Delightful Doodles and What They Tell Us

Google Doodles (we think they deserve a capital ‘D’) are always a pleasure. Sometimes, their themes are obvious – Google graced Malaysia’s 13^th General Election with a Doodle.

At other times, we learn things we would other wise never pick up in our daily diet of mainstream, must-know, “what’s-trending” reading. Nobel Peace Prize winner, Wangari Maathai, was the subject of a Doodle for her seventy-third birthday on April 1^st this year.

On June 10^th, Google outdid themselves. They created a short animation of characters by children’s illustrator and writer Maurice Sendak. A party of his characters showed up for just that – a party. Sendak, who died on May 8, 2012, would have turned 85.

The lovely Doodle is playful and knowledgeable – characters are seen running against a medleyed  backdrop of his stories. Google, one of the most dynamic brands, showed real honour to another beloved brand.

In fact, it shows honour through all its Doodles. Google is willing to get creative with their logo, transforming it into rich, magical pieces of priceless information.

Why is this worth noting? Because, when you work in branding, you will find just how many companies hold their logos sacrosanct. To change a logo – indeed, even to suggest a change – can rattle a company to its core. The general feeling seems to be that logos are there to be revered. Here's a lighthearted example of a brand not afraid to laugh at themselves in a way that resonates with their target audience.

Great ideas beget great ideas. Google allows their designers to have fun. The brand is about empowering people through easy access of knowledge, and this is the best example how they do that in a way that cuts through the clutter. 

How are you using your logo? Is it telling your story or is it confining you?

Does it resonate and remind you of who you are every time you look at it?

Or is it just a pretty piece of corporate garnish?