Astral puts on a friendlier face

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Montrealers saw something unusual on the city's skyline a few weeks ago: a jumble of letters, TALR, mysteriously being installed atop of one of the city's tallest buildings.

It was part of a top-secret test run of a new sign built for Astral Media Inc. The company wanted to test the lighting of the sign, and see how its Pantone colours looked from the ground as it sat atop Place Montreal Trust, Astral's new headquarters as of this summer. But the vice-president of brand management, Alain Bergeron, insisted that only a few letters could be put up: People on the street could not be allowed to see the new logo, part of a larger rebranding at the media company that has been kept under wraps for months.

The new image, concocted by Toronto ad firm Juniper Park, will finally be unveiled Thursday. Astral is shedding its decade-old logo and adopting a more friendly, colourful insignia to signal its emergence as one of Canada's biggest media companies.

The revamp is part of a broader trend in the corporate world: The strong, authoritative logos that were in fashion a decade ago have now become passé; cheery and approachable is in. Astral is following an array of firms, such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Unilever PLC, that have ditched their stodgy corporate logos for a softer, more organic touch.

Astral's brand exercise isfuelled by a larger change in how companies want to interact with consumers, said Barry Quinn, executive creative director at Juniper Park.

Such is the science behind logo creation, which is equal parts graphic design and psychology.

"Corporations have a different place in society. This standoffish, almost international style, where corporations were an institution and were separate from the world, is gone."

When Astral introduced its blue, capital-A logo in 2000, it was a different time. A small but growing broadcaster and billboard company, it wanted to emphasize its stability.

"The old logo was designed with the purpose in mind so that we would be perceived as a solid, professional company with its financial feet planted on the ground, and that we were here for the long run," Astral CEO Ian Greenberg said in an interview.

Since then, Astral has grown from a small collection of Quebec radio stations and outdoor media properties, to Canada's largest radio broadcaster, with 83 AM and FM outlets from coast to coast. Its TV properties include some of the best-known cable brands in the country, from HBO Canada to Playhouse Disney.

Jill Nykoliation, Juniper Park's president and brand strategist, said that while Astral's logo was sufficient a decade ago, "the company has evolved so much that it wasn't telling the whole story."

With the ad firm's help, Mr. Bergeron, Astral's brand manager, conducted an "audit" of its logo, canvassing internal staff, clients, ad agencies and other people familiar with Astral's business. The overwhelming response was that the old logo was too corporate, and didn't fit an entertainment company.

Juniper came up with more than 100 new logos, which were eventually whittled to three or four. The company finally settled on a mosaic with a patchwork of colours designed to represent its many businesses - from radio to TV and billboards - with a white line running through it to signify the thread running through the operations.

Others that were discarded included a red letter A, which seemed too aggressive. "It was all red - a bit like the CNN logo," Mr. Bergeron said. "It was a big step forward, but too corporate." Astral needed to show its creative side.

A decade may not seem much of a lifespan for a logo. Brands such as Tiffany and Harley-Davidson, for example, hang on to their classic logos to create a sense of heritage. But few companies, especially in sectors such as media or technology, can afford to do that without appearing old-fashioned, Mr. Quinn said. "Brands have to adapt."

The man at Astral's helm was convinced. "With the recession going on, people would say, 'Do you guys have nothing better to do than change your logo?'" Mr. Greenberg said. "I think it will be a good rallying cry going forward."