GeoCities: New brandmark generates $3.9 billion?

A use of identity, by a leader

New: GeoCities.com brandmark

Launched: December, 1 1998

Story in brief:
Like the TV networks of the fifties, aggressive upstart Internet companies such as GeoCities are inventing a whole new media culture. Flush with success (though still losing millions), CEO Thomas Evans felt the need to clarify the brand. "We have experienced exponential growth and become a top-five Internet presence without the benefit of any appreciable advertising or marketing. It's clearly time to step up and articulate what our brand is all about ... We are a community of creative, engaged, interesting people, communicating about their life passions. Our new icon articulates the spirit of GeoCities."


Just two months later, Evans sold GeoCities to Yahoo -- icon, spirit and money-losing customer base of 3.5 million passionate web sites. For $3.9 billion. That is one of the best returns we've seen on a new logo.

Credits:
C.E.O. - Thomas R. Evans
Design - Landor Associates

First Impressions:
Good job. Landor designed a whimsical G-person, who adds its warm, witty visual personality to the relatively bland GeoCities name... and provides a durable, multi-purpose icon.