Companies put a lot of effort into distinguishing themselves from others and establishing their unique brand. Over time, people get used to everything businesses associate themselves with, from their values to their logos and slogans. So when a brand introduces some changes, a lot of their customers feel apprehensive about them, especially if the rebrand completely misses the mark.

Many instances of questionable redesigns await you in the list below, and while you’re scrolling through them, don’t forget to express your opinions on whether a rebrand for these specific logos and designs was a good idea or not.

Bored Panda also reached out to Lauren Diana Scalf, a certified business strategist and founder of Laurea Consulting, and brand strategist Alicia Nagel, who kindly agreed to chat with us more about rebrands.

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Lauren Diana Scalf, a certified business strategist and founder of Laurea Consulting, tells us that she's been with many businesses through big shifts, such as new offers, audiences, and seasons.

"And a rebrand is often one of the most exciting (and risky) moves they make. It’s not just about fresh visuals. It’s about clarity, connection, and creating a brand that actually supports where you’re headed next. When strategy and design work together, it can be a game-changer. When they don’t, it shows," she explains.

"A successful rebrand represents an authentic evolution of the brand and company. This means that the brand is flexing up and evolving to authentically reflect who the company is, their market positioning, personality, etc.," adds brand strategist Alicia Nagel.

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When a redesign is unsuccessful, it confuses people, feels disconnected from the original identity, or loses the emotional connection that customers had with the brand, says Scalf. "It doesn’t matter how 'cool' it looks if it doesn’t feel aligned."

Nagel also notes that a rebrand usually fails when a company spontaneously decides it is something that it isn't. "Just like with people, this breeds distrust. When someone misrepresents who they are or simply reinvents themselves in a way that feels inauthentic, we are turned off and distrust them. The same goes for brands," she explains.

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An example of an unsuccessful design that Scalf provides is GAP. "The new look felt generic, corporate, and totally disconnected from what people associated with the brand. The backlash was immediate, and they switched back in less than a week.

Another big one was Tropicana’s packaging redesign. They made everything so minimal and abstract that customers didn’t recognize the product on the shelves. Sales dropped by $30 million in just a couple of months. That wasn’t a design issue—it was a strategy issue," she suggested.

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Meanwhile, Nagel adds Pepsi to the list of unsuccessful redesigns. "Soft drink Pepsi is notorious for continuously redesigning their logos over the years, and for a while there they had an odd arrangement of swooshes in their circular logo that were not very memorable or impactful.

In 2023, they brought back the retro logo, and, in my opinion, it's about time. It's memorable, visually arresting, is an honest presentation of their swoosh in the circle, and says their brand name loud and proud," she says.