Inside Burger King’s New Logo Strategy | WSJ Rebrand

- [Narrator] Here's Burger King's logo from 1999,

and here it is in 2021.

It's the company's first rebrand in over 20 years.

But this new logo might look really familiar.

♪ Have it your way ♪

- [Narrator] So we talked to a branding expert,

a reporter, and consumers

to test the thinking behind the rebrand.

- Back in 1999, I was on the team

that worked on the redesign of the Burger King logo.

- [Narrator] Debbie Millman

has been helping companies rebrand for 30 years.

She says gradients and artificial colors

are design features prominent in the old logo.

Those elements were popular in the '90s,

when many logos were shiny and round.

But she says the 2021 rebrand

is trying to communicate something more.

- One of the big strategic imperatives of the redesign

was to communicate the quality of the food.

All of the colors in the identity correspond

with something very specific,

whether it be the actual color of a bun

or the actual color of a tomato.

- [Narrator] She says people generally see color first,

then shape, then numbers and words.

The new logo is not only designed

to look like a burger, but it's also-

- A perfectly proportioned shape that allows people to see

all of the elements at the same time.

- [Narrator] She says this design fits

with current logo trends.

- When you look at these three current logos,

you see a certain flatness, you see a lack of shine.

- [Narrator] But Burger King says the new logo

is meant to feel retro and nostalgic,

as it was inspired by two of its previous logos.

- They want to be a more sustainable company.

What better way to talk about sustainability