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Flash forward to the year 2015…
Imagine your local Best Buy at 5:30 am on a Saturday morning; late August 2015. Picture a winding line of 300 good Americans—moms, dads, children, teenagers, and husky Ebay speculators. The barbarians at the gate are loaded with lawn chairs, vitamin C, playing cards, fleece blankets, and other middle-class mechanisms of subsistence. All are biding their time in hopes of being one of the first few to get their knuckles around the newest model of the Compaq Presario VXXX series. Compaq is so hot right now—they sponsored the last space shuttle mission.
Lest the consumer of the future remember the ’80s and ’90s when Compaq made ash-grey machines that were more or less the same shape as the box they came in. I remember playing Doom on a Compaq with sharp, uneven plastic seams which were accidental recepticles for Crystal-Clear Pepsi, but that’s all in the past.
COMPAQ (Compatibility and Quality) was one of the first makers of IBM compatible machines back in the ’80s. It was since bought by HP where it underwent several image transformations. The previous logo was made in 1991 by Interbrand and later adjusted by Landor. Evidently, these agencies were careful not to reinvent the serious former logo for strategic ends unknown to us; equity, beauty, cost, fear, timelessness, please pick one. The tweaked-out logo remained decidedly backwards-looking with its po-mo italic until early last month when the new logo was revealed during a launch of new laptops.
Compaq’s brand has historically lacked a personality offered by identity, packaging, or product. Cohorts in the category all have a hook; a cow-spot box (Gateway); a beautifully engineered instrument by ex-Olivetti folk (ThinkPad), or dare we mention the skin of Apple. Even the most grating ad campaign of the late ’90s burned the Dell name in everyones head while aiming at a college-bound stoner crowd, “Dude, you’re gettin’ a Dell.”
The new Compaq identity is a new slate for the company. Magic happens when you roll over the nuclear family on the website. The Q becomes a huge speech bubble voicing consumer dreams and needs. This transparent gesture is playful and smart. Speech is not an original idea; however in context, the Q suggests that Compaq is listening and reacting to different types of consumers.
Indeed, if Compaq aims to be populist by selling down-market computers and laptops for the not-Apple crowd, they’ll have to put their ear to billions of consumers. (They already have a $450 laptop.) Their new Democratic slogan, “See why Compaq gets people talking,” may get tired, but the perverse Q finally means…something.
The forms of the new logo are techy but sexy. Tough-but-fleshy gestalt forms appear to be drawn by happy engineers with protractors who also happen to make trustworthy hardware. The flood of red is passionate with hints of cherry and a pomegranate aftertaste; making spreadsheets has never been so seductive. And if you’re one of the many who find reproduction sexy, you can certainly imagine the logo going through a fax machine, or re-entering the atmosphere well at 60’ x 10’ on a space-shuttle. Well done, Compaq. See you in the future.
Jump to Most Recent Comment
Nick’s comment is:
I like the new mark a lot, and that Q is great. The website, however, is a monstrosity.
On Aug.26.2007 at 01:38 PM
Vincent’s comment is:
It's ironic to me that in order to look futuristic and sexy, the new type resembles numbers on a large-screen LCD calculator, which would have looked futuristic 20 years ago.
But it's really well done; I had always wondered why they deformed the Q in the old one, and now it has a purpose and a use, even if it is a little cheesy. (Speech bubbles are all the rage these days.) I like it. The former logo was far too...Microsoft-y. It's officially been reinvigorated.
On Aug.26.2007 at 01:39 PM
Jade’s comment is:
Nice '50s nuclear family, with Dad going off to work and Mom in pearls taking care of the kiddies. I'm a late-twenties female professional - guess Compaq isn't listening to me. Pity, since the graphics are otherwise nice.
On Aug.26.2007 at 01:46 PM
Jeff’s comment is:
it could be worse, but to me it feels as if they picked the typeface solely for the Q.
granted their previous logotype was severely dated - something a little more relative was in order
i dont dislike the color change, funnily enough they took the direction opposite of the dairy queen re-hash
im not much of a type snob, but i feel like this resembles a free font
On Aug.26.2007 at 01:46 PM
Freddy Samuel’s comment is:
Didn't Compaq get bought by HP a while ago? I didn't know they still existed!
