On brand longevity
Most rebrands don't survive five years. The ones that do share a few traits that have nothing to do with trends.
The problem
The average lifespan of a rebrand is getting shorter. Companies redesign every 3-4 years now, chasing whatever aesthetic is trending. Geometric sans-serifs. Gradient blobs. Flat illustrations with no outlines. Whatever Stripe did last quarter.
This is expensive and exhausting. And it means your brand never builds equity because it keeps resetting.
What lasts
The brands that endure (Nike, IBM, Apple, Braun) share traits that are boringly obvious but consistently ignored.
1. Simple marks
A logo you can draw from memory in under 5 seconds. Not a logo that's "minimal." That's different. A logo that's simple enough to become a symbol.
2. Ownable color
One color, owned completely. Tiffany blue. UPS brown. John Deere green. Not a "palette." A color.
3. Consistent voice
Not a tone guide that lives in a PDF no one reads. An actual voice that sounds the same whether it's a billboard or an error message.
4. Room to breathe
The best brand systems are loose enough to evolve without breaking. They're defined by principles, not rigid templates.
The uncomfortable truth
Longevity requires restraint. Restraint is boring. Boring doesn't win design awards or generate LinkedIn engagement. So the cycle continues.
The best brand work I've done is the work that still looks right five years later. It never felt cutting-edge when we made it. It just felt right.