Kodak refreshes identity with retro-inspired logo

The new logo returns to a variation of the red and yellow marque originally used by Kodak during the 1970s and 1980s.

kodaklogo

Kodak has redesigned its logo for the first time in a decade, opting to bring back a similar iteration of the “iconic” Kodak K first introduced in 1971.

New York-based studio Work-Order has designed the new identity, which features a graphic red K symbol set against a yellow background.

But unlike the 1971 and 1987 iterations of the logo, which saw the word “Kodak” positioned horizontally within the red K, it is now written vertically within the new version.

Inspired by founder George Eastman

The new ident sees a marked change from Kodak’s most recent logo update, which had been used since 2006 and featured the company’s name in a red, sans-serif typeface with a yellow underline.

Kodak’s vice president of global brand and creative, Danielle Atkins, says a big part of the inspiration behind the redesign was looking back at the heritage of the brand and the story of Kodak’s founder, George Eastman, “weaving his vision back into the brand.”

Atkins says the decision to bring back the Kodak K was validated when the company carried out brand recognition research, revealing that 58% of respondents recognised the brand from the outline of the logo alone.

“Respectful to the legacy of the brand”

“We wanted to let the logo be new again,” says Work-order partner, Keira Alexandra. “We were extremely careful to be respectful to the legacy of the brand, honouring the science and creative vision of Kodak.”

The announcement comes as Kodak today revealed its Ektra smartphone, which operates on the Android operating system and has a 21-megapixel fast focus camera.

Available from December, the brand’s first smartphone will offer DSLR functionality and 4K video capture, retailing at £449.

The new logo has now been rolled out across Kodak’s digital channels, and is also embossed onto the back of the Ektra smartphone.

kodak
kodak5
kodak6
Hide Comments (9)Show Comments (9)
Comments
  • Ali October 20, 2016 at 6:45 pm

    I think the old one is better than the latest

  • AB October 21, 2016 at 11:04 am

    So basically they are usin their old logo again. Nice work if you can get it.

  • CG October 21, 2016 at 11:49 am

    “58% of respondents recognised the brand from the outline of the logo alone” – Hardly surprising given that it was the identity for over 34 years (that’s a long time to generate brand recognition) and at a time when Kodak was an industry leader before digital & camera phones…

  • Michael Wolff October 21, 2016 at 3:54 pm

    It’s good to see Kodak’s glorious yellow back. But the stacked letters?
    U
    G
    H

  • Kyle@Brandcouver October 22, 2016 at 7:17 am

    This is a great move on behalf of Kodak. The word mark was fine but this revival really capitalizes on the equity of the brand and is itself much stronger. Time will tell how the stacked letters perform–I suppose they really wanted to do at least something different…perhaps at the expense of readability. Welcome back Kodak.

  • Ian Bruce October 24, 2016 at 7:52 am

    I’d never noticed the logo they’ve apparently had since 2006… so it makes sense to use “the one people recognise”

  • DC October 25, 2016 at 7:59 pm

    The vertical type is a pointless add-on that serves no purpose other than to claim it has been ‘refreshed’.

    The logo itself is still recognisable and on all of the products the logo seems to either feature without the type as a stand alone element or is featured alongside the company name anyway (as above)!

  • Darren Shakespeare October 25, 2016 at 8:30 pm

    Not overly convinced on the new marketing material but, reviving the old logo makes perfect sense. The previous was weak and felt way too ‘playskool’

  • Colin Lane October 31, 2016 at 3:34 pm

    The stacked letters look optically incorrect with the A and K shifted to the left -should have left it out.

  • Post a comment

Latest articles