Spinoff Veteran Verizon Gets Bored, Changes Logo

Verizon(VZ) is a proto-spinoff. At its core rest two of the original baby bells, Bell Atlantic and NYNEX, although it didn’t take on the Verizon moniker until after its merger with GTE(as part of that merger, GTE spun off Genuity). Verizon later purchased other spinoff related companies such as Alltel, which had spun off its wireline business into Windstream(WIN), which recently spun off it real estate as Communications Sales & Leasing(CSAL), and AOL, a spinoff of Time Warner(TWX). Verizon also spun off some of its rural wireline business into Frontier Communications(FTR) in 2010.

Verizon is one of the first examples of a company changing its name to something vaguely word-like, aided by a bevy of consultants and a massive marketing budget. Verizon, of course, comes from the Latin word veritas(meaning truth) and horizon, yielding the perfectly sensible phrase, Truth Horizon.

Apparently, the bevy of consultants has been getting restless of late, and, while they couldn’t convince Verizon to part with its lovely faux word, they did manage to get the company to change its logo for no good reason. That didn’t stop them from releasing paragraphs of platitudes about the change.

Today, we’re introducing a new look to go along with our renewed purpose at Verizon. In a world that is constantly changing and introducing new technology, our customers rely on us every day to deliver the connections that matter to them. We make it possible for today’s always-on consumers to watch videos, listen to music, navigate city streets and stay in touch across the globe. Simply put, we deliver the promise of the digital world and we need a logo that expresses our purpose in a way that is truly ours.

Why are we changing now?
As our customers and our business evolve, so must we. The reveal of our new brand is more than just a new look. It’s a chance to further everyone’s understanding of who Verizon is and where we are going. After 15 years, the new visual identity marks the beginning of the next chapter to distinguish Verizon in the minds of consumers and signals our revitalized purpose of delivering the promise of the digital world — simply, reliably and in a way that consumers want.

The new brand identity takes the best elements of Verizon’s heritage, represented by its colors and the Verizon “checkmark,” and transforms them for a new era. At its most basic level, the new logo is a visual statement that honors our history and reflects an identity that stands for simplicity, honesty and joy in a category rife with confusion, disclaimers and frustration. It’s a cleaner, more human design and the checkmark, the universal symbol for getting things done, uniquely expresses the reliability of Verizon.

“An identity that stands for simplicity, honesty and joy in a category rife with confusion, disclaimers, and frustration”?

Apparently, nobody in Verizon’s marketing department has looked at Verizon’s pricing plans, or met a Verizon customer. While you ponder that enjoy this song, which may soon be rebranded “Ode To Verizon”

Disclosure: The author holds shares in WIN and CSAL