Farewell, triangles: AOL preps its post-Time Warner look

Some looks at the new AOL branding.

(Credit: AOL)

It's the media equivalent of moving out of your parents' house, heading to the nearest tattoo and piercing parlor, and yelling FREEEEEEDOM!: AOL has unveiled the "new brand identity" for its post-Time Warner era, slated to begin December 10 when it begins trading on the New York Stock Exchange as a separate company. And there's nary a blue triangle in sight. Instead, there's a plain new text logo presented with various backdrops, from cartoon scribbles to a rock-star hand symbol to a totally adorable goldfish.

The company is currently offering just a preview, and says in a release that a full unveil will come on the spin-off date. Yay, secrets! I love secrets! But we, of course, have many hints: like the fact that CEO Tim Armstrong, who joined the company in March after a long stint as a high-profile Google sales executive, keeps talking up AOL's future as a powerhouse in digital content and publishing. The company's array of niche blogs, which were hatched when AOL purchased Weblogs way back in 2005, are now its centerpiece.

So the new mood? "It's one consistent logo with countless ways to reveal," the release explained. Ooh, sexy!

The release also included a soundbite from Karl Heiselman, CEO of Wolff Olins, which AOL enlisted to help with the transformation: "AOL is a 21st century media company, with an ambitious vision for the future and new focus on creativity and expression, this required the new brand identity to be open and generous, to invite conversation and collaboration, and to feel credible, but also aspirational."

Of course, it's not all sunny: The company is on the verge of significant layoffs, as well as the possible chucking of non-"content" properties like ICQ and MapQuest, as the spinoff date grows closer.

Whatever. Isn't that goldfish cute?

[andrew.mager]

I like the goldfish :)

...as if we didn't already know these people have lost the plot....

[solitare_pax]

Obviously they have lost their minds. Or fired the marketing staff in favor of some executive's favorite ten year old cousin, thrice removed, whose art appears on all the family refrigerators...

[sharmajunior]

they still exist???

[JohnBarbagallo]

*** kind of branding is this....?!

[JigenIII]

mascot should be an owl.

[biznatch11]

Oh god just let it die already! All I think of when I think "AOL" are dozens of free trial floppy disks and CDs.

[magicmaster]

Me too. My first contact with AOL is those internet service free-trial CDs.

[josh81]

I remember I got so ticked when AOL switched to CDs. At least I could wipe and reuse the floppies... the CDs were useless to me, except as coasters.

[LamendolaM]

Well, the average life span of a goldfish is 10-20 years... so...

[luke_marsh]

Keep at it the A the O and the L need more attention yet

[ColinABQ]

"Various backdrops" and "countless ways to reveal" seem like sure-fire ways to get UNbranded and UNrecognized; lost in the crowd. Perhaps that's the goal. Regardless, these are extremely lame.

[Super2online]

Contrary to what many believe I think there could be a place for AOL with the younger crowd if it was branded and redesigned well. A new name might have also been a good choice. Completely shed the "I once was a popular destination for my parents" AOL moniker and went with something hipper that says something about todays youth and the texting crowd. That would go well with it's blogs as a new centerpiece with mood and "countless ways to reveal. Heavens knows todays kids are all about counless ways to reveal. <br /> <br />The whole thing sounds made to order for young adults with it's "AOL is a 21st century media company, with an ambitious vision for the future and new focus on creativity and expression, this required the new brand identity to be open and generous, to invite conversation and collaboration, and to feel credible, but also aspirational." <br /> <br />Or is it just yesterdays throw away?

[PandaSage1221]

Poor AOL. They haven't even technically released the new logos yet, and everyone's already bagging on them.<br /><br />To tell the truth, I'm pretty sure I'd like (or at least not feel the need to bag on) the new logos if only they'd done aol. instead of Aol. (The a with the loop on the bottom half and the arch on the top.. not the basic full loop a you learn in school.) And maybe centered it just a bit more on each of the pics.. at least vertically. It would make a huge difference.

[rcrusoe]

AOL? Does anyone not on Social Security still use AOL?

[metomjr]

My mom's not on social security...and still uses the AOL browser. You have to understand that people in her generation (and mine, I'm 25) learned all about the internet on AOL. When we were in school, we got introduced to Internet Explorer and Netscape. My mom stuck with AOL because of the interface and access to groups and message boards...and her email account is tied to AOL. She was never required to use any other internet browser, so she's never had a reason to change, and I'm guessing there's a whole lot of other people out there just like her.

[sparrowhyperion]

They have got to be kidding.... No... Wait... This IS AOL we're talking about after all. I suppose we should expect stupid and just plain ridiculous idiocy... These have to be the lamest Logos I have ever seen... Keep going AOL.... I am sure you will reap exactly what you deserve in your IPO... A Big Fat Goose egg with an Aol superimposed over it...<br /><br />(mumble mumble) what a bunch of morons... (mumble Mumble)

[jonathan0766]

The ultimate slow motion train wreck. Aol will no doubt achieve a 99% reduction in value from its peak.<br /><br />At least Internet Capital Group, Webvan, CMGI, eToys and a zillion other spectacular destroyers of wealth from the dotcom days were nice enough to get it over with quickly.

[dascha1]

I remember meeting Ted L. (no, not Ted T.) in 95... He like the work we were doing with new media, but when presented with music-on-demand solution his reply was - "Why would we need that stuff?" I'm sure he/they recanted few years later when WineAmp was the "thing". One of the bigger mistakes they made without the content secured and offered as monthly subscriptions if you ask me.

[R-dox]

You call that "branding"?

[metomjr]

They can't be serious. Clip Art and the same AOL font on each one? And what's with the period after AOL? <br /> <br />I understand when you brainstorm you get some pretty kooky ideas, but I would never present these to any board of directors, or even the public for that matter. <br /> <br />Any high school kid in a graphic design class could put out better crap than what AOL just released.

[nrg.dude]

Agonize Out Loud (AOL) over ugly designs is what this is. However, I vote for the second one, the "Hook 'em Horns" sign.

[robstak]

hahaha vvtf these look AWFUL. <br /> <br />First of all, Aol. Why lowercase? its an acronym!! and period!? It's not a freakin sentence! <br /> <br />as far as the aptly described 'clipart' bg's, i agree, and why are there 6 of them? (although i like the cat with the exploding brain that has more cats exploding out of it, lol). <br /> <br /> <br />Guess their marketing department all worked for time warner.... sigh.

[tvjames_]

How about a tombstone or a rotary phone?<br /><br />Hey, here's a marketing idea: "I am AOL." You'd only have to print two t-shirts: It works for both the remaining employee and the remaining customer.