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Identity Crisis: Black+Decker = Bleccher?

By Ray Hu - January 16, 2014

in Branding & Identity

Hear that dull whine in the background, the noise that sounds something like your neighbor using an impact driver down the hall? Close—its actually the reaction to the new logo for ~~Black & Decker~~ Black+Decker. Designed by Lippincott, the consultancy behind last year's well-received Stanley refresh, the verdict on the new look is rather less auspicious—over on Brand New (where Armin Vit took my first choice for a title), commenters have found it underwhelming. Some have noted the potential for a Tropicana trap, and indeed, the 'more personable' typography vaguely echoes that of Home Depot's 'house label' (har) HDX.

My own gut instinct was that the new identity falls somewhere between housewares genericism and maybe mid-market tech peripherals; too airy to compete with the likes of DeWalt, Bosch, Milwaukee, etc. (the former is a subsidiary of Stanley Black & Decker, which has not yet updated the logos on their website). Meanwhile, I felt that axing the ampersand in favor of a Phillips-head plus evoked not an architecture firm, as some have suggested, but housewares brand Black+Blum... whose oblique/lightweight logo would actually look pretty good in the latest Lippincott treatment.

Where the bold condensed letterforms of the old logo convey a certain no-nonsense utilitarianism, the orange-on-black aesthetic feels distinctly masculine in a way that feels radically different in white, as it appears on the vacuum cleaner.

Is it just me, or does the base look like an external hard drive?

Then again, that's precisely the point: According to Creative Review, the graphic design team at Lippincott worked closely with Black+Decker's product design team to arrive at an identity that complements the industrial design. The crisply rendered dustbuster, for one, is presumably the next generation of their Flex product line, and I couldn't help but notice that the before/after comparison of the drill and packaging depict strikingly different products. The old 18v handheld is a rather ho-hum, generic-looking power tool; the new one features Tron-worthy orange trim, a blocky battery unit that alludes to a tank tread, and a generally beefed-up form factor.

A last, forced pun: Does the new identity cast a hex on a storied brand, or is it a positive direction for the Towson, MD-based tool company?

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slippyfish

10 years ago

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They could have worked the hexagon in someplace, even a third read, in the logo (e.g. FedEx arrow).

Bummer to lose the ampersand in favor of a plus sign. There's a quaintness to it - maybe its not 'international' enough.

I really hope Stihl doesn't change their logo in response.
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Margaret

10 years ago

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Getting rid of the hexagon kills me. It's been an equity for over 80 years, it's part of the brand. So many brands are relying on type for logos and axing iconography, which just doesn't work. Especially with this case, where the type isn't unique. I get that they were targeting a different consumer with this, but it just becomes a generic brand rather than one with a heritage.
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NickO

10 years ago

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This isn't the font a graphic lock-up of my local hipster coffee shop? Maybe shoe shop? Oops sorry....

Well done B&D. Abandon years of recognizable design equity, notions of of utility, power, and dependability, and submit to vacuous hackneyed graphic design.
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Allen

10 years ago

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The new logo looks really plain. The packaging and logo does not evoke any emotion but cheap and generic. I see a bit of Dyson and other brands in the mix.
Why do these major brand throw the whole past out. There is no legacy of the past. I would like to understand the direction the with the use of the + symbol instead of &. If I was looking to buy a drill I might have to think about is this really a Black&Decker product.
I give them two weeks and the old logo will be back.

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jason

10 years ago

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I kinda like it because it looks less home depot and has a more classic and refined look, a feeling that the Braun logo also conveys. It definitely looks better on home appliances like that vacuum. The old logo was masculine and now its right in the middle. Safe, but classic, well balanced, and hopefully timeless.
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emanster provolone

10 years ago

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The new branding looks like they are trying to appeal to the younger, denim wearing, dont-really-know-how-to-use-a-powertool, tumblr hipster. Like they're trying to look like a homestyle hand-tool brand and not a corporate powertool powerhouse! A brand that looks just as good on a workbench as it does in a window display at Crate & Barrell. I dont know about you, but I like when brands for hardcore tools for real men looked BADASS and not all Muji-fied and watered down.
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Kevin

10 years ago

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It seems like they are attempting to aesthetically redesign their tools to fall more in line with their Dewalt brand of contractor quality tools.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Black_%26_Decker) The problem I see, is that instead of producing quality products at a lower price point than their higher quality Dewalt, they spend the time and energy to reinvent themselves with gimicks. Unfortunately this produces mediocre products that can not be maintained or serviced more than a few years. For instance Dewalt kept the same battery connection to their tools for something like 10 years before the recent update to the Max. If you are looking for a quick sell then this might work but if you want repeat customers, it will take years of quality design and consistency to win over the truly large purchasers. Last thing i need it for a tool/battery to die mid job and not be able to get parts.

*For the most part, my power tools are either Dewalt or Milwaukee
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C

10 years ago

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I think it evokes just as much 'I can't afford a real power tool brand' as much as the original. Dull and generic exactly what using it feels. So I would say it's a success.

If it did more then that I'd feel lied to.
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Rolando

10 years ago

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the new drill is based on the PC game Half Life
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