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Name changes are possibly one of the hardest things a brand can endure. With over a million trademarks filed annually with the United States Patent and Trademark office, but only 170,000 English words in common use today, names are only going to get more creative - for better or worse. In this bonus episode, host Blake Howard and naming guru Rob Meyerson discuss some of the biggest brand naming wins and fails, as well as provide insight into the nebulous process of naming a brand.For more on Rob Meyerson and his book Brand Naming, visit: https://robmeyerson.com/ and https://robmeyerson.com/book To learn more about the brands discussed today, visit: achangeofbrand.comProduced by Matchstic (matchstic.com/@matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard, edited by Gabe Kitzman, and artwork by Rachel Jackson.

There aren’t many automotive brands mightier than Bugatti. So when the manufacturer of multi-million dollar supercars handed the keys to the brand over to Head of Strategy Linda Marquardt, Associate Creative Director Juan Barrios, and their team at Interbrand, it was a big moment. In this episode, A Change of Brand uncovers what it’s like to rebrand the incomparable and pitch a product most people don’t expect they’ll ever be able to afford.To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.Produced by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard, (@blakehoward), co-hosted by Tracy Clark, edited by Gabe Kitzman, fact-checked by Jill Jeffries, co-written by Cam Leberecht, and artwork by Rachel Jackson.

Sprite is one of the world’s most popular soft drinks, with a style you can spot a mile away. But despite its signature look, the refreshing soda needed to find a way to stay fresh with a young new audience. In this episode, we go behind the scenes with Chris Garvey, Executive Creative Director at Turner Duckworth to see how they did it…and to hear firsthand what it’s like to catch your white whale.To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.Produced by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard, (@blakehoward), co-hosted by Tracy Clark, edited by Gabe Kitzman, fact-checked by Jill Jeffries, co-written by Cam Leberecht, and artwork by Rachel Jackson.

M&Ms has a lot going for it — cute, memorable characters, a wide range of flavors, not to mention a storied brand over 80 years strong. But how could Mars Inc. expand the candy brand’s identity beyond its sweet core elements? Kristie Malivindi, design director at Jones, Knowles, Ritchie, catches up with A Change of Brand to recount how JKR navigated stakeholder apprehension to create a full-fledged, flexible system that’s not short on fun.To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.Produced by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard, (@blakehoward), co-hosted by Tracy Clark, edited by Gabe Kitzman, fact-checked by Jill Jeffries, co-written by Pamela Henman, and artwork by Rachel Jackson.

Retooling an American institution is no easy task — just ask Bogdan Geana, partner at Lippincott. On the heels of a milestone 50th anniversary, Public Broadcasting Service tapped the Lippincott team to create a refreshing evolution for the PBS identity, from brand voice to ensuring its signature blue didn’t come off as politically biased. To top it off, the updated look had to appeal to all 300-plus network affiliates across the nation. No sweat, right? We go behind the scenes and dig into the heavy lifting that went into this iconic Change of Brand. To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.Produced by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard, (@blakehoward), co-hosted by Tracy Clark, edited by Gabe Kitzman, fact-checked by Jill Jeffries, co-written by Pamela Henman, and artwork by Rachel Jackson.

For decades, some of America’s most beloved sports teams played with imagery trading on outdated, offensive racial stereotypes. It wasn’t until very recently — with the public calling foul and sponsors pulling their support —  that some sports brands relented and rebranded. In this episode of A Change of Brand, we dive into the murky waters of controversial sports branding with designer and creative director Jon Contino. To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.Produced by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard, (@blakehoward), co-hosted by Tracy Clark, edited by Gabe Kitzman, fact-checked by Jill Jeffries, co-written by Pamela Henman, and artwork by Rachel Jackson.

