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Forums > Critiques
Written by Terri Stone on October 10, 2008
Below are three logos for the Sears department store.
The company used the top logo from 1970 to 1984, the middle logo from 1984 to 2004 (some stores haven't yet taken down this signage), and the bottom logo is current.
What do you think of the evolution? Does the current logo work?
Vote for your favorite incarnation at http://www.creativepro.com/node/63416
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A Nike subsidiary?
If I didn't know it's not true, I could easily think that Sears is some kind of a Nike subsidiary - or became such. From the top of my head, I don't remember exactly how the Nike swoosh looks like, but I know there's a distinguishing swoosh there, and now it's a part of S ears.
Nothing new
I agree with those asking why change the logo. The original one looks fine, and the others add nothing at all to it. I'm not against changing a logo, but only if there's a significant improvement. I find all three satisfactory, so I don't see the point of changing it just for the sake of changing it.
They spent HOW much??? For THAT???
I remember that was my reaction to the middle logo when it was introduced... seemed like something anyone could come up with in an hour or so... and to get paid thousands of dollars for it?! I'm in!
But it seems the thing with a logo is, it really doesn't matter how good or bad it is - as long as you see it all the time!
What really matters is if the product or company is GOOD.
not from around here
Being Australian, I'm not really sure how the subliminal 'stars n stripes' effect - in the latter two logos - works on Americans. Maybe it depends on whether you're in a red state or not. I'd hazard it'd be off-putting? maybe a bit cheap? I imagine Sears are supposed to be cheap, but maybe they want to be cheap as in 'good value' as opposed to shoddy-tacky-nasty-crappy, which is the effect of the inline font (because it's inline Helvetica! and stuffs around with the eyes) and the swoosh (because it's ubiquitous, but also because it's so 'every day is 4th of July'). I don't agree they should go the full nostalgia trip. Fine for your edgy designer market, but in a mainstream context it becomes hokey. I reckon they should think in terms of a 'back-to-basics' approach - and maybe apply it to their service if it's so poor. It's true the font on the original logo is now back in style (someone said it was Bodoni, but it looks like Century Schoolbook to me) so they can take advantage of that. But they need to remember that their market aren't just a bunch of dumb proles who'll swallow anything, but are rational, intelligent people who work bloody hard for their money and consider carefully the value of their purchases. Unless of course their market is just dumb proles - but that's what $2 shops are for (if you have them).
Chris P
Sears used to have free snacks??!
Dude, I would go to the store just for that.
Bring back the snacks!
Terri Stone
Editor in Chief, CreativePro.com
It's Still Dated
just like their stores.
Sears logo
There’s no harm in trying to give the logo a more up-to-date look but were they successful? Personally, no. I never did understand the mind set of how changing a logo would somehow miraculously change a company. I’m sure they’re just trying to appeal to a younger market demo. And why not. The nostalgic idea is nice –how about an updated version – a mix of then and now.
Not sure about a "Theme Park" atmosphere, but it could become a shopping experience through design and merchandising.
Oh, the logo, Helvetica bold works for me. Easy to work with and read. And I do like the BLUE color used in the third example.
CGF
Headbuz
More serious problems than a logo can fix
I've read repeatedly here that Sears has more serious problems that simply a change in logo can't fix. I know this from person experience. Sears used to be a great place to buy good appliances. I'm pretty sure they still have good appliances, but now when you walk in, you're faced with salespeople who know nothing about the products they're selling and who are not empowered to make decisions for themselves.
After a particularly bad experience, I refused to do business with Sears. However, their repair service still seemed to be of quality, so I continued to do business with them.
Until recently...
It appears that even the repair service department has now suffered from the same poor management and lack of customer service from which the rest of the company has been withering and dying.
Sears doesn't need just a new logo, they need a new brand.
it's about the tools
Right now Sears is not really going with it's strengths. It is a great place to buy an appliance even if you hit a bad salesperson. It has beaucoup tools which can appeal to large buying audience. It will reliably back it's products and whatever else it sells.
It is the same in any retail outlet these days. Customer service is dead or dying and you can't blame the underpaid staff. Until companies like Sears realize that customers want quality service with knowledgeable staff they will never be successful. Target succeeds through brilliant advertising and inspired buying. Sears can never compete with that. What it can do is to start competing where it can win and a new logo is not going to do very much, especially if it is derivative.
Wha?
I have to say I have no idea what the red swoosh is supposed to mean. It has no reason to be there so why add it. If anything it makes Sears feel cheaper and more commercial than it already is. It says Walmart to me. I guess thats what they are going for now.
Who is Sears?
For a company with more than a century of history, it's identity over the past three decades has been a shambles... and the logos reflect the lack of direction. Just as direct mail catalog marketing was taking off, Sears killed off its historic catalog -- the first direct mail catalog (whose early 1900s reprint sold millions of copies in the '70s). When new retailers appeared at the end of the 20th Century, Sears tried to be "new" and "hip" when it could have stressed that Sears is where America has always found what it wanted to buy for more than a hundred years. It's also where Allstate Insurance began. And the Die Hard battery. And the Discover Card. So they have a history of innovation that, in a misguided attempt to be just as contemporary as the store across the mall, they ignored. First, they have to get back in touch with the store's strengths -- experience, variety, innovation, reliability, and customer satisfaction -- and then craft a position, a tagline and, lastly, a logo.
They all could be better
The oldest one is the easiest to read, the middle one is just blah and the third one hurts my eyes! Retro is "IN".
