Ceat Leaves Behind its Rhino!
Monday, April 28, 2008
Ceat tyres has recently undergone re-branding. The new logo of Ceat is designed by Ray + Keshavan. It doesn’t have the racing Rhinoceros that Ceat is often associated with. After a span of 50 years, Ceat changed its logo for the first time!
According to an article on AgencyFAQs,
It is the result of extensive feedback received from Ceat employees, customers and partners. Its inspiration emerges from the idea of ‘raising the bar’. The lines in bright orange give the logo a youthful and contemporary look and combine well with the maturity and stability of the blue letter forms that signify Ceat’s rich heritage in the sector.
The logo blends an all-capitals contemporary typeface with a distinctive visual element. The upright hand-drawn type is in bold and connotes strength and stability. The E in the logo represents motion and movement.
The logo is very simple and typographical. There doesn’t seem to be a tagline to support the new logo. I guess it has been designed to suit the corporate needs of the evolving company. Ray and Keshavan seems to be very keen on being simple in its logo designs. But, it all depends on the company profile, the creative brief and the research undertaken.
Entry Filed under: Brand Identity, Branding, Design, Logo Design, Marketing, Rebranding. Tags: band, ceat, corporate identity, Design, Logo Design, Marketing, Rebranding.
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1.
Nitin | Wednesday, April 30, 2008 at 12:30 pm
The Genesis of the Logo: The Old logo and tagline “Born Tough” worked wonders for CEAT in an era where the chief requirement from a tyre was “Overloading”, be it the 6 wheeled trucks that you saw lumbering on the highway or be it the family car that used to carry the entire joint family.
However times have changed, the transportation game has changed… The 6 wheeler trucks are being replaced by high speed container trucks. Nuclear families and vehicle seating norms have ensured that your car is not really overloaded as in the past. Hence over a period of time the primary requirement from a tyre has changed from just “load carrying capacity” to mileage, Cushioning(read comfort),Speed(Speed rated Radials)and parameters like Cost per Km(Truck Owners are actually becoming that scientific)…
Extensive research with our consumers pointed out towards the fact that while CEAT, the Rhino and Born Tough were still SALIENT, their relevance was a question mark???.. Catering to a young India where 55% of the population is under 25, is no joke.. You need to youthful, fast, aggressive and that is precisely what the new logo is all about.
Also, a logo does not stand for a consumer brand alone. Today it visually depicts the aspirations of the entire set of stakeholders attached to the company,be it employees, future employees, investors, trade partners etc…
CEAT as a company has overcome a period of despondency and now wants to occupy a premium position in all the stakeholders’ mindset. There have been lot of initiatives that have been taken within the company(operational, cultural, product-wise etc),to make it a far more youthful, aggressive and contemporary company. Some changes have already happened and some will be experienced by the stakeholders in the days to come. All in all the company is in a state where it is ready to “Take it on”
The New Logo is a visual manifestation of this Corporate philosphy.
Ceat’s new logo is youthful and mature – building on the rich heritage of the company. The three orange lines are symbolic of speed and dynamism and are based on the idea of ‘raising the bar’. The capital letters make the mark look mature and distinguished. The visual language is derived from the elements of the road, whilst the rich blue sets the brand apart.
Hope this clarifies any issue with respect to the logo change
Nitin
2.
Saawan | Wednesday, April 30, 2008 at 12:38 pm
Thank you for your professional input, Nitin. I feel the logo is very apt for the current Ceat brand.
There have been no issues as such regarding the new logo.
Thanks again!
3.
Rajesh Dahiya | Monday, May 12, 2008 at 8:35 pm
Lets be honest here.
The new CEAT logo…
1. Has less recall value than the original form.
2. Is badly crafted… actually it looks ugly to me.
3. will damage CEAT’s identity (whatever is left of it).
PLEASE dont tell me that using three horizontal strokes for E evokes ‘motion’… I just hope CEAT CEO’s daughter/son graduates as a good graphic designer and convinces him to change this horror logo.
That is the only hope.
4.
Rajesh Dahiya | Monday, May 12, 2008 at 8:36 pm
OH and I have similar thoughts for Godrej and Shoppers Stop.
WHY WHY WHY WHY are we nosediving????
5.
Pallavi Bhardwaj | Tuesday, May 20, 2008 at 5:09 pm
CEAT New logo is a good change and at the right time. The infrastructure is improving and probably 25-year-old Ceat Rhino was not a lucrative option for youngsters who focus on performance and agility which a Rhino was not capable to depicting.
The logo thought is great but hasn’t been translated well in advertising. Commercials talk about “Change” instead of talkign about E-nergy factor. Their website could have been a great tool to interact with users and provide them with commuters club /drive getaways, is currently far from interaction. Its just static. Its not only LOGI change but over all experience that makes a brand look Young!
6.
aditya | Tuesday, August 26, 2008 at 3:12 pm
plz bring back the lovely rhino !!!