Name changes are possibly one of the hardest things a brand can endure. With over a million trademarks filed annually with the United States Patent and Trademark office, but only 170,000 English words in common use today, names are only going to get more creative - for better or worse. In this bonus episode, host Blake Howard and naming guru Rob Meyerson discuss some of the biggest brand naming wins and fails, as well as provide insight into the nebulous process of naming a brand.

For more on Rob Meyerson and his book Brand Naming, visit: https://robmeyerson.com/ and https://robmeyerson.com/book

To learn more about the brands discussed today, visit: achangeofbrand.com

Produced by Matchstic (matchstic.com/@matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard, edited by Gabe Kitzman, and artwork by Rachel Jackson.

There aren’t many automotive brands mightier than Bugatti. So when the manufacturer of multi-million dollar supercars handed the keys to the brand over to Head of Strategy Linda Marquardt, Associate Creative Director Juan Barrios, and their team at Interbrand, it was a big moment. In this episode, A Change of Brand uncovers what it’s like to rebrand the incomparable and pitch a product most people don’t expect they’ll ever be able to afford.

To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.

Produced by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard, (@blakehoward), co-hosted by Tracy Clark, edited by Gabe Kitzman, fact-checked by Jill Jeffries, co-written by Cam Leberecht, and artwork by Rachel Jackson.

Sprite is one of the world’s most popular soft drinks, with a style you can spot a mile away. But despite its signature look, the refreshing soda needed to find a way to stay fresh with a young new audience. In this episode, we go behind the scenes with Chris Garvey, Executive Creative Director at Turner Duckworth to see how they did it…and to hear firsthand what it’s like to catch your white whale.

To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.

Produced by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard, (@blakehoward), co-hosted by Tracy Clark, edited by Gabe Kitzman, fact-checked by Jill Jeffries, co-written by Cam Leberecht, and artwork by Rachel Jackson.

M&Ms has a lot going for it — cute, memorable characters, a wide range of flavors, not to mention a storied brand over 80 years strong. But how could Mars Inc. expand the candy brand’s identity beyond its sweet core elements? Kristie Malivindi, design director at Jones, Knowles, Ritchie, catches up with A Change of Brand to recount how JKR navigated stakeholder apprehension to create a full-fledged, flexible system that’s not short on fun.

To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.

Produced by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard, (@blakehoward), co-hosted by Tracy Clark, edited by Gabe Kitzman, fact-checked by Jill Jeffries, co-written by Pamela Henman, and artwork by Rachel Jackson.

Retooling an American institution is no easy task — just ask Bogdan Geana, partner at Lippincott. On the heels of a milestone 50th anniversary, Public Broadcasting Service tapped the Lippincott team to create a refreshing evolution for the PBS identity, from brand voice to ensuring its signature blue didn’t come off as politically biased. To top it off, the updated look had to appeal to all 300-plus network affiliates across the nation. No sweat, right? We go behind the scenes and dig into the heavy lifting that went into this iconic Change of Brand.

To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.

Produced by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard, (@blakehoward), co-hosted by Tracy Clark, edited by Gabe Kitzman, fact-checked by Jill Jeffries, co-written by Pamela Henman, and artwork by Rachel Jackson.

For decades, some of America’s most beloved sports teams played with imagery trading on outdated, offensive racial stereotypes. It wasn’t until very recently — with the public calling foul and sponsors pulling their support —  that some sports brands relented and rebranded. In this episode of A Change of Brand, we dive into the murky waters of controversial sports branding with designer and creative director Jon Contino.

To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.

Produced by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard, (@blakehoward), co-hosted by Tracy Clark, edited by Gabe Kitzman, fact-checked by Jill Jeffries, co-written by Pamela Henman, and artwork by Rachel Jackson.

Everyone loves a comeback story, especially in sports. The US Open is the “big show” for tennis players and spectators alike, its brand is seemingly untouchable. In fact, its identity remained essentially unchanged since 1997. That is until the renowned Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv served up a new look in 2018. We sat down with partner and designer Sagi Haviv to get the play-by-play on a challenging but triumphant change of brand.

