In 2024, several brand evolutions caused a sensation, whether to modernize, better meet consumer expectations or adapt to new strategies. All these developments demonstrate the importance of brand strategy in the success of a business.
Together, we are going to look back at the work of:
The rebranding strategy is a strategic step in the life of a company, often essential when it reaches a growth milestone. Rebranding often helps businesses to mature.
By modernizing its brand image, a company can capture new opportunities and enter markets that were previously inaccessible.
Rebranding isn't just about the outside, it's also having a profound impact on internal culture.
In 2024, Decathlon, the world leader in sporting goods, unveiled an example of a daring marketing repositioning that surprised many observers. With a global presence and a well-established reputation, the brand strategy consists in refreshing its image to better meet the expectations of its customers while remaining true to its values of simplicity and accessibility.
In this successful rebranding strategy, Decathlon has also strengthened its digital presence by rethinking the user experience on its website and applications. The interface has become more intuitive, immersive, and customer-centric, with an emphasis on interactive tools to help consumers choose the right sports equipment.
Initially focused on creating personalized playlists, it quickly established itself as a major platform in France and internationally. Today, Deezer offers a vast catalog of millions of titles, with a unique approach to musical recommendations based on algorithms, but also on human selections made by editorial experts.
The realization of this project was entrusted to the London agency Koto. The project lasted several months, requiring close collaboration between the creative teams at Deezer and those at Koto. The main challenge was to apply this new image to all of the brand's media.
Beyond the visual, this rebranding is accompanied by an in-depth strategic redesign. The logo, inspired by the beat of a heart, reflects the idea that Deezer is more than just a streaming platform, it's an emotional connection to music. This symbolism embodies Deezer's ambition to become a key player, capable of reaching users beyond listening, by inviting them to “experience music” to the fullest.
Cdiscount, founded in 1998 in Bordeaux, is one of the main players in online commerce in France. Initially specialized in the marketing of electronic and multimedia products, the platform quickly diversified to become a generalist e-commerce site. With a community of more than 10 million active customers, Cdiscount is distinguished by its competitive prices and aggressive promotional offers.
The rebranding of Cdiscount is part of a very complex context. The e-commerce sector in France is saturated, with many stakeholders to satisfy: end customers of course, but also partner sellers, shareholders and carriers. Consumer expectations are changing rapidly, and competition is fierce, especially in the face of international players.
The repositioning of Cdiscount marked a strong break with the past. The company opted for much brighter and more dynamic colors, abandoning its simple and functional image in favor of a more modern and energetic aesthetic.
It is not only the appearance of Cdiscount that has changed. The brand has adopted a much more committed tone, in line with the expectations of today's consumers, who are increasingly sensitive to the values carried by businesses. Through this new positioning, Cdiscount seeks to assert its proximity to its customers while highlighting its commitment to more responsible consumption.
Founded in 1968 by Piet Derksen, Center Parcs has established itself as one of the most popular destinations for immersive stays in nature. Historically, the brand has distinguished itself by its ability to offer rejuvenating stays in nature, allowing families and friends to find themselves in exotic environments.
Faced with an ever-changing tourism sector, where travelers are increasingly looking for authentic, local and sustainable experiences, Center Parcs decided to modernize its identity to remain relevant. In 2023, the company collaborated with the DesignStudio agency for this ambitious project in line with its reinvention. This essential redesign aimed to better reflect the company's core values while preparing the ground for new investments and the opening of new parks.
Center Parcs Art Direction
DesignStudio has undertaken a process of rediscovering the brand, visiting its parks across Europe, interacting with customers and immersing itself in its history. This work gave birth to a central concept: “Human Nature”. This idea embodies the founding philosophy of Center Parcs: harmony between man and nature. This principle guided the entire redesign, from storytelling to logo to brand identity, in order to connect visitors not only to nature, but also to each other.
