Barclaycard have updated their logo and while it’s inoffensive and colourful it also appears to be quite meaningless. As a designer that has created many a corporate identity, unless I’m lacking some divine revelation as to the significance of this logo, I’d say the £600k fee that Brand Union pocketed for this logo design alone wasn’t exactly money well spent. Beyond the clichéd ‘global’ connotations, apparently the logo represents a ‘chip’ being released from the constraints of the plastic card and welcomed in by new, exciting methods of payment…?

Rather than distancing the brand from its competitors it merely blends in with the myriad of similar logos following a recent trend of circular logotypes (think Sony Ericsson, BT, AT&T). With only seeing a new logo, you can’t really form a full opinion on a rebranding. However, while the £1.5m identity refresh will certainly put a smile on the face of Brand Union’s bank manager, this logo design appears to be simply as hollow as it’s spherical motif.
Creative review have more on this…

(Opinion: Jon Price – Designer)