To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.

Produced by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard, (@blakehoward), co-hosted by Tracy Clark, edited by Gabe Kitzman, fact-checked by Jill Jeffries, co-written by Pamela Henman, and artwork by Rachel Jackson.

With business booming and its national footprint expanding like wildfire, CVS seemingly had it all. But the pharmacy giant wanted to make a more meaningful impact on the future of health, from removing all tobacco products from its shelves to solidifying its name (switching from CVS Caremark to CVS Health). In this episode, Siegel+Gale CEO Howard Belk explains how his agency helped CVS unify four service brands under one foundational identity, without losing its heart for health and people.

To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.

Produced by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard, (@blakehoward), co-hosted by Tracy Clark, edited by Gabe Kitzman, fact-checked by Jill Jeffries, co-written by Pamela Henman, and artwork by Rachel Jackson.

The Olympic Games have come to represent the best of the best — incomparable athletics, state-of-the-art facilities, host cities that pull out all the stops, and of course, outstanding branding. In 2012 London hosted the Summer Games and wanted to capture the world’s attention with an identity that would turn the notion of the modern games on its head. Sairah Ashman, global CEO at creative consultancy Wolff Olins shares the firm’s design thinking for the brand that would go on to be one of the most talked-about, unforgettably modern Olympic Games emblems.

To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.

Produced by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard, (@blakehoward), co-hosted by Tracy Clark, edited by Gabe Kitzman, fact-checked by Jill Jeffries, co-written by Pamela Henman, and artwork by Rachel Jackson.

Although its identity wasn’t on the rocks, iconic bourbon brand Maker’s Mark needed to better connect with the Millennial crowd. We spoke with Creative Director Jared Britton at branding firm Turner Duckworth, who worked directly with the distillery founder’s grandson to refresh a brand that’s been untouched since 1958.

To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.

Produced by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard, (@blakehoward), co-hosted by Tracy Clark, edited by Gabe Kitzman, fact-checked by Jill Jeffries, co-written by Pamela Henman, and artwork by Rachel Jackson.

From a logo emulating its sleek black cars to an abstract representation of “bits and atoms,” Uber’s brand identity has taken a few detours over the years. We catch up with Amanda Munilla, strategy lead at Wolff Olins, to get the inside track on how the global branding agency created the latest and most enduring rebrand for the rideshare company.

To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.

Produced by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard, (@blakehoward), co-hosted by Tracy Clark, edited by Gabe Kitzman, fact-checked by Jill Jeffries, co-written by Pamela Henman, and artwork by Rachel Jackson. 

The launch tactics of a rebrand can make or break the success of the change. In this bonus episode, host Blake Howard and Brand New’s Armin Vit have a casual nerding-out as they each share their best and worst rebrand launch examples. 

Brands covered in this episode: 

• London 2012 Olympics by Wolf Ollins  
• Block 2022 done in-house  
• MailChimp 2017 by Collins
• Kia 2021 by Blackspace  
• Iceland Football Team 2020 by Brandenberg
• AirBNB 2014 by DesignStudio 
• Staples 2019  
• Comcast 2012  
• City of Florence 2022 by Tatum Design
• Toyoko 2020 Olympics  
• Gap 2010 by Laird and Partners 
• Best Buy 2018 done inhouse  

For more on Armin Vit visit: https://www.underconsideration.com/ or https://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/

To see the changes of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.

Produced by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard, (@blakehoward), edited by Gabe Kitzman , and artwork by Rachel Jackson. 

In the final episode of Season 2, we learn how Sweetgreen, a brand raising the bar on fast to-go and good to eat food, found a way to keep it real with a reimagined brand identity. COLLINS Creative Director - now turned Sweetgreen Executive Creative Director, Tom Wilder - and COLLINS Senior Designer, Sanuk Kim, give us the recipe for what led to one of the best new identities to debut in 2021.