Everyone loves a comeback story, especially in sports. The US Open is the “big show” for tennis players and spectators alike, its brand is seemingly untouchable. In fact, its identity remained essentially unchanged since 1997. That is until the renowned Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv served up a new look in 2018. We sat down with partner and designer Sagi Haviv to get the play-by-play on a challenging but triumphant change of brand.To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.Produced by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard, (@blakehoward), co-hosted by Tracy Clark, edited by Gabe Kitzman, fact-checked by Jill Jeffries, co-written by Pamela Henman, and artwork by Rachel Jackson.

With business booming and its national footprint expanding like wildfire, CVS seemingly had it all. But the pharmacy giant wanted to make a more meaningful impact on the future of health, from removing all tobacco products from its shelves to solidifying its name (switching from CVS Caremark to CVS Health). In this episode, Siegel+Gale co-CEO and Chief Creative Officer Howard Belk explains how his agency helped CVS unify four service brands under one foundational identity, without losing its heart for health and people. To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.Produced by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard, (@blakehoward), co-hosted by Tracy Clark, edited by Gabe Kitzman, fact-checked by Jill Jeffries, co-written by Pamela Henman, and artwork by Rachel Jackson.

The Olympic Games have come to represent the best of the best — incomparable athletics, state-of-the-art facilities, host cities that pull out all the stops, and of course, outstanding branding. In 2012 London hosted the Summer Games and wanted to capture the world’s attention with an identity that would turn the notion of the modern games on its head. Sairah Ashman, global CEO at creative consultancy Wolff Olins shares the firm’s design thinking for the brand that would go on to be one of the most talked-about, unforgettably modern Olympic Games emblems. To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.Produced by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard, (@blakehoward), co-hosted by Tracy Clark, edited by Gabe Kitzman, fact-checked by Jill Jeffries, co-written by Pamela Henman, and artwork by Rachel Jackson.

Although its identity wasn’t on the rocks, iconic bourbon brand Maker’s Mark needed to better connect with the Millennial crowd. We spoke with Creative Director Jared Britton at branding firm Turner Duckworth, who worked directly with the distillery founder’s grandson to refresh a brand that’s been untouched since 1958. To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.Produced by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard, (@blakehoward), co-hosted by Tracy Clark, edited by Gabe Kitzman, fact-checked by Jill Jeffries, co-written by Pamela Henman, and artwork by Rachel Jackson.

From a logo emulating its sleek black cars to an abstract representation of “bits and atoms,” Uber’s brand identity has taken a few detours over the years. We catch up with Amanda Munilla, strategy lead at Wolff Olins, to get the inside track on how the global branding agency created the latest and most enduring rebrand for the rideshare company. To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.Produced by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard, (@blakehoward), co-hosted by Tracy Clark, edited by Gabe Kitzman, fact-checked by Jill Jeffries, co-written by Pamela Henman, and artwork by Rachel Jackson. 

The launch tactics of a rebrand can make or break the success of the change. In this bonus episode, host Blake Howard and Brand New’s Armin Vit have a casual nerding-out as they each share their best and worst rebrand launch examples.  Brands covered in this episode:  London 2012 Olympics by Wolf Ollins   Block 2022 done in-house   MailChimp 2017 by Collins Kia 2021 by Blackspace   Iceland Football Team 2020 by Brandenberg AirBNB 2014 by DesignStudio  Staples 2019   Comcast 2012   City of Florence 2022 by Tatum Design Toyoko 2020 Olympics   Gap 2010 by Laird and Partners  Best Buy 2018 done inhouse   For more on Armin Vit visit: https://www.underconsideration.com/ or https://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/To see the changes of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.Produced by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard, (@blakehoward), edited by Gabe Kitzman , and artwork by Rachel Jackson. 

In the final episode of Season 2, we learn how Sweetgreen, a brand raising the bar on fast to-go and good to eat food, found a way to keep it real with a reimagined brand identity. COLLINS Creative Director - now turned Sweetgreen Executive Creative Director, Tom Wilder - and COLLINS Senior Designer, Sanuk Kim, give us the recipe for what led to one of the best new identities to debut in 2021. To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.Produced by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard, (@blakehoward), co-hosted by Tracy Clark, edited by Matt Owen , fact-checked by Jill Jeffries, co-written by Pamela Henman, and artwork by Rachel Jackson. 