On Aug.26.2007 at 02:23 PM
Calvin Ross Carl’s comment is:
Are you kidding me? This is a joke right. The only thing that is remotely enjoyable about this new logotype is the Q. Everything else looks like an old, sad 1950's attempt to show what the future will look like in the 1980's, when our cars fly and robots cook for us.
On Aug.26.2007 at 03:58 PM
Guillaume’s comment is:
Of course this is a joke Calvin. Brand New would never applaud an identity presumably made by an intern, right? Right?
Haha, and what an intern. He just forgot wordart to make it more predictable.
On Aug.26.2007 at 04:13 PM
Guillaume’s comment is:
Hahaha.
Just read the text in the bubbles. This is beyond predictable. It's hilariously so. Somebody at compaq obviously wanted to give his 16 years old geek son's career as a graphic designer a bump.
On Aug.26.2007 at 04:29 PM
Ty Halasz’s comment is:
The retro logotype, although somewhat questionable, is a vast improvement over the impersonal and stoic original. And of course the Q is the highlight. The lowlight of the identity is the usage of stick figures. If the new logo makes the identity more personal, then the stick figures cancel out the personality because of their overuse in crappy design.
On Aug.26.2007 at 05:07 PM
Geof Harries’s comment is:
You'd think after spending all of that money on a new identity, Compaq would at least lay down a reasonable portion of their marketing budget to improve the website, not make it worse.
On Aug.26.2007 at 05:48 PM
hk’s comment is:
Wow.
Just...awful.
On Aug.26.2007 at 07:30 PM
Irvin Cheung’s comment is:
Overall I think its a vast improvement over the previous identity however I do think the typography is a bit "pedestrian" and expected for a computer company. That said it wouldn't surprise me at all if eventually they phase out the wordmark in lieu of utilising the "Q" as a primary mark and then replacing the wordmark with a more timeless typographical solution.
On Aug.26.2007 at 09:18 PM
Pat Broderick’s comment is:
My initial reaction is that this logo looks like one of the futuristic logo updates in the movie Idiocracy.
On Aug.26.2007 at 09:59 PM
stock_illustration’s comment is:
Not sure about the logo change...I like the new one better than the old one, but agree that it looks like the LED display on my old Texas Instruments calculator. But the stick figures...poorly done! Why does the mother's right arm look like an East German wrestler's compared to her left? And the skirt and pearls are ridiculous, as is the necktie on the man and the ballcaps on the kids. Where's Von...this is ripe for the picking. The website does not look like a high tech computer manufacturer. Awful.
On Aug.26.2007 at 10:01 PM
Corey Buckner’s comment is:
Oh how Paqman of them. Looks like an old video game logo. I feel like I just entered an old school arcade. for that reason I personally like it.
On Aug.27.2007 at 12:04 AM
Mike Mitchell’s comment is:
What's the point of relaunching this brand if you're going to have every single link on that abomination of a web site lead directly to HP? Perhaps their slogan should be: "Make it happen with Microsoft Frontpage."
As for the logo, it looks a lot better here with all the extra detail you guys accidently added to it via ImageReady than it does on their website.
On Aug.27.2007 at 12:55 AM
Splashman’s comment is:
This logo has more personality than the previous, but I gotta agree with the others that having the "Q" dictate the font choice was unfortunate. I could be polite and call it retro, but I'm won't.
Regarding the website animation -- yeah, I can't wait to see what Von will do with this. Heh. He's probably working on it right now, and I'll bet big money that his version will be a huge improvement.
And regarding sexual politics as visualized on Compaq's site, I advise y'all to cut them some slack. They're damned if they do and damned if they don't. They can't make everyone happy, and frankly, I'm happy to see they didn't give the radical fembots (you know there has to be at least a few in the upper ranks at HP) veto power over their marketing plan. Who knows -- maybe they'll rotate through a few different animations. The next could have executive Mom, nurse Dad, the kids and the day care provider. The next one could feature a stay-at-home dad. The next could have Heather and her two mommies. And then . . . well, maybe I better stop there.
