The widely trailed new Starbucks identity was unveiled this morning at its Brompton Road store. While the dropping of both the brand name and coffee from the logo had provoked anguished reactions from consumers, and not a little derision from some design industry commentators, those of a more measured disposition wondered what the new identity would herald in changes to the brand experience. Having now seen it for myself, the answer is not a lot. Don't expect radical departures - it was the smell of evolution mixing with the coffee in Knightsbridge this morning. There are some new product lines and a refreshed interior but I suspect that for most people queuing for their morning brew, the changes will go unnoticed. As it turns forty, Starbucks remains resolutely familiar and incontrovertibly a coffee shop - which will either be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on what your feelings towards the brand are. And that logo? You know what, it's perfectly fine.
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