The digital landscape has been constantly evolving over the years, creating vast opportunities for the growth and prosperity of small businesses. Especially in recent years, we have witnessed innovative and exciting new brands — from home bakeries and independent artists, to young, up-and-coming fashion brands — seemingly popping out from nowhere and thriving amidst the fierce waves of today's competitive market.

What sets these brands apart from larger, well-established brands is their unique, out-of-the-box approach to branding — something fresh and authentic. However, branding can also become a double-edged sword, especially when approached the wrong way.

The point we are making is this: yes, branding is undeniably crucial. But without a clear plan or even a basic understanding of what makes branding work, it can backfire — and adios, there goes your brand.

Branding Mistakes Are Not Rare

The journey to building a strong brand is full of lethal traps. Missteps like lacking social awareness, misunderstanding your audience, overly radical or biased messaging, sloppy design, or inconsistent branding across platforms can cost disconnection with your audience.

Let’s take a look at four branding examples that are famous in a bad way, and, more importantly, how you can avoid making the same mistakes.

Case Studies: When Branding Misses the Mark

1. What is your message? - The London 2012 Olympics Logo Debacle

Courtesy of Wolff Olins

Do you remember the logo for the 2012 London Olympics? Probably not. And that alone speaks volume that it was not much of a good logo. Now, guess how much it cost to design? £400,000. Yes, you read that right. This branding misstep, for THE biggest sports event in the world, became nothing but a joke.

The logo featured an abstract, jagged font paired with bold, neon colours — choices that were widely criticised. It did not communicate anything about the Olympics, London, or sports. Instead, it was confusing and disconnected. It failed to reflect the culture and spirit of London, the UK, or the Olympics values of unity and sportsmanship. What remained was a muddled message, audience backlash, and a hefty price tag.

A logo should be more than just unique or visually striking — it must be culturally relevant, instantly recognisable, and meaningful. Overly abstract and bold designs risk confusing, or even dissociating your audience. The London 2012 logo serves as a reminder that branding should always be clear, resonant, and authentic.

2. What Am I Looking At? - Brazilian University Instituto de Estudos Orientais Logo

Let’s be honest: we’re all thinking the same thing. No need to say it out loud. Imagine the reaction of students, citizens, and the global public when they first saw this logo for a university. The Instituto de Estudos likely did not anticipate the wave of criticism when they unveiled their new design.

What was likely intended to represent the institute's architecture and a rising sun was widely interpreted as a phallic symbol. To many, the unintended inappropriate connotations seemed obvious, making it a perplexing choice for a logo — let alone for an academic institution. So, how did this happen? Most likely, a lack of testing, diverse feedback, and cultural sensitivity during the design process.

To prevent such branding missteps, it’s crucial to gather perspectives from a diverse crowd and go through testing before implementation. A simple consultation with staff and students could have sounded an alarm on the potential issues early on. After all, who wants their brand to gain attention for the wrong reasons when a thoughtful logo can be both culturally appropriate and reinforce the brand’s image and message.

3. Where Is the Old You?- Gap’s Logo Debacle

Credit: Medium

Remember when Gap ditched its beloved blue box logo for a generic, sans-serif design in 2010? That didn’t go so well. For many, the blue box is Gap, and Gap is the blue box. Considering how much of Gap’s design is based on its original logo, it is clear the two are inseparable.

Credit: GAP

The result of the rebranding attempt was immediate: instead of strengthening the brand, it triggered online protests. Gap appeared to have underestimated the emotional connection their customers had with the logo and the message behind it. Rebranding was done for the sake of rebranding, without maintaining and developing their existing brand identity. Within a week, Gap reverted to its old logo.

The brand’s rapid u-turn highlights the importance of consumers’ feelings in a brand. A successful rebranding should reinforce the bond between brand and consumers by carefully considering both the brand’s desired image and the established emotional connection. A misstep, however, can send a brand several big steps back.

4. Where’s My Juice? - Tropicana’s Packaging Redesign

The orange-with-a-straw is, without a doubt, Tropicana’s iconic packaging. Instantly recognizable from afar, it represents pure and natural orange juice. The power of this image became painfully clear when the brand replaced it with a minimalist, ‘aesthetic’ design. Suddenly, customers couldn’t spot their favourite juice from across the aisle. Within two months, Tropicana suffered from a 20% drop in sales — they rushed to return to the original design.

Credit: Tropicana

Tropicana’s decision to prioritise aesthetics over authenticity in its packaging resulted in more than a sales dip; it is a misorientation in brand image. The new packaging not only confused their loyal customers with their not-so-fresh look, but it also failed to convey Tropicana’s commitment to providing pure, premium juice.

The Tropicana case underscored the critical balance between innovation, aesthetics and authenticity. Understanding consumer perception of your brand is key to maintaining a brand’s image and retaining consumer loyalty. A popping brand icon is vital forcommunicating a brand’s values and products. When that icon is transformed into something unrecognizable, consumers simply wouldn’t bother to look for your products.

Branding Is More Than Aesthetics

As highlighted above, regardless of the size, reputation, or fame of a label, branding missteps are common. Branding is never an easy task — it involves countless levels of thinking, re-thinking, and re-rethinking to ensure your brand isn’t misunderstood, mocked, protested against, or ignored. It is always more than just aesthetics; it’s about relevance, authenticity, connection, and communication.

At House of Forme, we believe in crafting brand identities that don’t just stand out but feel like something of flesh and blood. We create brands with depth and meaning — something your audience can see, feel, and fully experience. Whether through a strong digital presence or a captivating offline experience, we help you tell the story that is closest to your heart.

We hope you’ve enjoyed reading this article as much as we’ve enjoyed writing it. For more insights into the world of creative branding, subscribe below — or schedule a free consultation to see how we can help you craft a brand that truly resonates.