Hasta La Ideas

Ahead of a major rebrand, Yahoo! is to release a different version of its logo every day for the next 30 days, preparing users for the change ahead

An official new Yahoo! logo is to be launched on September 4. Ahead of that, according to chief marketing officer Kathy Savitt, “we will display a variation of the logo on our homepage and throughout our network in the US for the next month. It’s our way of having some fun while honouring the legacy of our present logo.”

The project, named 30 Days of Change, will feature a reworked logo each day (Day One’s is shown above) which will be posted on the brand’s Tumblr and Facebook page, as this video illustrates.

As for the new logo, Savitt says it “will be a modern redesign that’s more reflective of our reimagined design and new experiences…. We also want to preserve the character that is unique to Yahoo! – fun, vibrant, and welcoming – so we’ll be keeping the color purple, our iconic exclamation point and of course the famous yodel. After all, some things never go out of style.”

What’s really interesting here is Savitt’s use of the phrase “To get everyone warmed up, we are kicking off 30 days of change” in her statement. Ever since the online outrage over Gapgate, brands have become increasingly nervous about new identity launches. A lot has been written about the need to get consumers onside, prepare them for change and lessen the shock of the new.

This project looks to be very much in that vein, getting Yahoo! customers used to the idea of change, showing them how the logo might evolve and bringing them along on the ride.

Let’s see what happens when the final version launches.

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