On Aug.27.2007 at 03:06 AM
Matthew Moore’s comment is:
Wow that site is beyond bad. That agency must have some good talkers!
On Aug.27.2007 at 07:50 AM
L.Vazquez’s comment is:
And regarding sexual politics as visualized on Compaq's site, I advise y'all to cut them some slack.
Um... what?
I think Compaq dropped the ball on this big time. I don't think this is a good solution to portray what ever market they're after. People come from different backgrounds and all have different tastes. Some people didn't grow up with a family... some people don't aspire to create a family.
Right. I'll stop playing the world's smallest violin, but I'll agree, this idea is going in the wrong direction.
L.
On Aug.27.2007 at 08:07 AM
Blake’s comment is:
Well, the old logo felt dated and tired to me. I always question whether that feeling revolves around the identity itself, or the company's lack of innovation. I'm a firm believer faith in a brand starts at the company level, and is translated thru it's identity.
Don't know if a change was warranted, but I feel it's a welcomed step. Unfortunately it doesn't feel like it strays away from anything but what we'd expect. Futuristic, rounded, Q'tsy. I can live with it though. I don't find it "awful" like some, however it doesn't feel too terribly inspiring either.
On Aug.27.2007 at 08:16 AM
Folky’s comment is:
Does anyone know what agency made it?
Was it an inside job?
On Aug.27.2007 at 08:18 AM
Jeremy H’s comment is:
I find the new logo to be deplorable. I'm not sure what the design team was thinking when they came up with this -- perhaps they weren't?
The tag-line is cheesy. The concept is weak. The site is even weaker than the type. Did anyone know that Compaq does in fact get people talking? Ha!
I do like the color choice however.
On Aug.27.2007 at 10:50 AM
drew kora’s comment is:
I will alsways love sci-fi lookin letter. I have a weakness for them. When I was discovering that I was indeed a designer back in highschool everythign ahd to be eurostile. hhaha.
anyway, love this mark.
On Aug.27.2007 at 11:11 AM
danny’s comment is:
so basically, what they are saying this new logoo is that the old one was clunky and ugly and with this new one, they are saying we're clunky and ugly but at least we're rounded?
i don't get it. the identity system is still missing any sort of real personality. i'll give it to them that they at least attempted giving it some depth with te Q, but it just feels like a watered down grab at a current logo trend.
bottom line is that they are still a somewhat confusing brand in a saturated market. Q or no Q
and note: happy 1950's family icons? seriously? They did no market research, but hoped for the best with that one.
On Aug.27.2007 at 11:19 AM
Von Glitschka’s comment is:
I'd agree with the comment that looks like a '1001FreeFonts.com' logo type. Is it just me or does the lady just look like it's just Dad cross dressing? Those are pretty beefy shoulders. That or she's a former German wrestler?
The new mark does have cross-brand potential though.
Insert Image: 
L.Vazquez’s comment is:
Von Glitchka: You should put out a gallery of all your logo crit animations.
On Aug.27.2007 at 02:56 PM
kleid’s comment is:
I'm sorry. I just can't do it.
Often times, I won't like a rebrand posted here at first glance. I'll read the explanation, and come to an understanding, and even come to like it.
But I just can't buy this. I see a glimmer of hope on the shots of their laptops--the backgrounds with the Q reversed out.
But that website just verifies the lack of design thought that went into it. Is it "undesigned" to intentionally, or did they just teleport someone from 1995 to design their new brand? And didn't staples already use the man symbol with an attitude? Maybe it wasn't staples...But really, who HASN'T?
On Aug.27.2007 at 04:20 PM
vectr’s comment is:
I see a glimmer of hope on the shots of their laptops--the backgrounds with the Q reversed out.
Until you realise the entire re-branding exercise was likely based on a protracted conversation that went something like this:
"Apple is kicking ass. That distinctive blue swooshy desktop image that apple uses in their ads? We'll do red!. You know, to differentiate.
We'll brand it with a stylised icon too. Yeah, I know we don't have one. Can't we make one out the the 'Q'? The rest of the re-branding will follow nicely.
