Walmart

New:  Name punctuation, logo, and visual system

Launched:  June 28, 2008 (courtesy of Wall Street Journal reporting)

Story in brief:
On June 30, Wal-Mart (now officially Walmart?) confirmed a report in the Wall Street Journal that a comprehensive retail (and presumably corporate) rebranding is in progress. A June 30 posting says merely that "Walmart’s U.S. locations will update store logos as part of an ongoing evolution of its overall brand - customers have already seen this in refreshed store signage and recent print advertisements and TV commercials ...  This update to the logo is simply a reflection of the refresh taking place inside our stores and our renewed sense of purpose to help people save money so they can live better. The updated logo won’t begin to appear on storefronts until the fall."

A Walmart spokesperson confirms that "Lippincott has been working with our marketing team on our branding efforts for some time now.  Elements such as the spark have already begun to appear in our stores." It appears however that this "launch" was unintended and thus unplanned... a missed communication opportunity, for the substance that underlies this rebranding.

More to come, as communications catch up.

Credits:
C.E.O. - Lee Scott
Identity counsel and design - Lippincott
 

First Impressions:
It is certainly a huge personality change, from brawny all-American price dominator to a sunnier, friendlier neighbor. Diminished stature seems a big price to pay for intimacy -- but without this refresh, Wal-Mart was arguably at great risk.

Other Comments:
The name change is wise; it accepts Walmart as a word in our common language, and no longer an evocation of the Sam Walton founding story. (And it relieves us all of the implied obligation to punctuate Wal-Mart correctly.)

The new symbol , "the Spark," is hardly a Target in visual impact, and is certainly not a winner in originality. But it is appealing and has obvious merchandising utility.

It is ironic that the first published news illustration of the mark, prepared apparently for zoning approval, shows an outline version that is almost certainly in violation of graphic standards.

Other comments:
There were sure to be others -- like this, from ION Audio.

Corporate Brand Matrix (est.) ratings:  
0% structural,  100% strategic,  0% functional