To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.

Produced by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard, (@blakehoward), co-hosted by Tracy Clark, edited by Matt Owen , fact-checked by Jill Jeffries, co-written by Pamela Henman, and artwork by Rachel Jackson. 

Carnegie Hall, the renowned 130-year-old music venue and pride of New York City, conducted a brand refresh in early 2020. All was going seemingly well until the pandemic stole the spotlight and shuttered the Hall’s doors for nearly 12 months. Jennifer Kinon, co-founder of Champions Design, gives us a look behind the curtain on their resilient and thoughtful process.

To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.

Produced by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard, (@blakehoward), co-hosted by Tracy Clark, edited by Matt Owen , fact-checked by Jill Jefferies, co-written by Pamela Henman, and artwork by Rachel Jackson. 

Just like traveling, the creative process can be an adventure where not every journey is the same. Tripadvisor's 2020 refresh is no exception, and Matt van Leeuwen of Mother Design serves as our tour guide for this Change of Brand that veered off the beaten path. Matt led the work, which had plenty of twists and turns but ultimately resulted in a delightful update to TripAdvisor's dated, 20-year-old brand.

To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.

Credits: Produced by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard, (@blakehoward), co-hosted by Tracy Clark, edited by Matt Owen , fact-checked by Jill Jefferies, co-written by Pamela Henman, and artwork by Maliq Faulks and Rachel Jackson. 

How can a brand go from bargain to beauty? In this episode, Michael Keller of Blackspace, gives us a look under the hood of the recent KIA rebrand and how his work redefined what it means to be an automobile manufacturer of the future.

To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.

Credits: Produced by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard, (@blakehoward), co-hosted by Tracy Clark, edited by Matt Owen , fact-checked by Jill Jefferies, co-written by Pamela Henman, and artwork by Maliq Faulks. 

Today Spindrift is one of the largest independent sparkling water brands, but in 2016 that wasn’t so. How did they break away and grow beyond niche specialty stores? Adam Renfree and Adam Nathanson, founders of brand design firm Colony, led the work and share how their packaging redesign helped crack open new opportunities for the beverage brand.

To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.

Credits: Produced by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard, (@blakehoward), co-hosted by Tracy Clark, edited by Matt Owen , fact-checked by Jill Jefferies, co-written by Pamela Henman, and artwork by Maliq Faulks. 

In 2021, after more than a decade, Pepsi Co and Quaker Oats announced their leading pancake brand, Aunt Jemima, would become Pearl Milling. In this episode we hear from sociologist and professor, Dr. James Bowie,  and naming expert, Mark Speece, to get their opinion on the rebrand and the larger forces at play for renaming a brand based on a racist stereotype.

Dr. Bowie's research and writing: www.emblemetric.com

To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.

Credits: Produced by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard, (@blakehoward), co-hosted by Tracy Clark, fact-checked by Jill Jefferies, co-written by Pamela Henman, art work by Rachel Jackson, and edited by Matt Owen 

Dropping a name from your logo is a tall order. In 2011, Starbucks did just that. Some found it too strong while others felt it was just right. Connie Birdsdall, senior partner and Global Creative Director at Lippincott, led the work and gives us an unfiltered account of the strategy, process, and how it all unfolded.

To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.

Credits: Produced by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard, (@blakehoward), co-hosted by Tracy Clark, fact-checked by Jill Jefferies, co-written by Pamela Henman and edited by Matt Owen 

When Fiverr, one of the world's largest freelance marketplaces, spent more than a fiver on their own rebrand, it raised many eyebrows. James Greenfield of Koto gives us the behind-the-scenes take on the ethics behind the decision to accept the project, the creative process, and how they handled the backlash.

To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.

