have been wiser but Kodak’s intention was to make the logo flexible enough to apply in new ways and new venues across varied businesses. So expect to see more “non-standard” equipment like internet enabled picture phones as announced at the CES.

More Comments from the typophile forum:
“unbelievable. how can a company discard a good, well-known sign for something as non-distinct (and typographically mediocre) as the new sign.”

“I think Kodak is running scared. The film and processing business made billions for them but they are bit players in the new digital world. Photo CDs are old hat with web sources dominating the stock image market. Where is their niche?”

Evolution of the Kodak brand logo

1987 – A more contemporary type font was used to streamline the Kodak name within the existing logo.

1971 – Kodak adds more complexity to the mark. It still had red and yellow and the Kodak name, but a box and graphic “K” element is added.

1960 – The corner curl is introduced.

Circa 1935 – Focus moves to the Kodak name and the red and yellow trade dress color.

Circa 1907 – Kodak is the first company to integrate its name and look into a symbol.