Liam and I saw this logo on the back of a van this morning. We could not believe it. WTF?! What kind of bad bad drugs were the people who came up with this doing? Did no one ever say “Oh, yes, that’s nice but I wonder if some people may think it looks like we’re pouring blood over the earth or depicting environmental disaster?” And what’s up with the take-over-the-world overtones? Until today, I associated the Sherman Williams name with good quality paint. No longer.
These people have been in business since 1866. You think they’d have more communications savvy. My 12-year-old knows better. Mr. Wells, it’s time to re-brand!
November 30th, 2008 at 2:50 am
I saw this logo for the first time on a SW truck yesterday. I was appalled and disgusted. Not just as a marketing professional (I’m a graphic designer), but as a consumer.
Not only has SW picked the wrong logo, they’ve also picked the worst time to launch it. While most major businesses – in response to consumer consciousness – are promoting themselves as eco-friendly, SW is taking a stand apart from everyone else (which in most cases is considered a good thing!) by visually promoting themselves as arrogant and lacking in consciousness. SW may provide green products, but if the consumer can’t get past the logo, they will never know it.
My prediction? SW sales will sink, their stock will plummet, their marketing director will lose his/her job, and they will soon be closing stores.
What’s really pathetic is how easily this could have been avoided.
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:47 pm
While it’s not a good branding move for SW, ascetically I like the logo. It resembles Soviet-era propaganda, predicting world domination for the reds. Again, probably not what SW has in kind…or is it?
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:02 pm
I actually don’t think its a move. I’m not going to take the time to look it up but believe that this has been their logo for 30+ years. So more a matter of lack of movement.
December 23rd, 2008 at 2:17 am
Hey, Christine
When I read WTF? in your blog I thought it was the logo. Then I was like what’s up Christine! But, But on opening for a further read of the blog… I was like oops these guys are spilling blood on the globe. They must be some kind of manufacturers of weapons of mass destruction. And ready to sell them to a terrorist with a laid down plan for wiping out whatever lives.
SWP team ought to be in the boardroom for a change of logo NOW.