“And that mask, it’s not to hide who I am, but to create what I am.”
What if I told you that a single brand has used more than 40 different types of logos over the last 80 years? Or multiple different logos within the same year? Any global brand with a legacy like that would never change their identity more than 8 to 10 times in its lifetime. To any brand practitioner that comes across way too many identity changes in a brand; it will reflect inconsistency and confusion which will surely affect its position in the marketplace.
Now, what if I told you that this logo inconsistency has not affected the brand at all. On the contrary, its consumer base has grown over the years, sales have hit the ceiling and judging by the popularity of this brand across the world, I have no doubt it was rated one of the greatest in its league.
I am talking about Batman. Rated No. 2 as the greatest comic-book character by Empire Magazine and IGN (second to only Superman in both cases), and No.1 in my personal favourites. I cannot think of any other superhero or any other brand that has so many versions of their logo, and yet each of it serves a purpose without diluting or damaging the brand.
I think I was 6 years old when I was first introduced to Batman. Somebody had gifted me this really cool action figure of a guy in a mask and cape with a huge bat on his chest. It meant the world to me. Little did I know this was the starting point that took me into the ever intriguing world of the dark knight. I grew up reading Batman comics, watching not just the Adam West version of Batman but also Tim Burton’s Batman movies (sadly also including the forgettable Joel Schumacher ones). As an adult, I continue to remain a fan boy of the Christopher Nolan Batman Trilogy and all Frank Miller’s Batman works.
While a lot has been written about connecting Batman to branding and philosophy, I’d want to focus this article on the Batman logo, one of my favorite logo, or should I say “logos”.
When I say “Batman logo”, I’d assume most people would get the image of a bat icon spreading the wings out on the yellow background, and rounding the edges to perfectly fit the oval. This is by far the most iconic and recognizable version of Batman logo which was introduced around 1966 (almost 30 years after Batman’s debut). However, by around 1995 this logo was no longer in use. The comic book and the movie version of Batman post 1995 have dropped the yellow oval and used variants of the logo without the oval casing.
The beauty about Batman is that every writer, artist and filmmaker created their own version of Batman. With the characteristics and personality of each Batman, the logo changed. Bob Kane’s 1939 debut of Batman saw a simple small black bat painted on his grey costume. The 1946 logo was the one that closest resembled the symbol that became most known in the mid-’60s. Here we have a more standard shape featuring five points below the wings. The yellow oval was first introduced in 1964, later made popular by Adam West playing Batman on-screen. The yellow casing made the logo prominent. I believe this was a brilliant move from a merchandising point-of-view, as it said Batman, without actually showing Batman. The 1989 and 1992 versions of on-screen Batman played by Michael Keaton had the iconic oval, however this time it was not painted, instead it was a 3D-ish logo that held the cape. That’s the last time we saw the yellow-casing on-screen. The Joel Schumacher and Christopher Nolan versions of Batman saw him shedding the yellow oval in favor of a sleek, charcoal design. This in turn inspired similar armor-esque designs all the way up to Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy. Interestingly, Zack Snyder in his 2016 Batman V Superman chose the Batman logo and look inspired from Frank Miller’s Dark Knight Returns comics, a weathered and jaded version which had passed his prime.
Besides these few examples that I have mentioned above, there are numerous versions of Batman logos over the last 80 years. Every logo and look of Batman defined his character and served a purpose for a specific audience. The Batman from the animated series meant for children, wears lighter colours and has a friendlier logo while the Batman meant for matured readers is darker, grittier and wears a logo that reflects the same. If Adam West wore a yellow logo it was because the on-screen Batman in the 60’s was fun and colourful as opposed to Christian Bale’s cleaner and sharper version of the logo that reflects his agility and use of technology to fight crime. In spite of so many versions (or inconsistencies), the Batman brand is growing every year. Even after nearly 80 years, Batman comics still rank among the top sold today—appearing in 6 of the top 10 comics sales this past January (including 1 to 4).
Batman represents the pinnacle of human performance. There is nothing supernatural about his abilities. He is human with powers that seem within reach. While every superhero can say “with great powers comes great responsibility”, Batman cannot. For Batman it is the purpose that defines him, with purpose comes power. In case of Batman as a brand, the logos change, the costumes change, gadgets change and enemies change but his purpose does not. Be it the fun colourful animated version or the dark and grittier version – his goal remains constant. No matter what he wears Batman always was and always will be a vigilante detective!
