Opinion BY Armin

Clear Channel International Leads the Way

Clear Channel International (CCI) boasts over half a million “different displays and sites across 30 countries in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region” where companies can advertise. This includes displays like billboards and street furniture as well as displays in airports and a myriad other environments. CCI employs 5,000 people across the world and is part of Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, which in turn is part of Clear Channel Communications, the global media and entertainment conglomerate. So chances are, if you have looked up, down, left, or right anywhere in the world you have seen an out-of-home advertisement placed on a CCI or Clear Channel. CCI recently introduced a new identity, designed by London-based Proud Creative, that departs from the rest of the Clear Channel look.

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Opinion BY Armin

Ahlstrom Shoots and Doesn’t Score

Established in 1851, Ahlstrom is a Helsinki-based manufacturer of fiber-based products that serve different industries like food and retail, medical and healthcare, building and utilities, transportation, household and consumer, and printing and office. The end products are everyday items like coffee filters, bar code labels, disinfecting wipes, table cloths and napkins, envelopes, and much more. Ahlstrom has 5,700 employees in over 20 countries on six continents, including 37 manufacturing sites in 14 countries. At the end of February, Ahlstrom announced a new identity designed by the London office of Dragon Rouge.

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Opinion BY Armin

Colorful Corporate Vortex

Established as “De Nederlandse Staatsmijnen” (Dutch State Mines) in 1902 by the Dutch government, DSM is a multinational corporation specializing in what they call “Life Sciences and Materials Sciences” which means that they create the ingredients that make up the ingredients of numerous products. From food and enzymes for animal food, to chemicals for crop protection, to ingredients for pharmaceutical products, to resins for paints, and more. Much, much more. DSM has over 170 locations worldwide and employs more than 20,000 people. This week DSM announced a new identity explaining that “This is the right moment to present our new identity to the world. We have successfully transformed DSM’s portfolio. We are now a true Life Sciences and Materials Sciences company, with a clear mission to create brighter lives for people today and for generations to come.”

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A B-Side BY Armin

Jet Cooper

Located in Toronto and established in 2009, Jet Cooper is a digital agency. Last year they worked with the fab letterers at Underware to redesign their wordmark. Check out how sexy it looks as an office sign.

Opinion BY Armin

The Creative Group

Established in 1999, The Creative Group, a division of Robert Half International, is a recruiting and staffing agency specialized in the creative industry. Its new identity has been designed by San Francisco-based Hatch.

Thanks to Jason Alejandro for the tip.

Opinion BY Armin

The NBC Peacock is Gone and Rightfully So

In 2004 General Electric, the parent company of American television network NBC, purchased 80% of Vivendi Universal Entertainment, the parent company of Universal Pictures, cable channels like USA Network and Syfy (then Sci-Fi Channel), and the Universal Studios theme parks. NBC Universal was born. A powerful entertainment company with major real estate on television: NBC, Telemundo, Bravo, Syfy, USA Network, A&E, MSNBC, and CNBC among others. In 2009, cable operator Comcast announced its plans to purchase a stake in NBC Universal and as of last week, with approval of the Federal Communications Commission and U.S. Department of Justice, Comcast now owns 51% of NBC Universal, while General Electric owns 49%. On Friday, at an employee town hall meeting, Steve Burke, COO of Comcast and CEO of the new company, announced a new name, NBCUniversal (no space, thank you), and a new logo designed by Wolff Olins.

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A B-Side BY Armin

Momentive Specialty Chemicals

The merger of Momentive Performance Materials Holdings Inc. and Hexion LLC creates one of the world’s leading and largest producers of specialty chemicals and materials, with 117 production facilities and more than 10,000 employees. The company retains the name of Momentive. Press release here.

Thanks to Nick Irwin for the tip.

Opinion BY Armin

Arizona Public Service

Arizona Public Service (APS), a subsidiary of Pinnacle West Capital Corporation, delivers energy services to most of Arizona. A small blurb about the new logo here.

Thanks to Jennifer Childres for the tip.

A B-Side BY Armin

Wamco

Founded in 1968 and based in Fountain Valley, CA, Wamco provides optical solutions — as in it puts light where there was none before — for things like keyboard and panels, laptops and PDAs, and ground vehicle instrumentation.

Thanks to Chris Erickson for the tip.

A B-Side BY Armin

Symantec

In August 2010, Symantec announced it would acquire Verisign, known to the consumer as that little check mark at the bottom of a credit card online form that gives you relative peace of mind that some douchebag is not going to steal your info and go to the Bahamas. Symantec dropped its marble icon and adopted the pixelated checkmark.

Press release.

Thanks to Graham Lee for the tip.