The Brawny Man: Bow chicka wow wow

Over time some logos require an update or refresh. In November, I highlighted some logos that benefitted from a redesign. These logos dropped fussy details for a modern, more streamlined look.

But sometimes, a brand has more to change in order to not look out of place to today’s consumer. Take brands like Aunt Jemima and Brawny Paper Towels for example. Each features not only a logo, but also a full illustration of a person. These corporate icons if left untouched would be somewhere between outdated and uncomfortable to today’s shopper.

Aunt Jemima lost weight and graduated from a headscarf to a conservative curly do and pearl earrings. I think it’s time she continues her evolution in order to look more like the women who use her product today. Maybe Red Sage can get a shot at that.

A less drastic change came from Brawny paper towels. Everyone knows the Brawny paper towel man, right? If you had asked me to describe him from memory, I would have said he wore a plaid shirt and was blond with a mustache, reminiscent of the Six Million Dollar Man. Yet when Deskey Agency conducted consumer research and asked people what the Brawny man looked like, their memories were also a bit off.

Check out this video with Deskey CEO Doug Studer.

The new look, a little more beefcake, is still all Brawny.

Let’s hear from you. What other corporate mascots have changed over the decades without you noticing? Chuck E. Cheese and Mr. Clean also come to mind. Others?