Facebook is rebranding the company as FACEBOOK
Facebook has announced a rebrand of the company as FACEBOOK, in a bid to show the social media giant is more than a single app.
The company (FB) has embraced capital letters, a new font, a varied colour scheme and a separate corporate website “to create visual distinction between the company and app.”
The app and website will keep its existing branding but the new design will be rolled out for its wider business, which owns a range of platforms including Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, Oculus, Workplace, Portal and Calibra.
Staff at the company wrote in a post on its website that the new font “adds a sense of optimism.”
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They write: “Today, when people hear ‘Facebook’ they think of the Facebook app. This posed a unique design challenge.
“We designed the new company wordmark with clarity and openness in mind. The generous spacing and open letterforms allow clarity at small sizes, and the subtle softening of corners and diagonals adds a sense of optimism.”
Many Twitter users poked fun at the rebrand or sounded a sceptical note after it was announced.
Wait, is Facebook called FACEBOOK now because boomers love to type in all caps?
— Justin Brannan (@JustinBrannan) November 5, 2019
Facebook can rebrand all they want but they can’t hide the fact that they are too big and powerful. It’s time to #BreakUpBIGTECH. https://t.co/suHSuR4AAx
— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) November 5, 2019
Some suggested it showed the company “pivoting completely to [baby] boomers by typing in all caps,” while others said it shifted attention away from the growing scrutiny and challenges the company faces.
US senator Elizabeth Warren, who is campaigning to run as the Democrats’ presidential candidate, tweeted: “Facebook can rebrand all they want but they can’t hide the fact that they are too big and powerful. It’s time to break up big tech.”
Antonio Lucio, chief marketing officer, added in a separate blogpost: “Today, we’re updating our company branding to be clearer about the products that come from Facebook.
“We’re introducing a new company logo and further distinguishing the Facebook company from the Facebook app, which will keep its own branding.
“Over the coming weeks, we will start using the new brand within our products and marketing materials, including a new company website.”
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