To accent or not to accent?
It seems like a silly question, but after the recent controversy that was sparked with Celine’s latest brand revamp dropping the accent, you’d be asking yourself just how big of an effect can that one simple character really make?
This past Sunday, the new Creative Director, Hedi Slimane of Céline.. *ahem* Celine, officially changed the logo and did so in the most dramatic of fashions. She did so by deleting their entire Instagram Feed and beginning with a fresh new look — and a fresh new name.
The reason? It seems as though they’re trying to take us back to a simpler time, long before dashes and lines. Back to yesteryear, stating,
“The new logo has been directly inspired by the original, historical, version that existed in the 1960’s. The Modernist Typography used dates from the 1930’s. The accent on the “e” has been removed to enable a simplified and more balanced proportion, evoking the Celine Collections of the 1960’s where the accent wasn’t used often.”
Celine via Instagram
Okay, fine we get it. But the issue with rebranding a brand that doesn’t need to be rebranded is that it can potentially just confuse people.
Consider the fact that most of the people buying these bags aren’t buying the bags per se, but the name. And when you change the name, you change the product.
Which leads us to ask the question — how will the rebrand affect the perceived value of bags, sans-accent?
Will your Céline bag scream unique and valuable? Will it lose its relevance? Will the Celine bag look like a knock-off? Not taken seriously? What does this mean for current owners and future owners of the bag?
The feedback? Concern and hilarity. Of course.
What’s the verdict? Only time will tell.
