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Boost Mobile, a “lifestyle-based telecommunications brand” and provider of mobile phones to the hip, the young and the restless has recently unveiled a new identity overhaul “engineered” by the equally hip Attik. The redesign includes the logo, of course, as well as a set of identity enhancements including new typefaces and colors in order to consistently brand the multitude of online and product offerings — from their online communities to the Boost Mobile Pro surfing competition. Boost Mobile is clearly targeted towards a young consumer — their web site touts 4.3 million customers with the majority under the age of 25 and their TV ads are nothing short of head-scratchers — so this redesign is spot on, especially in taking the original design and evolving it into a cleaner, bolder look. The icon feels a little more resolved to me, but I think the old one was pretty good too; and the typography is a definite improvement, as the old italicized version did not quite flow with the icon, and this one makes an interesting use of the letterfforms and creates with every character kissing each other — and, sure, it’s a little space agey, but it fits the brand and that’s what matters.
Thanks to Drew Dougherty for the tip.
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drew kora’s comment is:
I prefer the new typography & colors, but the old icon.
On Mar.10.2008 at 11:10 AM
Chad K’s comment is:
There is something about the icon, with the lack of counterspace, that make it feel a little heavy. Definitely a nice decision to make it a lighter color, although this may become even bolder if we were not seeing it on white (i.e. on black or overlaying a picture). The use of the thinner letterform is another nice contrast to the new bold icon. Overall I think it is a great redesign–changing everything from the original except for the feeling and general form.
On Mar.10.2008 at 11:27 AM
NICELOGO.COM’s comment is:
I had an opportunity to work with this crew a year ago and was totally surprised to see this. Personally the original icon was and is stronger. I did see their custom font set and new website look and feel and it's different and damn tight. But that new icon!?!
Word on the street is that the kids want better/cooler phones and Boost has yet to deliver the bomb phone designs. However turning a "Sprint owned" phone company into a real youth lifestyle brand has been a true accomplishment.
Andrew J Klein’s comment is:
Type is nice, nothing really to comment on, except for "space-agey" -well put
Icon is nice. A sensible evolution, I definitely think it's intended to be displayed on a black background,I particularly like the treatment on their website - http://www.boostmobile.com/
I go back and forth from seeing a flat shape to something almost 3d ... orange on black has definitely been trendy, though since several major brands have picked it up, it may be nearing the end of it's popularity, until next style-cycle
On Mar.10.2008 at 11:54 AM
Chad K’s comment is:
"I go back and forth from seeing a flat shape to something almost 3d"
I totally agree. It is definitely a dynamic shape. I also like the screen application on the phone that can be seen on their website. It lends itself to being an actual 3d graphic.
I also like the website grouping more. The icon has been almost scaled to the size of the text holding a similar baseline:
Darrin Crescenzi’s comment is:
Not being very far removed from Boost's target audience, I've often wondered whether or not people were actually buying into their service or not ("head-scratching" as a description of their advertising is putting it lightly).
The new wordmark is a vast improvement over the old, and I do agree the new icon is far more realized formally, but does anybody have a clue what it is?
Besides an extremely vague notion of "technology," I've never, ever understood what this one was supposed to be communicating.
On Mar.10.2008 at 01:10 PM
Bendy’s comment is:
Odd color choice for "under 25" crowd. As in "it sucks".
On Mar.10.2008 at 01:43 PM
mark’s comment is:
Clearly, it's a fortune cookie.
On Mar.10.2008 at 01:56 PM
David B.’s comment is:
Is that negative space in the icon an angled cell phone?
On Mar.10.2008 at 02:01 PM
Aaron’s comment is:
No reflections, no gradients, no 3D effects... thank you, thank you.
On Mar.10.2008 at 02:58 PM
C-Lo’s comment is:
Yeah you can tell they are trying to wrangle in the Tech savvy crowd. Because a phone company that has their corporate image based around a music style doesn't make sense. That and they probably learned their lesson from Amped Mobile.
As a logo, Eh what can I say about an abstract one color (PMS uncoated) shape. Not a lot and honestly that's a bad thing.
On Mar.10.2008 at 03:35 PM
Armin’s comment is:
> and I do agree the new icon is far more realized formally, but does anybody have a clue what it is?
Darrin, one of the articles I read on this, had this this to say about the icon:
"Boost's new look includes an updated logo: opposing orange shapes representing a skater or biker's ramp with a surfer's wave. ('Boost' refers to the extra lift at the end of the curve in extreme sports.)"
But, being the only source that mentioned this — and having no real grasp of extreme sports — I can't tell if it's true or not.
On Mar.10.2008 at 03:48 PM
T-Bone’s comment is:
If i hadn't have seen the orange on black version, i would've thought this was nasty. That washed-out orange looks wrong.
