More clichés than a Michael Bay film as HP, Lenovo and Insight rebrand

HP, Lenovo and Insight turned the corporate doublespeak-ometer up to 11 as they attempted to explain thinking behind new logos, writes Doug Woodburn

With HP, Lenovo and Insight Enterprises all unveiling new logos over the past week, there's a fun new game that's sweeping through the channel - and it's called 'new logo bullsh*t bingo'.

As Apple or Coca Cola will testify, the benefits to be gained from creating an iconic brand are almost immeasurable. On the flip side, get it wrong (London 2012, anyone!) and you could be a laughing stock.

But as nice as their new liveries look, the trio mentioned above racked up more corporate clichés than a Brendan Rogers team talk as they attempted to explain the profound thinking behind their new designs.

Insight Enterprises said the four interconnected 'i's in its new livery "signify the meaningful connections Insight makes with its clients, partners, and teammates". The logo mark is open at the centre to "signify the possibilities that technology will play as businesses transform and innovate for the future," it added.

Lenovo, which enlisted Saatchi & Saatchi New York to help with its latest corporate facelift, said the fact its new emblem (pictured, right) is housed in a "containing shape" (ie a rectangle) "acts as a window into culture and the world that surrounds us".

Not to be outdone, HP boss Meg Whitman explained that the green rectangle hovering above the new logo for the vendor's soon-to-split HP Enterprise business "symbolises the window of opportunity for what we can build together".

I still think Ingram Micro won when it said the tilted 'g' in the new emblem it unveiled last year symbolises its "agility and transparency to customers". HOUSE!

Surely pompous doublespeak that serves to confuse or alienate customers is just the kind of thing the industry is trying to get away from?

If you ask me, any customer or partner reading these would be left feeling as queasy as we did.