Like every successful brand Batman knows his audience. He studies criminals and always has a plan. Batman thinks of everything and plans for anything. Like every good brand, Batman is built upon a foundation of valuable resources and assets. His training, his gadgets and his technology are essential to his crime fighting. Your brand is more than the individuals who envisioned it. Bruce Wayne did more than put on a suit and fight crime. He also created a symbol, something that could exist beyond his own limitations and inspire a city in ways a single man could not. These are all traits of a successful brand, no matter what the logo.
As a brand practitioner I go around advising clients to maintain consistency with their visual identity – Batman defies that logic but at the same time Batman also resonates the one thing I tell all my clients “your brand is not just your logo” – it is your purpose.
Brands should aspire to become like Batman. No matter what version of logo you put on him, he will always be Batman.
Partner
With 15+ years of spatial design experience, Sveta leads the team that helps extend brands to three-dimensional spaces. She has the ability to visualise intangible attributes such as brand positioning and translate them to materials, finishes and furniture in every space. Her belief is simple – ‘every detail in retail design has to reflect the brand.’ Over the years she has worked with some of the biggest brands in the hospitality and retail industry. At ABND, she is pivotal in projects that require branded interior design, retail design, way-finding and signage systems. Sveta is as defined and disciplined in dance as she is in her work!
March 1, 2018
The pioneer of liberal education in India, Pune based FLAME University is creating waves in liberating young minds. Over the years, the institution has built a reputation for itself that is significant enough to reckon with. Built on the methodology of psychologist Howard Gardner’s ‘multiple intelligence,’ there is a renewed focus on interdisciplinary learning. A vast array of options lies for students as there are over 250 unique major-minor combinations to choose from here. While you can major in subjects like Economics, Psychology, International Studies, Environmental Studies and Journalism, you can also graduate in Dance, Music, Theatre and Design. At FLAME, you could also do a BSc in Applied Mathematics and BBA degrees in Finance, Marketing, Communications Management, HRM, Operations and Entrepreneurship.
At a time when private players are still not trusted in the field of higher education, FLAME University is still a clear preference for young minds, owing to its unique approach. The string of collaborations it has made makes it an institution of excellence which stands out. Renowned foreign universities including Nuffield College, York University of Canada, and Wellesley College, Babson Collaborative and other institutes of repute have tied up with FLAME University.
At ABND, FLAME University was given a rejuvenated identity. Several competing institutions offered Liberal Education as part of the curriculum as well. In an attempt to set themselves apart from the clutter, FLAME University needed to rebrand themselves by giving Liberal Education a new way of expression we proposed for them – ‘Diversity of the Mind.’ To know more on how this reputed institute was envisioned anew and given a dynamic visual identity. To know more Click Here
Founder-Partner
Kunal says, “I’ve no specific talent, I’m merely inquisitive.” While his past experiences include product design, retail branding, packaging and design for manufacturing his true passion lies in branding and strategy. He’s the go-to person whenever the crafting needs finesse or the creation needs a fresh perspective. A certain sixth sense guides him in business and branding, honing the skill through experience. Kunal is also a guest lecturer and visiting faculty at a college in Mumbai, teaching branding to young bright minds.
February 27, 2018
Coming into view, the emerging logistics company, Grab, have recently received heavy government investment backing from Small Industries Development Bank of India’s wholly owned subsidiary, SIDBI Venture Capital Limited. Pratish Sanghvi, the co-founder of Grab, said that this funding of $1.5million is detrimental to their growth as the company is currently working on a crowdsourcing distribution model. SIDBI has joined a list of their big investors including Aramex, Zomato, Sixth Sense Ventures and Oliphans Capital. In spite of the hyperlocal delivery space being overcrowded, Grab was a prominent player for SIDBI to consider because of its sector-agnostic approach and its high chances of being EBITDA positive.