We'll make red the new... they're dropping the blue swooshy desktop image? ... fuck"
On Aug.27.2007 at 08:35 PM
dale harris’s comment is:
i reckon the q on it's own is quite a nice mark - but in the full treatment the other letters are almost like an afterthought - an excuse for the q almost.
to tell you the truth i am a big fan of the q - and i quite liked the old one too.. maybe i just have a thing for q..
On Aug.28.2007 at 01:29 AM
Todd’s comment is:
wow, very nice update. very modern. that other logo they used was 90's looking. this one is clean, the kerning is nicely done and the shaping of the "Q" gives Compaq it's own image. Maybe someday they will just use the "Q" on their machines and people will know what it is.
On Aug.28.2007 at 09:33 PM
Moriarty’s comment is:
I actually quite like it – especially when compared to the previous.
Yes, it is a bit cliche on the 'future' and 'techy' front and yes, the 'Q' is the star of the show but overall I think it's an improvement and ceratinly not as dated as the old logo.
They could really make something more of it by making all their computers in that colour rather than boring standard black. Help them stand out from a well over crowded market place – at least in terms of superficial 'prettines' (hey, it worked for the tutti frutti original ibooks and imacs!) or difference, even if not in actual spec / cost.
Just taken a butchers at the website. Mmmm. Moving on…
However, this should never have been allowed – bloody awful.
LKM’s comment is:
Yeah, that logo looks like a futuristic logo out of a cheap 80s science fiction movie. Well done, movie set designers from the past!
On Aug.29.2007 at 08:39 AM
Helgi’s comment is:
The website has this vague "phishing scam" feel to it; a corporate site with an amateur-level polish
On Aug.30.2007 at 03:18 AM
darrel’s comment is:
Who made this logo? Given that HP owns Compaq and Logoworks, I would have thought they would have gone that route. ;o)
On Aug.30.2007 at 11:55 AM
adriano’s comment is:
... So people actualy like this :) This was a surprise, bigger than the awful rebranding.
On Aug.31.2007 at 12:48 PM
John’s comment is:
I could not resist.
Tim’s comment is:
This was one logo that did'nt need changing.
For the people at Compaq it must be tough when faced with the media juggernaut that is Apple, but changing the logo is'nt going to solve that. Better products and smarter advertising might help. Yet again design gets a kicking on a whim of some under performing marketing department.
My feeling is the old logo would still look OK in 20 years, the new one already looks past it... lack of foresight, big big mistake.
On Sep.04.2007 at 06:00 PM
Red Sox Jim’s comment is:
Compaq's new logo is HIDEOUS! What is with that awful looking Q?
The old logo had elegance and flair. This ugly new logo has nothing.
On Sep.09.2007 at 09:23 AM
Rob’s comment is:
I don't mind the logo.
But, the stick figure family is so unimaginative. After finishing the logo did they have some round-cornered lines left over?
And the mother in the dress with the pearls...I hope they're being tongue-in-cheek. Or are they going for a '50s retro futuristic theme? To what end?
On Sep.11.2007 at 07:29 PM
Tony Goff’s comment is:
I love how the last link takes you to the HP branded site, good to see they really thought about things and in no way just changed the red to pink and switched out the logos. Genius.
I quite like the logo though, reminds me of something Marty McFly Junior would be wearing on his sneakers...
On Sep.27.2007 at 11:41 AM
Frankie’s comment is:
HAHAHAA Compaq... There is no Compaq... Hp Owns it..
I fix HP and compaq Computers pre-refurb.. HP=Compaq Now. Sorry compaq.. your just the name now. The new computers are all HP designed Cases + HP design motherboards to fir the new design.
Menk’s comment is:
Will they be taking over my warranty on the ol' ED209 unit?
Lame. A step backwards, actually
On Dec.12.2008 at 10:15 PM
P-Easy, K-Shizzeh [PenaltyKillah]’s comment is:
Are we rushing to get to the future our forefathers had predicted in cheesy science fiction novels? Good God! Vivendi! Viacom! Kodak! And now this! Go look at their logos on Wikipedia; they ain't the ones of your youth. All these 21st century, New Age, Web 2.0 typefaces are dreadfully unoriginal. Kinda seem like designer inbreeding, eh?
On May.26.2009 at 12:23 AM
Comments in Brand New, V1.0 have been closed.
