Yell rebrands as hibu

The Yell Group is set to be renamed hibu, with the new identity created by Landor.

Hibu

 

The Yell Group, which operates the Yellow Pages and Yell online in the UK, as well as a portfolio of brands around the world, is to adopt the hibu name internationally as its corporate identity and for all consumer-facing activities, although all hibu’s print products will continue to be sold under their existing names.

According to Yell, the new hibu brand is built around the positioning of ‘connecting communities’ and also reflects the company’s increasing focus on the digital consumer.

A statement from Yell says, ‘Communities are built on the connections people make and people are connected at the heart of the hibu logo.

‘The identity utilises typography with soft shouldered edges like the human body and coloured dots represent the people behind the identity, diversity, connections and conversation.

‘By using bold lower-case typography with soft edges we project a human and approachable company.’

The new name and branding will be taken on subject to shareholder approval at Yell’s annual general meeting on 26 July.

Landor was appointed to the work last autumn following a pitch, and was tasked with reviewing Yell’s global portfolio of brands and creating a consistent international message.

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Comments
  • Richard Holt November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    Awful. If they weren’t in trouble before, they are now.

  • Jason Hunt November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    Couldn’t agree more @richard! Yell is following Yahoo into onscurity. Which is fine.

  • Andrew Budell November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    Not sure if this is a keeper. Font seems a little forced, and just seems like they’re jumping on the social band wagon with all the colour accents (Obvious colour segmentation = consistency). I can just imagine how it will look once the collateral is released. I expect better things from Landor.

  • Gopinath Kandukuri November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    Great Job done by Landor!!! Thanx for giving us an awesome “Logo’ – Gopinath K

  • James November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    Does the new name with addittion of ü (Umlaut) suggest that the Yellow Pages is giving up on the UK market?

    Either that or it’s a tribute to heavy metal, röck döts as in Mötley Crüe!

  • ashishsainik November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    Why such strong reactions!
    The name does sound shocking and especially when you know that a name like Yell is rebranded to “Hibu”! but that was the point.
    A company does not necessarily have to be in trouble to be rebranded as some of you have suggested. The traditional paper directory business is taking a giant leap to digital media and that is why they needed to rebrand it.
    And this would not be the first time when you have heard of an outrageous brand name, here are some now very famous brands but surely when they first came out similar reactions would have been noticed.
    Fubu, Fcuk, Gucci, Mango ( a fruit name for clothes!!), Faygo, 7up, Virgin Mobile, Micro – Soft (Really!), And the top most brand in today’s world in digital world “Apple”

  • ashish sainik November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    Why such strong reactions!
    The name does sound shocking and especially when you know that a name like Yell is rebranded to “Hibu”! but that was the point.
    A company does not necessarily have to be in trouble to be rebranded as some of you have suggested. The traditional paper directory business is taking a giant leap to digital media and that is why they needed to rebrand it.
    And this would not be the first time when you have heard of an outrageous brand name, here are some now very famous brands but surely when they first came out similar reactions would have been noticed.
    Fubu, Fcuk, Gucci, Mango ( a fruit name for clothes!!), Faygo, 7up, Virgin Mobile, Micro – Soft (Really!), And the top most brand in today’s world in digital world “Apple”

  • ashish sainik November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    The name does sound shocking and especially when you know that a name like Yell is rebranded to “Hibu”! but that is the point. The traditional paper directory business is taking a giant leap to digital media and that is why they needed to rebrand it.
    And this would not be the first time when you have heard of an outrageous brand name, here are some now very famous brands but surely when they first came out similar reactions would have been noticed.
    Fubu, Fcuk, Gucci, Mango ( a fruit name for clothes!!), Faygo, 7up, Virgin Mobile, Micro – Soft (Really!), And the top most brand in today’s world in digital world “Apple”

  • Hibu Bubu November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    wtf??? Well I expect the agency is really chuffed with selling this pathetic ‘word art’. Instantly forgettable…….

  • David Bartholomew November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    According to today’s Telegraph (Business, front page), Mike Pocock, chief executive, admits the name is meaningless. The company has also warned of “material uncertainty” about its future.

    Says it all, really.

  • Don November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    hibu? Really? Give it a month. It’ll be rebranded to bybu.

  • Ian West November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    Am I being cynical or does this smack of the college project where you write the design rationale after drawing the logo?

  • Liz November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    The vision for the future goes well beyond the rebranding! Very proud to be a part of the GLOBAL COMPANY!!!!!!

  • Lucy November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    Oh dear, I agree with Richard’s comment.

  • martin hall November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    I hate how people always judge an identity by the logo on here, the logo is only part of an identity, it’s about everything that is built up around that and how it is used, it would be more useful if images of the logo in situ were published or snippets of the branding in action

  • Periscope November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    Interesting to read the comments about this logo. I was quite fond of the original Yell logo and name and this seems to be a pretty extreme rebrand! But I do see the need, as they need to leap into the digital age with a new identity or get lost in the ‘olden days’ fog.

  • Willie November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    I didn’t like the logo at first, but now I think it’s cute. We’ll see how they market it, once the shareholders approve it. That will be the true test. You never know how the general public may respond to a new idea, product, or image.

  • james price November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    If hibu manages to gain the same recognition status as those walking fingers then it will enter the hall of fame.
    It is,1. young, 2 friendly. perhaps then someone or thing that you might want to know more about.
    Esso became Exxon. Holding onto an old model while building a new one sure does take great spirit. Good luck

  • David Bartholomew November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    It has been announced today that Yell (Hibu) shares are worthless.

  • dave buin November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    web site has not worked since hibu took over killing my business and just empty promisis of it will be fixed by weekend it just says contact hibu on hold bin the same for month with no help each time i ring same responce it will be fixed for friday

  • Darren Collins November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    I didn’t see this article before, but recently noticed the bus shelter poster campaign around Southsea, Hampshire.

    Have to say, I’m impressed by the campaign.

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