Carnegie Hall, the renowned 130-year-old music venue and pride of New York City, conducted a brand refresh in early 2020. All was going seemingly well until the pandemic stole the spotlight and shuttered the Hall’s doors for nearly 12 months. Jennifer Kinon, co-founder of Champions Design, gives us a look behind the curtain on their resilient and thoughtful process. To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.Produced by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard, (@blakehoward), co-hosted by Tracy Clark, edited by Matt Owen , fact-checked by Jill Jefferies, co-written by Pamela Henman, and artwork by Rachel Jackson. 

Just like traveling, the creative process can be an adventure where not every journey is the same. Tripadvisor's 2020 refresh is no exception, and Matt van Leeuwen of Mother Design serves as our tour guide for this Change of Brand that veered off the beaten path. Matt led the work, which had plenty of twists and turns but ultimately resulted in a delightful update to TripAdvisor's dated, 20-year-old brand. To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.Credits: Produced by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard, (@blakehoward), co-hosted by Tracy Clark, edited by Matt Owen , fact-checked by Jill Jefferies, co-written by Pamela Henman, and artwork by Maliq Faulks and Rachel Jackson. 

How can a brand go from bargain to beauty? In this episode, Michael Keller of Blackspace, gives us a look under the hood of the recent KIA rebrand and how his work redefined what it means to be an automobile manufacturer of the future.To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.Credits: Produced by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard, (@blakehoward), co-hosted by Tracy Clark, edited by Matt Owen , fact-checked by Jill Jefferies, co-written by Pamela Henman, and artwork by Maliq Faulks. 

Today Spindrift is one of the largest independent sparkling water brands, but in 2016 that wasn’t so. How did they break away and grow beyond niche specialty stores? Adam Renfree and Adam Nathanson, founders of brand design firm Colony, led the work and share how their packaging redesign helped crack open new opportunities for the beverage brand. To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.Credits: Produced by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard, (@blakehoward), co-hosted by Tracy Clark, edited by Matt Owen , fact-checked by Jill Jefferies, co-written by Pamela Henman, and artwork by Maliq Faulks. 

In 2021, after more than a decade, Pepsi Co and Quaker Oats announced their leading pancake brand, Aunt Jemima, would become Pearl Milling. In this episode we hear from sociologist and professor, Dr. James Bowie,  and naming expert, Mark Speece, to get their opinion on the rebrand and the larger forces at play for renaming a brand based on a racist stereotype. Dr. Bowie's research and writing: www.emblemetric.comTo see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.Credits: Produced by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard, (@blakehoward), co-hosted by Tracy Clark, fact-checked by Jill Jefferies, co-written by Pamela Henman, art work by Rachel Jackson, and edited by Matt Owen 

Dropping a name from your logo is a tall order. In 2011, Starbucks did just that. Some found it too strong while others felt it was just right. Connie Birdsdall, senior partner and Global Creative Director at Lippincott, led the work and gives us an unfiltered account of the strategy, process, and how it all unfolded. To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.Credits: Produced by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard, (@blakehoward), co-hosted by Tracy Clark, fact-checked by Jill Jefferies, co-written by Pamela Henman and edited by Matt Owen 

When Fiverr, one of the world's largest freelance marketplaces, spent more than a fiver on their own rebrand, it raised many eyebrows. James Greenfield of Koto gives us the behind-the-scenes take on the ethics behind the decision to accept the project, the creative process, and how they handled the backlash.To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.Credits: Produced by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard, (@blakehoward), co-hosted by Tracy Clark, fact-checked by Jill Jefferies, co-written by Pamela Henman and edited by Matt Owen