Providing hyperlocal and intracity logistics services to businesses including restaurants, food tech platforms, pharmacies and banks, Grab was once only doing food deliveries, being known as Grab-A- Grub. ABND had worked on the brand’s identity when they wanted to expand from being a food delivery startup to an all-encompassing hyperlocal logistics company. Changing from Grab-A- Grub to Grab, their rebranding made for a more sharper and agile brand. To know more Click Here
February 22, 2018
Thursdays at ABND just got chocolaty! Each of us brought our favourite chocolate to office. There was a huge goblet brimming over with chocolates of all kinds, apart from our favourite ones too. In a game of passing the parcel, the rubik’s cube filling in for the parcel in the last moment, the chocolates were exchanged amongst the chocoholics! What you got to pick in the lottery became your chocolate.The twist in the story came with the fact that the last person to pick her own chocolate in the lottery, got a chance to win the entire Goblet of Chocolates! Poornima won the Goblet. Following that we quirked it up by trading some of our chocolates with the Goblet Queen. It was a fun trade off. There were some toothaches after, but it was a happy sugar rush.
February 19, 2018
After back to back workshops and presentations through the weeks, the team felt like taking a break under the sun. Around the coffee table, there were some games and some lively chatter. While we had started the day all pumped up with a presentation for brand identity that went down well with the client, we ended the day on a light note at a coffee shop. From acting out the weirdest of movie names like ‘Matru ki Bijli ka Mandola’ and ‘Chameli ki shaadi’, we had great fun breaking down apparently simple ones too, when playing dumb charade. All of us had a crazy good time guessing interesting symbols and rhyming words when dissecting and decoding the films. We, at ABND, love our breaks as much as we enjoy the action!
Associate-Strategy
An experimenter at heart, Nikita’s experiences in interior design, sculpture design, advertising and branding has made her flexible to new ideas and new spaces. Nikita is a certified scuba diver. She has her own website, showcasing beautiful illustrations and paintings. Her art speaks of her love for animals and her admiration for the creatures of the sea. She loves to travel around the world and brainstorm on challenges.
Associate-Strategy
Stringing up the world with words, Sumanjari is driven by creativity, but with a purpose. Munching at her table always, she can (over)think but not on an empty stomach. She loves her coffee bittersweet and her strategies well researched. Academically inclined, she has written research papers on a wide range of topics from religion and music to branding to euthanasia. Sumanjari values spending time with her students, lecturing at a college by the weekends apart from her engagement at ABND.
Head-Creative
With a strong influence in the Applied Arts, our happy-go-lucky green haired creative lead has been a constant in team ABND right from its founding years. She is always humming a tune or two and livening up the pulse of the workspace. Ekta’s optimism and openness to new ideas fuels her creative best. Quirking it up in her attire, food and art, Ekta’s innovative at heart. She has a childish impulse of surprising others. Her love for bikes and nature deserves a special mention!
Founder-Partner
Priyanka Sachdev Shahra is a design thinker and serial entrepreneur. Her passions lie in bringing meaningful projects to life. Priyanka’s experience with entrepreneurship begun in 2010, when she cofounded ABND with Kunal Vora. Always having strongly felt for what’s environmentally and socially sustainable, she set up One With Earth in 2014 as a vehicle to support such projects. She has also been involved in an interesting venture which is a first of its kind in Singapore, an online swapping platform called Swapaholic. Priyanka manages the Singapore office of ABND.
Associate-Creative
A woman of less words and more action, this designer on the dot likes to keep it short and sweet. Having mastered in design in college, Poornima is driven by discipline and style. Zumba is a favourite pastime and she is also passionate for the cause of saving stray animals. Simplicity is what defines her spirit, whether she is designing or talking.
Associate-Creative
Debugging and resolving errors, Hitesh is the techie in the house responsible for digital and web strategies. A smooth operator, he is persistent in problem-solving. He is very passionate about solving the Rubik’s cube and we can see him at it often. We can tell that at school he must have been immersed in his science projects, which led him further to study information technology. In sports too it’s always the technique which fascinates him. The music in his ears is always loud enough for the entire office to hear!
Associate-Creative
With several years of experience in Interior Design, Deepu is the go to guy for detailing each space to the T. He lives Mies Van Der Rohe’s quote “god is in the detail”. His experience helps the team visualize design concepts from a detailed point of view, mapping it on to real spaces. A quiet and simple soul, we can always see Deepu working at his desk with complete concentration. A workaholic at heart, he is also a cricket buff and a harmonium player. He likes sticking to a rule book but won’t mind swinging to a catchy rhythm when he’s off work.
Administrator
Organized and to the point, our administrator likes keeping the house in order. Florie also has varied talents in cooking, sewing and embroidering. Diligence drives us as a team and so does it drive the person who holds the pack together. Florie is fond of country music and likes reading murder mysteries.