the graphic design blog that speaks the truth

Argos adds a smile

27th Feb 10

What would you do if you wanted to buy…say..an electric toothbrush? You might inquire at your dentist or take a chance at the local chemist but I would put money on most ordering from a website. Before the dawn of the internet, when most people shopped in REAL shops, there was a store that claimed to stock everything. From jewellery to spice racks, it had it all. And it still does. That company is Argos. Here is the logo you may know them by:

argos-logo1

It was never anything that made you stop in your tracks and admire, but it was obviously one of those branding exercises where the client wanted everything to be bright to hook you in, because apparently people are attracted to bright things? Or is that magpies? Anyway, I can always remember the bright blue store fronts and cheekily sitting on the comfortable sofas that they had on show to rest my legs. (You know you’ve done it.)
If you have picked up a catalogue recently or visited their website then you might have noticed that it looks a little different. Yes, they have changed their identity:

new-argos-logo

It’s red. It’s happy. And it’s safe. Very safe actually, and a little bland if I am honest. I find it quite interesting that the online equivalent, Amazon, also use a smile in their logo, but supporters of Argos will tell you that the Argos logo has been smiling long before Amazon ever came to be. It will be interesting to see who will have the last laugh, as I can’t help but think that online shopping has put a dent in Argos’ fat cats pockets. I wonder how long it will be until we have Amazon stores on the high street?

Keep smiling. Argos style.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

SHARE THIS ARTICLE

  1. 01/03/10
    10:14 am
    Seems like quite a step backwards really. I'd have stuck with the old one and maybe tweeked that a little.
  2. 02/10/10
    2:49 pm
    There seemed to be quite a lot of furore when the new Argos logo was first launched, but not a lot of comment since. I think that it was only a relatively minor change and most customers don't really notice it too much now the dust has settled.
Voice Your Opinion

Thanks for your comment, it will appear here once it has been moderated.