I want to talk about businesses saying they want to look unique and stand out from the competition but at the end of the day choosing symbols that fall back on graphic cliches that simply fit in. When its all said and done their overriding desire is to look "professional". It takes a confident business to stand by a unique corporate identity. Logos that simply fit in, look professional by relying on graphic familiarity (i.e. the swoosh) to give the company credibility. Marks that are different require interpretation because they are unfamiliar, which yes sometimes will not be what was intended. But then again you are different and exposure time will smooth out the perception.

Take for example Lucent Technology. People hated their identity at first, including their employees. They thought it looked like “a red doughnut drawn by a child, or an advertisement for a paint company." Sounds typical especially the paint company. This identity is referred to as the "innovation ring." Its about warmth, boldness, freedom and humanism with its strong, rough brush stroke. All of which is needed for a young child of AT&T stepping out on its own and wanting to be different than other tech firms. Acceptance was earned over time and now the corporate symbol is praised for its distinctiveness. The same reason for which it was hated, being called "the million-dollar coffee stain."

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