The folks at The Logo Company ask Should a Logo be Timeless? No. Logos aren't simply a memorable graphic or a visual of the brand they represent, they are also largely dependent upon the medium they're seen on and the technology to view them. An automobile logo is on print, on the web, and on the car… so it must be designed to both be representative of the brand and viewable in a complementary manner on all the mediums… and the grill of your motor vehicle.
Years ago, logo design incorporated how the logo would look like in black and white or on a fax machine… these aren't mediums we're concerned with nowadays. Logo styles mature over time as well, and it may be important to simply keep looking like a fresh brand. In the future, I'm quite confident that three dimensional, layered, or motion logos will become more prominent as our devices support them. There are ton of logo resources out there to keep up with how logos are progressing.
We recently updated our logo at DK New Media, from:
That version was a combination of the D and K in an image that was supposed to be indicative of an eye looking to the future. No one really got that, though, and jokes of Batman wings ensued. Our graphic designer, Nathan, took charge and developed a logo that represents us well. We take different, custom routes to drive results for our clients upward. The new logo:
Here are some evolutions of popular logos from The Logo Company:
I like Batman wings! But I like Star Wars X-Wing Fighters too. Are such associations necessarily a negative thing? Maybe, maybe not. I think gradients can add richness to a logo, but your new one DEPENDS on the gradient to communicate shape. That’s going to get you into trouble at smaller sizes, and if/when you need a black and white version.
And while I agree with the spirit of this article regarding the evolution of a brand logo, I think it’s funny you included Pepsi. Some might argue that the evolution of that brand has been motivated out of fear – grasping for a lifeline. I think the fact that they’ve changed it so many times emotes a sense of insecurity and self doubt. Whereas their primary competitor Coca-Cola has leaned on its brand through the ages. Change to the core brand has been incredibly subtle, and pop culture has adopted it as a slice of Americana.
My point is, while a logo doesn’t have to be timeless, you ought to strive for one that is. You can always change the messaging around it, but people take comfort and trust in confident brands, and scoff at those that aren’t. How do you fight consumer cynicism? Be authentic.
The YMCA logo’s are by no means an evolution – although they might need it. They are simply logos of different YMCAs or structures and as far as I can tell they’re all still in use.