The Co-op has taken its identity back in time by reviving its distinctive clover-leaf logo design, which originally represented the brand from 1968. Created in collaboration with design studio North, the new identity proudly helps the chain go back to 'Being Co-op'.
North's founding partner Sean Perkins suggests that reprints of the NYCTA and NASA graphics standards manuals made the studio consider reviving the classic design. "It's a symbol and a wordmark and that's impossible to beat for a graphic designer. It's never dated," he explains.
By returning to the classic logo, the Co-op hopes to remind people of what makes the brand truly distinctive. In fact, Perkins makes sense of the rebrand by pointing out that with the 60's logo the Co-op already had a "trust mark, a passion brand, a timeless classic."
Originally drawn by hand, the four-leaf clover logo identity manual was recalled from the Co-op's archives in Manchester and used as a foundation for the North team. "It was all about building on what they had," Perkins explains.
The logo was then redrawn and developed with some geometry by the studio. It was then applied to uniforms, products and vehicles to show how it will link the chain together.
Over 500 stores will be adorned with the rebrand this year, with the rest of the Co-op group getting updated with the design by May 2019.
