Last week FUNimation kicked off the new year by introducing a brand new service, and a brand new logo. The new service led to some media confusion and gripes online, but it’s impossible to tell what the new service will be like until February. The logo, however, has gotten widespread opinions:
From good
To why
Since the initial blog post didn’t exactly explain what went behind the logo, I reached out to some people at FUNimation. Here’s the response I got from Group 1200 Media’s VP of Creative Services, Bob Robinson:
We’ve always been committed to connecting consumers with the best anime the world has to offer in ways that excite, delight, inspire and connect. But the old logo didn’t communicate the new energy and excitement that fuels FUNimation today. Our old mark was technically problematic and honestly it looked dated, and it didn’t reflect who we serve — the fan.
Our new logo solves several problems. Technically, it has no ascenders or descenders, so it easier to use in multiple applications. The font is custom made so it’s 100% ownable. As for the color, we went to purple as our primary, because purple is ever-changing. Sometimes it has a blue cast. Sometimes a red. One thing is for sure — the color purple (like our titles) is anything but boring. And our not-so-hidden ‘face’ represents the fan. When you literally have the word ‘fun’ in your name, it was natural to communicate it visually as well. Most of all we feel this new logo is a visual representation of who we are and who we are becoming. It creates recognition in the market that we are changing for the better. And ultimately, it will instill a feeling of value and trust for the consumer.
So, what do you all think of the new logo after reading these thoughts?