New AOL Logo: Aol.com (PHOTOS)

AOL is introducing a new logo and "brand identity."

The company's new look, which will be rolled out next month "when it is spun off from Time Warner, ditches the odd-looking triangle that has long served as the brand symbol and replaces the letters AOL with 'Aol.' -- complete with a period."

AOL posted a press release previewing the change on its website on Sunday.

The new AOL brand identity is a simple, confident logotype, revealed by ever-changing images. It's one consistent logo with countless ways to reveal. The new brand identity will be fully unveiled on December 10, when AOL common stock begins trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

"Our new identity is uniquely dynamic. Our business is focused on creating world-class experiences for consumers and AOL is centered on creative and talented people - employees, partners, and advertisers. We have a clear strategy that we are passionate about and we plan on standing behind the AOL brand as we take the company into the next decade," said Tim Armstrong, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of AOL.

The New York Times quotes Sam Wilson, part of the team at Wolff Olins who designed the new look:

The period in the logo was added to suggest "confidence, completeness," Ms. Wilson said, by declaring that "AOL is the place to go for the best content online, period."

Mr. Armstrong said he liked to describe the period as "the AOL dot" because "the dot is the pivot point for what comes after AOL," whether it is e-mail, Web sites or coming offerings that will "surprise people."

Quick Poll

What do you think of the new AOL logo?

Smart. I like it.

They need a new look, but this is NOT it. Ugly.

They should keep the old AOL logo!

I don't care.

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Comments

[ktomas]

02:42 PM on 11/23/2009

They misspelled the logo. It's really DOA.com

[deluxebrand]

12:46 PM on 11/23/2009

I understand it is a "trend" to create a logo that can be used with a variety of images/backgrounds these days, but this one is simply not very well thought out or executed. Take a look at Nickelodeon to see how this is done right...

This looks like someone took some clip art and typed aol. on top of it...no sophistication at all.

[AnnRose]

11:57 AM on 11/23/2009

Awful. It looks weak. It looks like "A", then is that the letter "O" or the number "Zero"? Then is that the letter "L" or the letter "I" (eye), or the number "1" (one)? Very confusing and not strong. As for the "period" or "dot"...it's irrelevant. Not a good change.

[listeningpost]

09:26 AM on 11/23/2009

edsel.

[bettyx1138]

09:26 AM on 11/23/2009

does anyone on here know anyone who uses aol?

[bettyx1138]

09:24 AM on 11/23/2009

puhleeze. aol is a dinosaur. die already.

[tora]

08:47 AM on 11/23/2009

I find the logo designs and the press release to be very submissive and rather boring. There is no intrigue or substance. What is the point? except for the period...

[bettyx1138]

09:24 AM on 11/23/2009

desperate attempt at pandering to middle america lowest common denominator?

[unitron]

08:45 AM on 11/23/2009

I vote for the one in the upper right hand corner, the one that looks like circling the drain. Just seems appropriate.

[randomramble]

05:52 AM on 11/23/2009

"the dot is the pivot point for what comes after AOL..."

shouldn't they have then made the logo Aol.com/

.. where 'the slash is the pivot point for what comes after a slash... because that is how the internet works.'

[emerson7]

08:37 AM on 11/23/2009

lol...i'm not sure aol really 'knows' how the internet works.

[bettyx1138]

09:25 AM on 11/23/2009

its a series of tubes connecting lolcats.

[clearpepsi]

03:18 AM on 11/23/2009

hmm... I think of open conversations about logo and logo changes in general is a red flag with organizations -- you know there is change and instability in the air....

[benji85]

08:31 AM on 11/23/2009

not necessarily, walmart changed their logo not too long ago and their sales are still stable if not growing.

[listeningpost]

09:21 AM on 11/23/2009

Walmart has a logo?

[McMurdo]

03:07 AM on 11/23/2009

What are these six images supposed to be anyway?

Image #1 is obviously a goldfish. #2 is a hand making the "bull" sign (or is it a Hawaiian surfer waving "hello"?). #3 through #6 are a little too abstract to make out what they are supposed to be. #5 in particular looks like Itchy dropped a big ol' ball of yarn on Scratchy!

Yep. Looks like the same old AOL.

To answer other commenters: I keep AOL around primarily for the occasion when my high speed line goes out or when I'm traveling in some remote area with no high speed access. Dial-up as a backup is better than nothing.

[benji85]

08:32 AM on 11/23/2009

agreed, the images look like windows stock photos, re-imaged with aol in front of it.

[Hardyman1966]

02:24 AM on 11/23/2009

Does anyone actually even still use and/or pay for AOL's software that still clogs up your computer, considering their web-based accounts are free?

[alexhoward]

01:54 AM on 11/23/2009

"Aol." Really. That sounds like the dying scream of a man choking on a live rattlesnake.

[Doc0976]

01:52 AM on 11/23/2009

They should have saved the money used for branding and teleported themselves into the 21st Century to join the rest of us.

[Mustapha Zidal]

01:38 AM on 11/23/2009

Really are people still using AOL?That sounds Like Talking about Atari while my kids are playing PS3.