New logo: Rutube

Rutube is, as one might guess, a Russian website that allows users to post videos, very much built as "the Russian YouTube". A few years after its foundation it was bought by Russia's largest media group, the state-controlled Gazprom Media, and has thrived commercially under that ownership. This week, it unveiled a new logo that will launch in June.

Continuing its emulation of succesful American social websites, Rutube hired Cuban Council, the agency that came up with the logo for Facebook. And the result is arguably very similar, a simple wordmark set in humanist/geometric typeface. Except Rutube uses a red background colour where Facebook is using blue.

The typeface is custom-made and is called RuNew.

New logo: Repsol

Repsol is a major Spanish oil and gas company with activities around the world, although it has most of its operations in Spain and Argentina. In the latter country it recently suffered a major setback when the state decided to nationalise its subsidiary, YPF. Yesterday, May 29, Repsol unveiled a strategic plan for 2012-2016, and took the opportunity to also unveil a new corporate identity.

The new logo is a further rejuvination of a corporate identity originally conceived by Wolff Olins in the late 80s. Before that, the name was used for a lubricant brand. It featured a sun, as a symbol for energy, and some lines that added "strength and movement". It was updated and simplified in 1997.

Now, the logo has been given a 3D treatment, and the colour white has permanently replaced the blue part of the symbol. The company has also adopted a custom-made typeface.

The stated aim of the refresh is to gain visibility and reflect a new vision. No specific agency has been credited, but a press release states that the rebrand project "was carried out by Repsol employees as well as external public, providers, image experts, investors, journalists and opinion leaders and is the result of a rigorous process which began in 2011".

The new identity was launched yesterday, and will be implemented across the company, including its service stations, over the coming months.

New logo: Australian Associated Press

Australia's national news agency, the Australian Associated Press (AAP), announced a new corporate identity last week, on May 24. The new symbol is "a stylised ribbon that represents the 24/7 flow of breaking news for which AAP is renowned". Melbourne agency Charles Elena Design designed the new branding, while Tempo Partners get a consultant credit.

The rebranding is part of streamlining of AAP's many product brands, and involved giving many of them new names. The different divisions now all use the symbol, but with colour coding that allows them to be easily identified.

AAP says rebranding is the "largest overhaul of the existing corporate image in nearly 25 years". It should be fully implemented in June.

New logo: BeIN Sport

Last year, the Qatari media group Al-Jazeera put in a somewhat surprising bid for Ligue 1, the top division in French football, and ended up winning several matches. To have a place to screen these matches, the company is setting up two new premium sports channels. In February it was reported that they were going to be named beIN Sport. The logo was unveiled shortly after that.

BeIN Sport 1 launches on Friday, June 1.

New look: NOS Journaal

NOS, which stands for Nederlandse Omroep Stichting, is a public broadcaster in the Netherlands. Created in 1969, it is responsible for news and sports on Dutch public radio och TV. Yesterday, May 27, it introduced a new design for its flagship news programme, NOS Journaal.

NOS' previous look was launched in December 2005 and created by the British agency Lambie-Nairn. Based on a concept called "the hub of news", Lambie-Nairn built the new look around a red ring, also taking the place of the O in the logo.

The new look reaffirms the confidence in the red ring, making it the focal point in the intro. NOS are also getting a new studio set design. The music is a re-arranged version of the music used before 2005.

New logo: Polycom

Polycom is an American company that describes itself as "the global leader in open standards-based unified communications" and manufactures different solutions in telepresence, such as video conferencing. Last week, on May 24, it launched a new corporate identity.

The company says its previous identity was introduced in 1992. The interlocking triangles were perhaps inspired by the company's triangluar speaker phone. The company says it was replaced because it had "come to symbolize the voice-driven, hardware-oriented solutions that only represent a small part of our total offering". The new logo features "three fluid, transparent, elliptcial arcs, symbolizing connection, mobility, information sharing and collaboration".

New logo: Exelon

Exelon is major American energy utility headquartered in Chicago. Yesterday, May 24, it unveiled a new corporate identity to mark a recently completed merger with Constellation Energy. It is described as a "modern, dynamic and progressive emblem that better represents the new company".

"The new logo depicts the company name beside a symbol inspired by a flag to represent that Exelon is leading the charge. The flag has three colors inspired by Exelon’s commitment to progress, customers and sustainability. It features parallel lines to reflect the many businesses, stakeholders and perspectives working toward a common goal: driving progress for the customers and communities that the Exelon family of companies serves."