When it comes to rebranding, there’s a fine line between an identity crisis and smashing it out of the park!
We’ve gathered our best and worst rebrands of 2025 to show exactly what (and what not) to do when it comes to rebranding. A successful rebrand should ensure your brand remains recognisable and familiar, giving a nod to heritage and history, while modernising and making it more relevant to today’s consumers. Whether you’re considering rebranding your own business or are just curious about branding design in general, we’re about to delve into this year’s best and worst rebrands; From the garish to the glorious and the elegant to the atrocious, we’re celebrating them all! Without further ado, let’s dive in…
The Worst Rebrands
1. Jaguar
Beloved British heritage brand Jaguar, has built a legacy of style, class and speed since the 60s when the e-type soared to success for its stunning and sexy design. And that’s exactly why this rebrand has nose-dived beyond belief. The brand seems to have completely forgotten (or even worse, actively abandoned) its roots and brand values in a bid to appeal to a younger, more cash-rich audience who prioritise how they are perceived on social media above all else. The corresponding marketing assets appear to be extremely ‘woke’ and after deleting all previous posts on Instagram, the brand decided to post a short teaser video of the rebrand but here’s the fun part, the video didn’t feature a single car or even a nod to the automotive industry whatsoever.
The controversial rebrand has certainly kicked up a fuss in both the automative and branding industries and it begs the question, did their controversial rebrand actually work? Jaguar lovers are up in arms ranting about the brand on social media and Reddit whilst the biggest publications in the world including Forbes and The New York Times are plastering Jaguar on their homepages thanks to their outrage. The jury’s out in terms of whether or not the entire rebrand was actually a very clever marketing ploy, but as far as branding goes, the visual identity of the beloved Jaguar brand has completely been lost or disregarded. The design lacks any depth, concept or real meaning and instead feels as vacuous and frivolous of the woke audience they’re supposedly targeting.
2. HBO Max
Cast your mind back a couple of years and you may feel like you have deja vu with HBO’s double rebrand. After changing their brand from HBO MAX to simply MAX back in 2023, they’ve come full circle and have reversed their original rebrand to the classic we all knew and loved. Originally launched in 2020, the platform’s streaming service offers a wide range of cult TV classics and movies like Friends and Harry Potter. So it’s only right that the brand identity captures the cinematic and nostalgic experience we all love when indulging in our favourite shows and films.
We know we’ve categorised this rebrand within our ‘worsts’ but we have to say, the actual logo and visual brand identity is perfect for HBO Max. It feels timeless and captures the nostalgic cinematic experience we love with the classic camera lense prominently sat within the O. The main issue we have is the flip-flop nature that the executives seem to have adopted with regard to the branding. Unfortunately we’ve seen this play out many times, when a brand becomes indecisive and ends up diluting its brand identity and recognition in the process. Hopefully, they’ve usurped that issue by reverting back to a familiar logo and brand that most people will recognise but only time will tell. Our advice is to stick to this one for a little longer than just a couple of years!
3. GF Smith
GF Smith are one of the world’s largest, leading paper suppliers, based right here in the UK. Every designer, graphic artist, illustrator and publisher across the nation will have engaged with GF Smith at some point during their career so it certainly would have been a daunting task to take on for any designer or agency. However, the rebrand is so far removed from the visual brand identity, core values and aesthetic of GF Smith that it’s pretty difficult to defend it, no matter how overwhelming it would have been to develop.
Don’t get us wrong, the branding is beautifully designed and certainly packs a punch, it simply doesn’t align with the refined, elegant and classic brand that GF Smith truly is and has been since 1885. In our opinion, it feels more like a fancy new coffee shop in the Baltic Triangle or a hipster kombucha brand in East London. Not the heritage, proudly British brand that was founded way back when and is rooted is craftsmanship, precision and refinement, reflecting the high-quality nature of the papers they sell. Unfortunately, this rebrand has totally missed the mark for us, and we would have been much more celebratory if there were a few nods to the history and heritage of the brand. It simply feels too far removed from the beloved GF SMith brand.
The Best Rebrands
1. Stella Artois
Surprisingly, Stella Artois is one of our favourite recent rebrands. Quickly recognising that they need to capture the attention of the younger generation if they want to avoid the same fate as Blockbuster and Woolworths, Stella Artois took matters into their own hands with a refreshing rebrand that we love! The new logos and accompanying photography, videos and billboards ooze cosy, casual vibes that celebrate life’s best moments shared with friends and loved ones. The new logos are simple, more minimalist in style, modern and yet remain in keeping and recognisable as the Stella Artois brand.
Overall, the branding feels fresh, more casual and informal which is exactly what the Belgian beer brand needs to engage a younger demographic. By removing the traditional script font and stripping back the ornamental-style cartouche that dominated the old design, they were able to achieve a less fussy brand that feels cool and casual.
2. Benefit
Since launching in 1976, this Californian beauty brand has become renowned for playful packaging, quirky branding and having fun with beauty. And that’s why their latest brand refresh has struck the perfect balance between nostalgia and modernity. Retro geometric shapes, film-inspired photography and playful typography work together to create an uplifting and striking visual brand identity that perfectly encapsulates Benefit’s core brand values and remains in harmony with their consumer base.
The best aspect of this rebrand is their focus on diversity and inclusion in a very unique and unexpected way. By crafting brand shapes inspired by facial features such as lips, noses and eyelashes, you allow the brand the freedom to use the shapes in various configurations, allowing them to celebrate uniqueness and individuality across every customer touchpoint. It’s safe to say we’re 100% sold on this rebrand!
3. Alpen
The nation’s most loved muesli brand Alpen has recently undergone a transformation and we absolutely love it! As Britain’s cereal market becomes increasingly competitive and oversaturated, Alpen showed that they’re here to stay with a bold, striking and confident rebrand that cements them as a leader in their field. Competition in the world of breakfast cereals has intensified in recent years thanks to an increase in consumer demand for more options, healthier options, options with less sugar, more fibre and so on, so it’s clear that Alpen is putting its stake in the ground and claiming the muesli segment of the industry as theirs, competing with the more exciting granolas and healthy porridges of the world.
The rebrand strikes the perfect balance between seeming delicious and yet nutritious. The warming, earthy and natural colour palette ensures that consumers still perceive the brand as a health-conscious option to start the day whilst graphic-style illustrations and a refreshed logo offer a modern and more contemporary feel that the brand was desperately in need of.
4. Eventbrite
Eventbrite has recently transformed into a contemporary, approachable and playful brand that feels fresh and new whilst embracing its core brand values and visual identity. The rebrand hasn’t veered far away from their iconic orange brand colour but it’s been elevated by zesty accompanying pastel shades, versatile icons and a playful touch. The rebrand is part of an overarching strategy to move away from being a non-entity that users inadvertently interact with into a destination for discovering new events, musicians and activities.
One of our favourite elements of the rebrand is the stylistic ‘E’ graphic that is extremely versatile and dynamic. The unique icon allows the brand to adapt and adjust their logo to compliment the type of event or season that they’re in, allowing for a more personalised, immersive and experiential feel when users interact with the platform.
And there we have it! Our favourite and least favourite rebrands and visual brand identity upgrades of the year so far! If you’re looking to upgrade your existing brand or launch one from scratch, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our UX and design team who will be more than happy to help you transform your business!
