How MTN’s new look and Pepsi’s ‘Breathtaking’ logo follow the same marketing playbook

In February 2022, Africa’s biggest telecom company MTN rolled out a new look — a modern, simple, bold and digitally dynamic logo that once again tells us that “less is more.”

At first glance, the new logo is a lot less attractive but the eye eventually adjusts to the minimalist look. It forgoes the italics, the red underscore and the solid coloured oval present in the previous logo for a minimalist look that retains the oval (now represented as a solid outline) with the letters M-T-N nestled in it.

Why did MTN consider a brand refresh you might ask?

Let me save you from the long talk in their press statement. All they’re trying to achieve is to have a new look that projects their evolution from a telecommunications company to a technology company underpinned by one simple and consistent yet striking brand.

Pepsi (like every other brand) also refreshed its look in 2008, although for a different reason. This move was initially criticized because of the $1 million dollars splurged on the project, but the world has since moved on.

Dubbed ‘Breathtaking’ by Arnell of Arnell Group (the agency that handled the redesign), the 2008 iteration retains the circle and colours but distorts the wave; and it replaces the bold, full-blast typeface with a light, low-key version — airy, minimal, quiet.

But why? According to them, “it communicates the brand in a timeless manner and with an expression of clarity. Pepsi BREATHTAKING builds on this knowledge. True innovation always begins by investigating the historic path. Going back-to-the-roots moves the brand forward as it changes the trajectory of the future.”

So essentially, it’s a move to position the brand for the future.

When you look at the two reasons, you will notice they’re both trying to achieve the same thing: MTN pivoting to a tech company to become a stronger force, and Pepsi trying to increase brand equity to become the preferred ‘soda drink in the future.’

It’s all a play for the future. As a business grows, it’s essential to renew customer interest, remain relevant to the current marketplace, and evolve to fit into the future marketplace. This is achieved by focusing on a new approach to product, story, culture, and customer.

Notable brands, such as Apple, Gucci, and GTCO have successfully refreshed their marketing strategy this way, and many more will do.