AOL Repositions Itself As Aol.

 

courtesy of MediaMemo

What’s in a brand image (logo) that sets the tone for the brand itself?  Alot.

 

As of December 9th, Time-Warner is splitting the sheets with AOL who returns to becoming a publicly traded corporation.  On May 28, 2009, Time Warner decided to cease operations with AOL, and spin it off as an independent company once Google’s shares cease at the end of the fiscal year.  Time Warner reports that its shareholders will receive one AOL share for every 11 Time Warner shares that they own.

By anyone’s account who has used for followed the AOL brand from it’s popularity early in this decade, the brand has continued to struggle to maintain it’s once dominant market share.  Today, the company has made some bold moves to restructure its operations, hiring former Google executive Tim Armstrong to lead the effort to bolster content and functionality.  Don’t count AOL out just yet.

So how has AOL chosen to make this refreshed direction known to their users and the public?  With a new logo, of course, designed by the creative minds at Wolff Olins.  According to AOL’s corporate release:

“The identity itself is a platform for expression and creativity reflecting the content, products and services which AOL offers.  Some of the world’s best creative artists, including Universal Everything, GHAVA and Dylan Griffin created art and animations for the brand.”

The new brand identity will be fully unveiled on December 10, when AOL common stock begins trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

But will it be enough to reposition the aging brand in the minds of consumers who may associate it with the speed of dial-up?  Only time will tell.

What do you think about this new position?  Does it help you to think of AOL in a new way?