Credits: Produced by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard, (@blakehoward), co-hosted by Tracy Clark, fact-checked by Jill Jefferies, co-written by Pamela Henman and edited by Matt Owen 

In 2014, Mastercard took a swipe at evolving its iconic red and yellow circles to eventually dropping its name altogether. We dig into the behind-the-scenes creative process, with Michael Bierut of Pentagram, who led the charge to see the work eventually get approved.

To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.

Credits: Produced by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard, (@blakehoward), co-hosted by Tracy Clark, fact-checked by Jill Jefferies, co-written by Pamela Henman and edited by Matt Owen .

Southwest is a much beloved brand, but in 2014 a heart-felt rebrand process caused some turbulence inside the largest domestic air carrier. Rodney Abbot, Senior Partner at Lippincott, lead the process and gives us a first hand account.

To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.

Credits: Produced by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard, (@blakehoward), co-hosted by Tracy Clark, fact-checked by Jill Jefferies, co-written by Pamela Henman and edited by Matt Owen 

Get ready for a new season of A Change of Brand, starting Sept. 21st. 
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We continue to go deeper than color palettes and typography, to unpack first-hand accounts of change stories of much-loved consumer brands. This season we have episodes on classic rebrands, like Starbucks (2011), Southwest (2014), and Mastercard (2016). We've also thrown in the mix a few recent stories, like Fiverr (2020), Pearl Milling (2020), and more! Regardless of fame or fail, our mission is to retell these stories to educate and inspire those facing a change of brand.

Burger King woke everyone out of a food coma when it revealed a delightfully retro rebrand in January 2021. But did the fast food giant make a whopping branding mistake that may not be so obvious? For more on this change of brand, we got the secret sauce from Lisa Smith, Executive Creative Director at Jones Knowles Richie, the creative firm behind BK's rebrand that was two years in the making.

To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.

Credits: Produced by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard, (@blakehoward), co-hosted by Sarah Gail Hughes, and edited by Matt Owen 

As one of the largest technology companies in the world, Google’s influence has no limits. Their 2015 rebrand launch was a massive, carefully detailed effort to orchestrate a rollout of over 10,000 branded assets with the flip of a switch. In this week’s episode, we catch a glimpse of the behind-the-scenes muscle for this mighty change as we talk to Jonathan Lee, one of the in-house designers leading the effort.

To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.

• Produced by Matchstic, matchstic.com / @matchstichouse (Instagram)
• Hosted by Blake Howard, @blakehoward (Instagram) 
• Co-hosted by Sarah Gail Hughes 
• Edited by Matt Owen 

Loom is a video messaging service that makes collaboration happen when in-person interactions are hard to come by. The company's 2020 rebrand is notable for being one of the most transparent processes ever, with an updated identity for all the world to see, literally. For more on this change of brand, we got the inside story from Stewart Scott-Curran, senior director of brand at Loom.
 
To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.

• Produced by Matchstic, matchstic.com / @matchstichouse (Instagram)
• Hosted by Blake Howard, @blakehoward (Instagram) 
• Co-hosted by Sarah Gail Hughes 
• Edited by Matt Owen 

As an organization dedicated to fighting the good fight for the people, the American Civil Liberties Union had for decades presented an image of restraint, unity, and Lady Liberty. In 2017, the nonpartisan nonprofit org shook things up with a change of brand that's brighter, bolder, and decidedly riskier. Open, a firm out of NYC, took the lead in designing the new look, and creative lead Martha Kang McGill drops by to detail what went on behind the scenes.
 
To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.

Produced by Matchstic, matchstic.com / @matchstichouse (Instagram)
Hosted by Blake Howard, @blakehoward (Instagram) 
Co-hosted by Sarah Gail Hughes 
Edited by Matt Owen 

In the wild, wild west of the internet in the late 90’s and early 00’s, domain registration and hosting company GoDaddy made a name for itself as a plucky maverick. The company’s racy ads and irreverent humor might be memorable to some, but what happens when a brand matures beyond frat humor? In January 2020, GoDaddy launched a rebrand to shed it’s cheeky image and refine itself in order to reach a new focused audience. We chat with Chris Rushing, GoDaddy’s Brand Creative Director, who was heavily involved in the change of brand in partnership with agencies Lippincott and Koto.