A revised brand identity combines three essential elements: the Center Parcs name, nature, and the human. The choice of the new typeface, Bagoss, is distinguished by organic shapes and circular endings, evoking a natural connection. This design is reinforced by a vibrant new color palette, which goes beyond the traditional greens associated with nature to include hues inspired by various natural elements. The result is a visual identity that reflects both the richness and diversity of the parks.
One of the key elements of this redesign is the introduction of a badge system specific to each park, creating coherence between all sites while celebrating their uniqueness. Fuchsia MacAree's illustrations bring warmth and joy, while the photographs, organized into three levels (natural textures, human moments, and human-nature interactions), offer an authentic vision of the Center Parcs experience.
The new Center Parcs design, while modern and daring, remains true to the essence of the brand. By focusing on emotion, human connection, and nature, this new visual identity offers remarkable coherence while engaging the visitor at a profound level. The launch of this new brand aroused strong interest, with a significant increase in traffic on the Center Parcs site from the very first days, proof of the effectiveness and relevance of this successful rebranding.
Lydia, founded in 2013, quickly established itself as one of the most popular products in France, facilitating instant money transfers between friends with simple features. The expression “Do a Lydia” has even entered everyday language to refer to these quick transactions.
The change of name from Lydia to Sumeria was motivated by strategic goals. Sumeria wants to position itself as a fully-fledged mobile bank, intended for millions of Europeans. This rebranding is accompanied by the launch of new offers, in particular a savings program, Sumeria+, which makes it easy to manage money with innovative tools like automatic rounding and expense charts.
However, the decision to change the name was not an easy one, especially in such a competitive market. Many users were attached to the “Lydia” identity and to the expression “Make a Lydia.” This transformation therefore elicited mixed reactions, with some users feeling disoriented by this change in image.
Lydia's historic blue has been replaced by a palette of more modern and daring colors, reflecting a more mature, almost essential identity. This new design aims to increase the credibility of the brand in the banking sector, a market where user trust is essential. By moving away from an image that is too young or “startup”, Sumeria seeks to appeal to a wider audience.
Back Market, a marketing leader in the sale of refurbished electronic products, also took an essential step in 2024 with a rebranding aimed at accentuating its image as a key player in the circular economy. At a time when sustainability is at the heart of consumer concerns, Back Market wanted to reposition itself by focusing on ecology and quality.
The new Back Market logo is characterized by simple colors and simple geometric shapes, which symbolize reliability and transparency. Backmarket has also introduced a new visual signature that highlights its commitment to the planet, with graphic elements evoking recycling and the second life of electronic products.
The successful rebranding of Back Market is not just about design. The brand has also strengthened its discourse on the circular economy by putting forward concrete actions to reduce its carbon footprint. The communication now highlights the positive impact of the refurbished company's promises on the environment, while reassuring users about the quality of the devices offered.
The rebranding of the Ligue 1, the first soccer division in France, in 2024 showed a turning point in the history of the championship. This visual change accompanies a wider transformation of professional football in France, with the ambition to increase the attractiveness of the championship internationally.
The Ligue 1 logo has a clean and minimalist design. The number “1" is stylized in an angular shape, integrating a diagonal that gives an impression of dynamism. The set is accompanied by modern typography, in capital letters, reinforcing the idea of power and stature.
Ligue 1 seeks to reposition itself not only as a national championship, but also as a key player on the international scene. With this evolution, the focus is on the promotion of young talent and on the importance of innovation in club management. Partnerships with technology companies and digital distribution platforms are also at the heart of this new brand image.
These examples show that a company's brand image and positioning play a crucial role in its long-term success, especially at a time when transparency, sustainability and innovation have become key consumer expectations.
Chez Studio Elias, we understand the importance of this evolution. We support companies in every stage of their rebranding, from strategic thinking to creative implementation. Whether you want to modernize your visual identity, reposition your brand, or explore new creative paths, we are here to turn your ambitions into reality.
We help our customers define and express their strengths through a powerful Brand Idea.
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