From 1999: Intel Play by Sapient

Intel Play was a line of advanced toys developed by toy maker Mattel and chip maker Intel. According to a press release, the toy line would combine "the power of PCs and the 'magic' of toys into a new generation of interactive play".

The line was announced on February 3, 1999, initially consisting of two toys that were both PC peripherals: the X3 Microscope and the Me2Cam, a microscope and webcam, respectively.

The brand identity for this toy line was developed by Sapient, one of the hottest marketing consultancies in the dot-com era. It included a friendly "Play" logotype and a special version of Intel's trademark audio logo.

Leveraging the tech-oriented Intel brand to market a line of toys is a curious strategic choice. Presumably, the Intel brand gave the toys some credibility to parents as having educational value. Microsoft had launched a similar PC-related toy called ActiMates a few years earlier. Scattered press reports suggests the Intel Play products were well reviewed, but they didn't succeed financially and the brand was retired around 2002.

Traditionally modern refresh for Aladdin chocolates

Aladdin is a traditional Swedish brand of chocolate pralines that is sold in high quantities around Christmas. It is sold by confectionery company Marabou (part of Mondelez International) and has been around since 1939. Last October it revealed a new package design, its eighth in as many decades.

The redesign sought to be both more modern while also enhancing the feeling of tradition. The messy background was replaced by more impactful diagonal stripes.

Swedish publisher Forum rebrands for anniversary

Bokförlaget Forum is a Swedish book publisher for original and translated books in both fiction and non-fiction, generally seeking out books that are important to the here and now. It belongs to the Bonnier group, the largest publishing house in Sweden.

Founded in January 1944, they are celebrating their 75th anniversary this year. In anticipation of this, they revealed a new logo in November last year, according to a Facebook post. The new logo is a simple shaded square, white an optional orange background colour.

A new take for French-Canadian channel Prise 2

Prise 2 (meaning "Take 2") is a French-Canadian TV channel which shows older series and movies from Quebec and the United States. Last December it launched a new look.

According to a press release, the new look "represents the evolution of the channel" while also "retaining it's primary mission".

Logo round-up: December 2018

People generally don't want to rebrand in December, and last month the crop was unusually meagre, with only about 20 new logos included in the logo round-up.

Kurppa Hosk gives Axfood a modern identity

Axfood is a major Swedish grocery company, owner of national chains Hemköp and Willys. The company was formed through a merger in the year 2000 and has been using the same logo since that merger until today, when a new one was revealed, developed by Stockholm-based Kurppa Hosk.

The new look is intended to convey how Axfood is a modern and progressive corporation with a "strong, timeless and relevant" wordmark. Axfood functions as a corporate brand and is therefore scaled down and simple, as opposed to consumer-facing retail chains that are more expressive.

Year in review 2018

Here's my summary of identities introduced during 2018. It includes about 100 noteworthy and/or interesting projects compiled from a list of more than 600 entries collected over the past year.