To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.

Produced by Matchstic, matchstic.com / @matchstichouse (Instagram)
Hosted by Blake Howard, @blakehoward (Instagram) 
Co-hosted by Sarah Gail Hughes 
Edited by Matt Owen 

How do you evolve a 100-year-old brand that has become unbelievably iconic? In this week's episode, we get a look behind the big screen curtain with Emily Oberman of Pentagram as she retells the story of rebranding one of the big five major film studios. 

To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.

Produced by Matchstic, matchstic.com / @matchstichouse (Instagram)
Hosted by Blake Howard, @blakehoward (Instagram) 
Co-hosted by Sarah Gail Hughes 
Edited by Matt Owen 

In 2017, Dropbox turned heads with a change of brand that some would call creative, others chaotic. The file management platform's rebrand came complete with clashing colors, abstracted illustrations, and wide-ranging typography. But did this rebrand fling Dropbox too far outside of the box? Collin Whitehead, Dropbox's Director of Central Design, drops in to discuss a new identity made for designers, by designers.

To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.

Produced by Matchstic, matchstic.com / @matchstichouse (instagram)
Hosted by Blake Howard, @blakehoward (instagram)
Co-hosted by Sarah Gail Hughes
Edited by Matt Owen 

What's in a name, or a donut? In 2018, Dunkin' Donuts riled up Bostonians and traditionalists nationwide with a name change and rebrand that shifted focus from its signature breakfast staple. Tosh Hall, the Global Chief Creative Officer at Jones Knowles Ritchie, sheds light on how the firm navigated the tension and intense interest in Dunkin's change of brand.

To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.

Produced by Matchstic, matchstic.com / @matchstichouse (instagram)
Hosted by Blake Howard, @blakehoward (instagram)
Co-hosted by Sarah Gail Hughes
Edited by Matt Owen 

Rebranding is always a ballsy move, and some would argue Airbnb took the challenge quite literally when it revealed its refreshed look in 2014.  Jowey Roden, one of the designers on the project and now Executive Creative Director of Koto, gives us an inside scoop into the process that set off an unintentional flurry of snickers, winks, and innuendos.

To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.

Produced by Matchstic, matchstic.com / @matchstichouse (instagram)
Hosted by Blake Howard, @blakehoward (instagram)
Co-hosted by Sarah Gail Hughes
Edited by Matt Owen 

Mailchimp’s 2018 rebrand, led by Collins, made headlines for brave and bold choices. In this debut episode, we interview Mailchimp’s VP of Brand Mark DiCristina to get the inside scoop on this change of brand. We cover everything from how a new look shifted the tech darling’s perception as an email-only platform, to other design concepts Mailchimp considered along the way.

To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand. 

Produced by Matchstic, matchstic.com / @matchstichouse (instagram)
Hosted by Blake Howard, @blakehoward (instagram)
Co-hosted by Sarah Gail Hughes
Edited by Matt Owen 

A Change of Brand, produced by Matchstic, is a podcast about the world’s most loved consumer companies and their rebrand glory, drama, or disaster. In this series we will go deeper than color palettes and typography, talking with brand leaders and agency creatives to retell the story behind the change. Getting into the nitty-gritty, we learn about their leading-edge work, creative process, and approach to change management. Regardless of fame or fail, our mission is to tell these stories to educate and inspire others facing a change of brand.

In Season 1, we will have first-hand accounts from major brands who have undergone headline-grabbing revamps over the past few years, including stories from Mailchimp, AirBNB, Dunkin’, Dropbox, GoDaddy, Warner Brothers and more. Be sure to subscribe and listen wherever you get podcasts.

Hosted by Blake Howard, @blakehoward (Instagram)
Co-hosted by Sarah Gail Hughes
Edited by Matt Owen