Is This the Age of the Obscured Brand Logo?

There was a longstanding joke among my agency friends about the type of feedback we would often get from corporate clients when presenting our creative work. It essentially boiled down to some version of "make the logo bigger." Brand managers and CMOs alike have long equated a prominent logo with brand building and, by extension, effective marketing. Lately, there are signs this may be shifting.

Marketing publication The Drum recently reported on brands who are "confidently disguising their logos" in outdoor advertising and they point to recent campaigns from Kellogg's, Heinz, Tesco and McDonald's as proof of this trend. It's no surprise that all these brands are highly recognizable and therefore more readily able to get away with not branding their ads as overtly as lesser-known brands may need to.

Still, it's an interesting point to consider. How much can or should any of us alter the brand we have in our own advertising and marketing?

I think about this for the brands I own (Non-Obvious and Ideapress) sometimes as well. Neither are household names, but the consistency of branding has always been very important. Should I change it to fit a situation, or keep it consistent no matter what? I'd love to hear your thoughts - hit reply and let me know!