I Want My MTV Logo!
MTV has taken building interactivity and community into a brand strategy to the next level. They are giving their fans complete creative control over their branding. Today I came across this really cool website that allows people to submit their own version of the MTV logo, and if enough people like it, it will be used on the MTV website. How cool!
MTV’s brand strategy had a humble beginning. For those of you who haven’t noticed, MTV doesn’t really stand for “music television” as it once did. MTV is synonymous with “pop culture,” so why not choose a logo that represents the same.
Frank Olinsky, Pat Gorman, and Patti Rogoff, young independent designers at the time, created the first MTV logo. The original design consisted of a blocky 3-D “M” with a graffiti-scrawled “tv” on top of it. In the spirit of pure-nonconformity – rather than choosing “corporate colors” for the logo, they decided that the logo should always change, as music, art, and culture changes. Over time, it has changed size and style, but the fundamental logo design has stayed consistent. The ever-evolving design has kept the brand strategy current and trendy.
Now that’s what I call brilliant design!
Unfortunately, most businesses can’t do this, but the idea of keeping the structure of the logo the same and changing its colours is a unique design concept. Being able to keep your brand recognizable but always fresh is a powerful idea.
I agree. This strategy won’t work for every company but it fits perfectly with MTV’s image and business strategy. Pop culture changes over time. Rather than going through re-branding strategies over the years to keep up with the changing times, this logo allows them to stay consistent and hip at the same time. Thanks for the comment!