We've been covering rebrands long enough to know the formula for their announcement. A quote-filled press release is accompanied by some splashy before-and-after animations posted to social media, along with a detailed case study on the creative agency's website for the design nerds (guilty).
The announcement of TripAdvisor's new rebrand, designed by Koto, features most of the above. But the brand has also found a pretty hilarious way to announce the redesign of its owl logo.
"Tripadvisor’s new identity is built to showcase travel as it really is: personal, textured, emotional," Koto announces in said press release. "The logo brings new life to Tripadvisor’s iconic owl mascot, Ollie. Once static and ornamental, Ollie now feels alert and expressive, his gaze always oriented toward traveler content, a quiet cue that Tripadvisor values their perspective."
The rebrand also features a refined shade of 'TripAdvisor green', which has been "refined to feel warmer and more vibrant. Trip Pine replaces black to add depth and reassurance, while Trip White enhances clarity. The secondary palette is drawn directly from traveler photos to make every layout feel grounded, personal, and real."
So how did TripAdvisor itself announce the new owl? Why, by tapping into the Kardashians' sudden penchant for revealing exactly what surgery they've had undertaken on their faces. Just like the models themselves, TripAdvisor has taken to Instagram to list a series of 'treatments' including rhinoplasty, lip filler and buccal fat removal to explain Ollie the owl's new, fuller face.
While it might fly close to the 'obnoxious brand voice' sun, TripAdvisor's 'chronically online' joke just about gets it right. And hey, as Koto says in its case study, "When was the last time travel looked this fun, this relatable, this real? Lots of brands claim to be “authentic,” but more often than not, it’s just empty talk. With Tripadvisor, authenticity is a promise." Because there's nothing more authentic than buccal fat removal.
