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Canon PowerShot logo: time for a redesign

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Mahmoud Mousef

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beready.usa.canon.com

For years I have thought the PowerShot logo needs to be redesigned. It comes across as:

* dated

* having an amateurish feel to the font (especially the P and S and t).

*not coming across as high-tech or fun, but old and dated instead

Every time I see this logo on a PowerShot camera, it actually makes me think less of the camera, but since I know that Canon can make some perfectly good cameras, I quickly get over it, but I can't escape that 'dated' feeling when seeing it. My point is I don't think they are doing themselves any favours with this the way it is now.

I think they are well overdue for a redesign. Anyone else?
 
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Sorry guys, when I evaluate a camera the logo is NOT my criteria. If the camera is comfortable and the tool (camera) does what I need to do, great.

Canon dominated the p-n-s market even with that old logo. We all know were that market is heading - maybe 25-30% of what it once was long term. Changing the logo is not going to make a difference...
 
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A logo is like cash; you can change its appearance, but not what it does. So, if we don't wish to change anything but its appearance, what salutary effect should we anticipate from a change of appearance?

We could give it a tattoo. Millions think that this one outcome is an improvement to their appearance. Millions would look askance.

We could 'redesign' it and come up with something 'more modern', again with a view to achieving a defined salutary effect. Whatever that is, it is likely to be looked at with approval by millions, and askance by millions more. We could not be certain that the net salutary effect is achievable, or if it is, at what cost, perhaps to brand loyalty, a significant marketable currency. I recall all the difficulties Coca Cola had with their various 'tweaks' in recent decades. I would think they'd rather have all that cash back with recent revelations about their market position.

The logo is important, but it is merely a representation of an idea, and I would argue that everything that goes into an idea is important to generating continuity of both sales and consumer loyalty. Not the least of these is seeming to want to improve successive iterations of their products, or putting the money where it counts most. I wonder what would happen if Apple kept reinventing their logo, surely something quite priceless by now. Yet, I wouldn't, or couldn't, argue with you if you insisted it is dated and needs a redesign, for you are surely correct.
 
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I agree with what you're saying and pretty much agree with all of you. A logo is more than something that either is or isn't well designed, it represents something and as such is the sort of thing that should be changed at whim... or should be changed for the simple reason of aesthetic improvement.




I was merely agreeing with the OP in that the SureShot logo isn't very well designed (at least I don't think so), not that it should necessarily be redesigned. Examples were put fourth of the Apple and the Coca Cola logos, which to me don't hold up in this sort of argument as those logos are very beautifully designed.... very elegant. Coke's logo may have been tweaked a bit over the years, but the original was so beautifully designed that they were wise to keep the spirit of it intact.




If I were the art director or the head of marketing at Canon and was in on the development of the SureShot logo, I would have sent the design of the one that eventually got used back... I'd say "needs more work folks," but since they didn't and the logo has appeared on probably millions of cameras it's got an association for the public and at because of that, they're much better off keeping it, no matter how inelegant it may be as a piece of design.
 
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enemjii said:
Mahmoud Mousef said:
A logo has nothing to do with taking pictures. I'm discussing marketing and perception of a range of cameras. In the Open Talk forum.
Click to expand...
A logo does not EVER make a product. The converse is the only truth. A product will make a logo famous.
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That's certainly true, but I took it as just a friendly discussion about whether or not the logo in question was particularly well designed, not about the the nature of logos and the products that they represent... That subject to me is one that's worthy of a whole other discussion... and wouldn't address whether or the SureShot logo is any good.
 
Aaron801 said:
enemjii said:
Mahmoud Mousef said:
A logo has nothing to do with taking pictures. I'm discussing marketing and perception of a range of cameras. In the Open Talk forum.
Click to expand...
A logo does not EVER make a product. The converse is the only truth. A product will make a logo famous.
Click to expand...
That's certainly true, but I took it as just a friendly discussion about whether or not the logo in question was particularly well designed, not about the the nature of logos and the products that they represent... That subject to me is one that's worthy of a whole other discussion... and wouldn't address whether or the SureShot logo is any good.
Click to expand...
Can you post an image of the logo that started it all? I have never really paid attention to the powershot line.
 
enemjii said:
Aaron801 said:
enemjii said:
Mahmoud Mousef said:
A logo has nothing to do with taking pictures. I'm discussing marketing and perception of a range of cameras. In the Open Talk forum.
Click to expand...
A logo does not EVER make a product. The converse is the only truth. A product will make a logo famous.
Click to expand...
That's certainly true, but I took it as just a friendly discussion about whether or not the logo in question was particularly well designed, not about the the nature of logos and the products that they represent... That subject to me is one that's worthy of a whole other discussion... and wouldn't address whether or the SureShot logo is any good.
Click to expand...
Can you post an image of the logo that started it all? I have never really paid attention to the powershot line.

--
Click to expand...
Same here...I didn't even know there was a logo. I could see if it was a clothing line or something where a logo could literally be a fashion statement, but it's not something I even notice on camera gear.

Mark
 
It's the wording that needs a redo. PowerShot has always portrayed "amature" to me. Well, this product line is directed at the amature so perhaps it's fitting. I still feel it needs some work. :-P
 
"a logo does not EVER make a product'

Put two fleece tops side by side , one with the TNF logo , the other plain.

See which one will sell first...

(I have sold the same camera under different brands . The famous brand (and I use the Canon name as a logo...) always outsold the rest even (and usually so) at a higher price)
 
Never thought about it...

Looks fine as is, what's to change?

Maybe a couple fine ladies in bikinis holding the words up might help? Of course cast those models young or we'll run into the same "dated" issue again!
 
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