5th Place: MTV

MTV isn’t just about music anymore. The last couple of years, the company has moved into a different direction. Because the logo needed to express what MTV is about today, they dropped the ‘music television’. The new logo is simpler and has a better fit with the MTV brand. I wouldn’t call it a redesign, but rather an evolution. A complete overhaul of the logo might be too difficult. I know that some people hate this redesign, but I actually like it.

4th Place: Discovery Kids

I’m sure you’ve heard about the Discovery Network before. Discovery Kids is one of their channels that focuses on science and nature shows for kids. What some people might not know is that there’s a brand extension in the form of kids toys. One of the challenges of this redesign was to make the Discovery Kids logo work on TV and on Toys.

The first thing you’ll notice is that the Discovery Kids logo is in line with the other brands of the Discovery Network. In this case however, the designers opted for a more child-friendly look. I really like the way this logo came out: it fits a TV channel for children perfectly but it’s not too childish. I also like the way the ‘o’ of Discovery is used for the ‘i’ in Kids. Don’t forget to take a look at a package example on the Brand New website.

3rd Place: Arts United

Arts United is one of the oldest non-profit arts funds in the U.S. In August 2010 they introduced a new logo. Their goal was to demonstrate the collaborative nature to enrich the community by making art a vital part of our lifestyle.

That’s why they created this lovely monogram. Some monograms can be hard to ‘read’, but this one is clear and simple. Another major advantage of the monogram is that they didn’t have to use gradients. Too bad their website isn’t of the same quality. All in all I think this is a big improvement from the original. The logo and type look great, and their business cards are even better.

2nd Place: Metro Area Transit

The Metro Area Transit is the local bus system for the city of Omaha. The old logo didn’t look very attractive and it looks like it was designed in 1945. Enter Oxide Design… Oxide Design’s objective was to create a safe, clean, consistent, convenient and modern brand identity. They needed to bring MAT into the new millennium.

First of all they chose a new name. For outsiders, it’s probably unclear what MAT means. The new name is much more to-the-point. The next step was to create a kick-ass logo for this new brand. They opted for a slightly slanted logo to create a sense of speed. What’s even better is that the logo is so recognizable that it can be used on its own. The proposed bus design looks good too.

1st Place: Time Warner Cable

Time Warner Cable (TWC)  is the second largest cable provider in the United States. TWC is the result of a merger between Time Inc. and Warner Communications. Their new identity was designed by The Brand Union.

The eye & ear symbol is at the heart of this identity. The goal of this redesign was simplicity and recognizability. In my opinion, they have succeeded. The new logo is much cleaner and less cluttered than the original. Other visual elements of this company’s identity, such as business cards and shopping bags, look stunning as well. For more information about this great redesign, visit the Brand New page.

Honorary Mention: GAP

I’m sure you’ve read about GAP’s re-branding. It was probably one of the most controversial redesigns of 2010. The new logo irritated fans, spurring them to complain about it online. Just one week after the redesign, GAP switched back to the old logo.

I know you might be wondering why this gets an honorary mention in this list. Frankly, I think the whole process of designing a new (but ugly) logo and then switching back the the old one, is brilliant. This way the company gained a lot of exposure online and offline. People were talking about it on Twitter, Facebook, discussion boards… The number of conversations about the brand skyrocketed. And just as Brendan Behan said; “there’s no such thing as bad publicity”. Was this a genuine redesign, or just a hoax? Who knows…

Your Thoughts…

What do you consider to be the best logo redesign of 2010? Post a comment and share it with the rest of us!