The Makeover Myth: Why Not All Rebrands Are Worth the Risk

A few weeks ago, the first teaser trailer for DreamWorks’ Shrek 5 was released, and it was quickly met with negative comments and reactions. Fans took issue with the updated look of the characters, who underwent some noticeable stylistic changes. Many began calling for DreamWorks to give Shrek and Donkey “the Sonic treatment,” referring to the complete redesign Sony made to Sonic’s look in the Sonic the Hedgehog movie after facing significant backlash (more on that later). But why has it become so common for brands to release such hated redesigns? Have people become pickier, or are brands changing things unnecessarily?

Some ‘Ruff’ Rebrands

Sonic and Shrek are by no means the first redesign failures to occur recently, and they likely won’t be the last. The 2010s witnessed failed rebrands from Gap, Tropicana, and JCPenney, all of which ended up reverting their logos back to the originals after facing ridicule online.

Closer to home, Petco changed its logo in 2020, removing their dog and cat mascots, Ruff and Mews, entirely. The brand eventually reintroduced updated versions of the mascots after consumer backlash, assuring fans that “Ruff and Mews are here to stay.” This reassured consumers, but why did Petco remove them in the first place?

How Sonic and Taylor Swift Got it Right

This isn’t to say that every rebrand is guaranteed to fail. In fact, there have been several massive rebrands in recent years that have achieved great success. One of the most notable rebrands is Taylor Swift’s transition from country singer to pop star. She didn’t completely abandon her country roots; rather, she took what fans loved about her music and updated her style. She remains an extremely successful musician to this day, and the proof is in her Eras Tour, which was the most commercially successful music tour of all time.

Lego also made a strategic shift in 2020 by targeting adults with their marketing. Lego didn’t completely rebrand, and there are still hundreds of sets designed for children, but by creating sets specifically for the adult fans of Lego, they attracted even more consumers to their construction toy empire, effectively doubling their revenue over the span of a decade.

 

Even the Sonic the Hedgehog movie averted disaster and was able to turn its initial redesign failure into a massive commercial success. When fans on the internet shared how horrifying they found Sonic, Sony listened and updated the hedgehog’s character design to better align with his appearances in the video games. Now, the Sonic movie franchise boasts three wildly successful films, and a fourth installment is already underway.

The Sonic the Hedgehog movie even posted a TikTok poking fun at the Shrek 5 teaser, showcasing the transformation from “ugly Sonic” to his current design with the caption, “for any green ogres looking for advice.” Ugly Sonic also appears as a character in Disney’s 2022 movie Chip n’ Dale: Rescue Rangers, further demonstrating the brand’s ability to recognize and make light of its past mistakes.

Your Rebranding Resource

The moral of this story is not to try to make your brand the next Ugly Sonic. There’s only one of him (thank goodness). The takeaway, rather, is to learn from your customers. Consider their feedback before changing something they like and identify with. There’s nothing wrong with scrapping something that isn’t working or enhancing what already works, but neglecting to conduct thorough research before altering a perfectly good logo or mascot can have disastrous results.

This is where BSM Partners can help. Our Marketing and Consumer Strategy practice, combined with BSM Partners’ Media insights, can help you determine exactly what your customers want and when to take things in a different direction, if necessary. Avoid rebranding only to revert back after a week due to complaints. Rebrand the right way with BSM Partners. 

 

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About the Author

Cady Wolf is an Analyst Intern at BSM Partners. She graduated magna cum laude with a degree in English from Brigham Young University-Idaho, and she currently lives in Rexburg, Idaho with her husband, their two cats, and pet tortoise. She loves animals and learning about how to help pet brands and pet parents alike.