{"id":28,"date":"2021-01-30T07:18:26","date_gmt":"2021-01-30T07:18:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/laurelbrinsondesign\/?p=28"},"modified":"2021-01-30T07:19:51","modified_gmt":"2021-01-30T07:19:51","slug":"king-arthur-baking-company-a-comparative-critique-of-their-2020-logo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/laurelbrinsondesign\/2021\/01\/30\/king-arthur-baking-company-a-comparative-critique-of-their-2020-logo\/","title":{"rendered":"King Arthur Baking Company: a Comparative Critique of their 2020 Logo"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

King Arthur Flour has a special place in my cupboard, as it has in many other homes over its 250-year history. In 2020 they underwent a brand overhaul which involved renaming their company to King Arthur Baking Company and getting a whole new set of graphics. Unlike many companies that try to do away with their historic charm, King Arthurs\u2019s redesign is classy and modern while maintaining the dignity and sophistication that should come with a well-established brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The existing logo on the left with the 2020 logo on the right<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There was no \u201cgrand vision\u201d for this as far as I can tell, they just wanted to recognize that they had expanded to sell more than just flour and to better reflect the range of the company. The website description of why they changed the name includes this charming image of their 1996 website design, which really cheesily plays into the old-timey castle vibe of the brand. Although I personally love the unabashed embracing of the tacky medieval theme, their new website is sleek and modern without being too sparse like so many are these days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
King Arthur’s old website homepage<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The design was done by Little Co, who has worked with the likes of Target and Lowes. Their website has one of those popular animations of the old logo turning into the new logo which is actually quite cute. It shows the horse on the old logo riding out of frame and then gives us an image of a wheat stalk growing into what becomes the front of the crown. Little Co. states, \u201cAt the center of the new logo, the wheat crown. Representing King Arthur\u2019s heritage, quality, commitment to agriculture and, most of all, baking.\u201d And honestly? It totally works for them. It gives a strong nod to the root of their company, the flour, and still acknowledges the name of the brand and the medieval theme. The crown is very well done in my opinion, there are plenty of ways to draw a simple crown that might fit the modern times but the extra detailing of the wheat, as well as the splash of red underneath it to tie in that color, speaks to both the old and the new.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The wheat symbolism was used a lot in the launch, Little Co had a large social media campaign since they launched it during a pandemic. We got to see the wheat pattern in most of the deliverables, from Instagram stories to swag, to even seeing real wheat laid next to bread.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
One of the ways wheat was visually present in the launch<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This didn\u2019t come across as \u201cwe get it you sell flour\u201d to me at all, it was very tastefully done and was variant enough that it tied it together without overdoing it. I think their mock-ups and brand photography was really well done overall. There was lots of variety with it, from a rustic measuring cup to a well-loved cutting board to a very charming and sleek delivery van. Really, I can\u2019t get over this van. It only uses the neutral colors from the branding so it wouldn\u2019t be a driving hazard on the road but it still somehow perfectly captures the spirit of the redesign. <\/p>\n\n\n\n