The gravity of a brand's logo

The world has changed quite a bit since the 1960s. Technology comes to mind. But current times are also mirroring those years with socio-political unrest, riots, and (marketing)advancements. And in a strange turn of events, we once again find ourselves with a severe case of moon fever.

12 maart 2021

Our gentle white orb has been designated the testing ground for the next important space endeavour: Mars. It isn’t only countries imagining themselves planting their flag firmly on its dusty red surface.

The most significant difference with the 1960s might well be that private space exploration is competing/collaborating just as fervently and that the first flag on Mars might not be a nation’s but a brand’s.

The return of the worm

Recently, NASA brought back, with much ado, the Worm. This 1970’s logo replaced their famous blue logo, lovingly dubbed the meatball, which got them to the moon. The squiggly Worm of the NASA-logo underlines NASA’s shift from moon landings to the Space Shuttle System. In 1982, Nasa reinstated the meatball, but with the current excitement around space travel, NASA decided on rebranding and brought back the famous Worm. But why? Why not embrace something entirely new?

The power of recognition

Logo’s are very potent parts of a brand identity. If done well, they convey an entire story, an emotion even, in one symbol. NASA currently collaborates with Elon Musk’s SPACE X on the new era of economic space travel and the desire to land man on Mars. Elon Musk, and consequently his brand Space X, breathes speed, newness, excitement, technology, being ahead of the curve, and a pinch of madness.

NASA, a government-run enterprise, stands for well-researched development, sincerity, rich history of success, and well-measured risk-taking. To stand out in a crowd of countries and enterprises that are new to this current space race, NASA does well to bring back its famous logo of a golden era. Where it was once futuristic, the Worm is now still beautiful and incredibly well designed, and perhaps even more importantly, recognised around the world.

Because let’s be honest. When driving into the complete unknown, wouldn’t it be better to sleep and eat under a well-known logo, that may lack inspiration, but can be trusted to bring us the comfort of familiarity? Now imagine going on a space journey; under which logo would you fasten your seatbelts? Trust and familiarity would be welcome emotions.

Find your worm

Curious where you stand with your customers? How are you building trust, recognition and genuine connection? Growing awareness and helping you express brand narratives through visuals and displays is one of our favourite things. You know where to find us, and who knows, maybe we can help you plant your brand’s flag firmly in uncharted territories.