I'd love to know what the icon from both versions is/suggests... it's never said "boost" to me, more like "rip apart" or "stretch" or "eh?".
that said, the reversed version posted above looks pretty sweet.
On Mar.10.2008 at 03:59 PM
John Mindiola III’s comment is:
wow, this just got a lot worse. i always guessed that the previous logo was a geometric B shape of sorts. the new one looks like two nike swooshes crashed against one another, especially when set in orange. i've never totally understood boost either, but i think i understand it even less now. not to mention the fact that the wordmark went from boosting forward to standing perfectly still, lost in some other universe (are we done with space fonts yet?).
On Mar.10.2008 at 06:53 PM
Darrin Crescenzi’s comment is:
Ha ha, so it's the lip at the end of a skateboard ramp. For a cell phone provider. PERFECT!
It's a tepid metaphor at best, and talk about the absolute wrong way to market your wares to the skateboard set…
Thanks for sharing Armin. Let's hope is isn't true, but now I can totally see where they came up with the mark, and it makes me very, very sad.
On Mar.10.2008 at 07:36 PM
Darrin Crescenzi’s comment is:
Excuse my typo!
On Mar.10.2008 at 07:37 PM
yotam h.’s comment is:
Although not well crafted, I think I prefer the old icon. Not sure why, but it seems to me more memorable and unique, and it's negative spaces create more visually interesting shapes, when the new one appears to be too dull and heavy, like 2 obese nike swooshes.
The type although is an obvious improvment.
In a more general note, I think this Identity could dare a whole lot more, from colors to usage to concept, concidering its target audience, this seems a little too "okay".
On Mar.10.2008 at 07:47 PM
Luke Stevens’s comment is:
Wow, haven't heard about Attik, sorry, ATTIK for a long while. Remember when they were the ultra hip design darlings ~8 years ago?
Anyway, I think the redesign is excellent, partly because the previous mark looks really dated (a fate the new one is also assured of, but that's the cost of being trendy), and partly because the new one is very strong.
The shape doesn't have to be some goofy, literal visual metaphor for it to work. It's what it evokes that matters, and it certainly wouldn't look out of place with a snowboarding/skating brand, which is why it works, given the target market.
The colour use is far stronger on the web site and works well against black. The type is great, interesting without relying too much on novelty, and as mentioned the shape evokes all the right things with no gradients or faux-3D effects (as mentioned). Good job!
On Mar.10.2008 at 09:46 PM
DG3’s comment is:
Meh. I like the original.
On Mar.10.2008 at 10:55 PM
WORK’s comment is:
Overall improvement, but the icon looks like two constructed Nike logos gone fat. Prefer the new version though, as the old one reminded me of simplified Quicksilver logos flipped.
Maybe someone should take the original Adidas logo and do a similar (+1 and flip) treatment, and turn it into an X. Then they would have the X for xtreme-mobile...
Maybe its just me, but it feels a little unispired, not very culture reflected.
On Mar.11.2008 at 09:27 AM
Tom W’s comment is:
Luke said: The shape doesn't have to be some goofy, literal visual metaphor for it to work. It's what it evokes that matters…
sorry ;-|
On Mar.11.2008 at 11:05 AM
BWJ’s comment is:
As a logo, Eh what can I say about an abstract one color (PMS uncoated) shape. Not a lot and honestly that's a bad thing.
Yeah, those are really bad characteristics for an identity...
Oliver’s comment is:
Gotta love those arbitrary shapes...and the people that love them...
Ugly type too...
On Mar.11.2008 at 01:23 PM
Mark’s comment is:
I would just drop the symbol altogether now, doesn't seem to be working for them. (still haven't caught on about what it means, I thought it was an abstract B)
Although the type face is definitely an improvement.
On Mar.11.2008 at 02:47 PM
Mog’s comment is:
I was hoping I would see the new Boost brand here.
For the record, the orange is only for Boost's monthly Unlimited service. Their pay-as-you-go service has a green brand. Boost Unlimited has had an orange theme since its inception, but the pay-as-you-go service has always just been...not orange, so the new brand feels much more unified.
And yeah, the symbol is vague, and heavy, but it's a fresh redesign of the original, and that's really all it is supposed to be.
On Mar.11.2008 at 04:08 PM
Jung’s comment is:
Despite the horrible execution, at lease the old one had more energy.
In my opinion, form is weak.
Joseph Maguire’s comment is:
I like this new font, I think the Mark never made much damned sense to me. But because they kept it I ask one question. Why does it take more of the focus than the new type?
On Mar.12.2008 at 01:49 PM
keith’s comment is:
absolutely awful
On Mar.13.2008 at 01:39 PM
Derrick’s comment is:
Boooooooring.
On Mar.15.2008 at 11:47 AM
Roberta Seldon ’s comment is:
I definitely prefer the "before" Boost logo.
On Mar.24.2008 at 10:55 AM
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