BORING! Sears
When I think of Sears, I do think solid and dependable, but I also think BORING! I'm not sure they want to, but if they want to improve their image they should consider companies like Target who have branded the image of a 'target' into America's subconscious. When I think of Target I think young, cool, fun and money savings! SEARS has a thing or two to learn even if they have been around for centuries.
Melody Hanson
Imagine Photography LLC
The first one resonates with me the most
Like you all said, the first logo brings back memories of the Sears catalog, picking which toys I wanted for Christmas. They would do well to go back to this format, rather than follow the JC Penny train. It's more personal to shop in a store you remember as a kid.
Sears logo sale?
I'm not nuts about any of them but since you asked for a choice I think the third is the better of the three....but it might be better without the "swoosh"
Forward to the past
I agree with Jared McCarthy and Terri, too. Sears has big problems that can't be solved with a logo, however it is a place to start. I only go to Sears for appliances, yard equipment, and tools. I educate myself before going to Sears, because I know whoever waits on me will be clueless about their product--if I can find someone to wait on me. I never buy clothes in Sears. Their line is dreadful even if they did buy Lands End. I miss the smell of popcorn and cashews in Sears. Bodoni typeface served them well for a century, why try being something you are not and everyone knows it. I hate those little lines in the logo. It looks like they are trying too hard to be cool. Move forward, but pick up the good stuff from the past and take it with you.
none of the above
If you really think about it, the days of corporate "design" gangs are numbered. People are looking to more fresh artistic ideas. Leave the art to the art department, and the business to the business dept. Everybody thinks that they are an artist these days. This is a PRIME example.
Say no to retro
While a full retro Sears experience would be cool for a time, eventually it will lose its appeal.
Sears has much bigger problems than their logo alone can solve. Their brand is OLD and stodgy. At best they're a "me too" in the department store market space.
What Sears really needs to do is to allow their brand to live and grow. They have a wonderful heritage - but how does that heritage translate to the 21st century? At one time their catalog differentiated them from the competition. What makes them unique now? And, who cares about that difference?
While I agree that all three logos aren't great, Sears' problems go much deeper than a logo design can solve. They have to determine who they are and why anyone should care in today's marketplace. Then move on to things like store experience design, corporate identity, etc.
All Three Just Perfect for Sears
I think of Sears as a "fuddy-duddy" totally uncool store where I would never shop for clothes but might, just MIGHT shop for a refrigerator, or no, maybe only a washing machine. Therefore all three of these logos are an equally perfect match for their image. Boring. Outdated. "Retro" can be cool. But these are just old, blah, and nothing creative about them. The swoosh looks half-hearted and weak. I don't like any of them. They're perfect!
NO SWASHES!!!
The swash is a little "swishy". I don't swoon for the swash. The lower case is swell, but the swash is a swollen idea.
Sears Logo
Oh, so sad when a former giant turns into a dwarf and believes that changing the logo will change the customer's perception of the brand. A logo is not the brand, itonly represents the brand.
I'd love to see Sears use the old logo. But more than that, I'd like to see Sears return to the values, service, and knowledge that came with every visit and every sale.
There was a time when you could step into Sears to get advise from someone who knew what they were selling. Now, you're lucky to find someone, let alone someone who can assemble a complete sentence -- even with a full set of Craftsman tools.
And who can forget the unbearable temptation that can in the form of the "Hot Nuts" display that was a standard feature of every store.
There is a generation of advertisers and marketers now who believe that as long as it looks cool, is online, and keeps with the latest trend, all will be well with the brand. Brands stand for something: The composite perception of its customers.
Change the perception to a good one, and you can hang a dirty sock on a stick for a logo.
For more about how I design logos, see http://www.marketingprofs.com/5/mccarthy4.asp
Jared McCarthy
So tired of swashes
Why does every company feel they need to add a swash to their logo.
It has no uniqueness.
Been there done that.
Re "stand out in a sea of department store sameness"
Yes, and why stop at the logo?
What if the displays evoked the first half of the 19th century, and the sales staff uniforms were also retro? Going to Sears would become an event -- a theme park for people who can't afford theme parks, and/or who appreciate kitsch. It could make Sears cool!!
Terri Stone
Editor in Chief, CreativePro.com
Ditto...go retro
Of the three, I like the oldest one for reasons similar to Terri's. It's staid and dull, but at least it's solid and committed in its dullness. You look at it and immediately think of catalog covers, the insides of washer and dryer lids, and the backs of repairman coveralls.
Then they tried to give the brand some '80s 'oomph' with an all caps bold italic, but it didn't work. The thin white line inside the letterforms doesn't add anything either, and it gets even worse in the current incarnation since it doesn't even follow the contour of the font, particularly noticeable in the a and r. (In fact, I think getting rid of the white line altogether would help the current mark greatly, though I fear it would still be...dull.)
But as Terri suggests, a retro re-thinking might be just the ticket for Sears to pay real tribute to a long-lived brand and stand out in a sea of department store sameness.
i agree with terri's
i agree with terri's assesment.
None of these float my boat
The 1970s logo has a nostalgic appeal, since I remember dog-earing pages in the 1970s Wish Book (what we called the Sears catalog) to show my parents what toys I wanted for Christmas.
But I think Sears should go all out for nostalgia and make their logo look like it's from the turn of the century -- the turn from the 18th to the 19th, when the Sears catalog was a Very Big Deal.
Terri Stone
Editor in Chief, CreativePro.com