(Photo : The Official Microsoft Blog)
Microsoft announced on Thursday the unveiling of a brand new logo for the company, ushering in what the company calls a "new era" or "evolution" of its brand.
Microsoft has not updated its logo for twenty-five years, but feels now is the perfect time to go about revamping its image. The new logo has been introduced as Microsoft reveals its plans for 2012-2013 in which the company will release new versions of their arsenal of products. Among them: Windows 8, Windows Phone 8, Xbox services and the next version of Office.
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"This wave of new releases is not only a reimaging of our most popular products, but also represents a new era for Microsoft, so our logo should evolve to visually accentuate this new beginning," Jeff Hansen, general manager of brand strategy for Microsoft said in a statement. "The way people experience our products are our most important 'brand impressions.' That's why the new Microsoft logo takes its inspiration from our product design principles while drawing upon the heritage of our brand values, fonts and colors."
The new Microsoft logo is made of two components, each chosen after careful consideration of what it is supposed to convey. The logotype, which uses the Segoe font, is the same font used in Microsoft products and marketing communications. The symbol, which Hansen describes as "important in a world of digital motion," is comprised of four squares of color that are intended to convey the diversity of Microsoft's portfolio of products.
Beginning today, Microsoft's Web site will feature the new logo. The logo was also unveiled in stores in Boston, Seattle's University Village and Bellevue, WA. The company says the logo will roll out to the rest of its stores over the coming year. Consumers can also expect to see it on global television ads and in product marketing.
"We're excited about the new logo, but more importantly about this new era in which we're reimaging how our products can help people and business throughout the world realize their full potential," Hansen said.
Andrew Kim, a Los Angeles-based design student apparently had similar ideas to use a new logo and branding ideas to elevate Microsoft into a new era. Kim set out to design an experiment in which he would update Microsoft's branding and imaging in three days.
"The next Microsoft is built around the belief and passion for the future," Kim wrote in his blog. "Innovation and progress is engraved into the culture and expressed to the public in a bold and mysterious fashion."
Kim has received much positive feedback about his project from a number of different and noteworthy sources. Among them: Mashable.com, The Verge, ReadWriteWeb, Fast Company, Business Insider and Slash Gear. You can view Kim's accomplishments and offer up your own comments by visiting his Web site minimallyminimal.com.
