Expedia Fails Horribly In Rebranding Attempt
Posted on 05. Jan, 2010 by George Ryan in Logo Design News
Launched in ’95, Expedia arrived on the online travel booking scene to give some competition to rival Travelocity (1995) and eventually put all independent travel agents out of work. Although I have never personally used Expedia, can’t even say for sure that I have been to their site, I can say that I do immediately recognize their logo, a cool little plane swooping around a 3d globe.
At least I used to be able to recognize it, until they made the decision to ‘blandify’ it by flattening the whole design and slapping a little clipart looking plane in place of the cool one we have all come to love. Now, I know that there is always resistance whenever a brand changes up it’s look, and usually it is just people not wanting to lose something they have formed a (somewhat) emotional attachment to, but I really think that, looking at the rebranding objectively, that it is a HORRIBLE move on Expedia’s part.
Paul Leonard, VP of brand marketing at Expedia, attempted to explain the reason for the change:
“We were striving for a more timeless and classic aesthetic,” he said. “It’s a little less whimsical and more sophisticated.”
— Seattle Times Article
The complete lack of anything interesting in the new logo is not the only problem with it. It is a really, really close imitation of Hotwire’s (an Expedia owned company) existing logo. So much for originality.
Author: George Ryan (18 Articles)
George is the founder of LogoDesign.org, as well as several other popular design related sites. George is a serial entrepreneur with a huge respect for the power that quality graphic design brings to a business. George lives and works in NY.
I have to completely agree with you. The original logo was unique and recognizeable. The new one is oh so forgetable in the sea of similar logos out there on the web.
“Forgettable” is oh so accurate…
Definite rip of Hotwire’s.
I hope they didn’t pay much for it.