If you’re a brand geek like me, you do a double-take when a major re-brand falls into your peripheral vision. Thus was the case for me while half  watching Hewlett Packard’s new TouchSmart PC television ad. HP’s is one of those tried and true marks that you kinda wished would get an update soon. Well, with very little fanfare, it did.

Personally, I dig the new logo - but without the “me too” glossy reflection. Don’t get me wrong. I appreciate the importance of keeping up with the Joneses when it comes to branding. But I kinda cringed a little when HP jumped on board. You’d expect them to be a leader, not a follower. But removing the rectangular shape around the letterform and circle was a good move - never really understood the meaning of that.

With today’s brand marks simplicity is the rule. Strip away the highlight and reflection and you’ve got a solid mark. There are lots of discussions on the new HP logo.

What’s your opinion?