

A Change of Brand
Blake Howard
A Change of Brand, produced by Matchstic, is a podcast about the world’s most loved consumer companies and their rebrand glory, drama, or disaster. In this series we will go deeper than color palettes and typography, talking with brand leaders and agency creatives to retell the story behind the change. Getting into the nitty-gritty, we learn about their leading-edge work, creative process, and approach to change management. Regardless of fame or fail, our mission is to tell these stories to educate and inspire others facing a change of brand.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jul 9, 2024 • 37min
RISE with Gavin Hurrell
The cannabis industry is basically the Wild West. In an emerging market, how do you execute a rebrand for a dispensary while juggling state-by-state regulations and varied public perception? Gavin Hurrell, Creative Director at Turner Duckworth, shares how he and his team approached their work for RISE, a growing retail dispensary leading the movement to democratize cannabis.To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.Created by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard (@blakehoward), co-hosted by Tracy Clark, edited and scored by ATAM Audio, brief-in by Dee Boyle, fact-checked and coordinated by Jill Jeffries, produced by Brianna Belcher, and artwork by Stephanie Kim.

Jul 2, 2024 • 46min
Are Script Logos Dead? with James Bowie & James Edmondson
In 2023, we saw Eddie Bauer and Johnson & Johnson retire their widely recognizable script logo for a basic sans serif type, causing a sweep of panic in the design community. Are all script logos doomed? To find out whether this is an actual trend, we consulted type experts James Bowie, Fast Company contributor and sociologist at Northern Arizona University who studies trends in logo design and branding, as well as James Edmondson, Type Designer and Founder of OH no Type Co.To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.Created by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard (@blakehoward), co-hosted by Tracy Clark, edited and scored by ATAM Audio, brief-in by Dee Boyle, fact-checked and coordinated by Jill Jeffries, produced by Brianna Belcher, and artwork by Stephanie Kim.

Jun 25, 2024 • 49min
U.S. Army with Matt Egan and Jason Miller
You thought your clients were tough? Try having a branch of the military as a client. To combat their brand and recruitment challenges, the U.S. Army enlisted the help of Siegel+Gale, a partner within Team DDB. Matt Egan, Managing Director, Strategy and Jason Miller, Creative Director at Siegel+Gale, share how they handled an intimidating room full of generals to deliver the Army’s 2023 rebrand.To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.Created by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard (@blakehoward), co-hosted by Tracy Clark, edited and scored by ATAM Audio, brief-in by Dee Boyle, fact-checked and coordinated by Jill Jeffries, produced by Brianna Belcher, and artwork by Stephanie Kim.

Jun 18, 2024 • 41min
LG with David Stevens and Tom Carey
LG is an electronics giant with one of the most instantly recognizable logos. But with decades of brand equity in their smiling icon and “Life’s Good” tagline, how do you signal a shift in the marketplace without throwing away everything you’ve built? David Stevens, Executive Strategy Director and Tom Carey, Senior Creative Director at Wolff Olins share how they approached bringing “the face of the future” into the future.To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.Created by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard (@blakehoward), co-hosted by Tracy Clark, edited and scored by ATAM Audio, brief-in by Dee Boyle, fact-checked and coordinated by Jill Jeffries, produced by Brianna Belcher, and artwork by Stephanie Kim.

Jun 11, 2024 • 49min
Formula 1 with Mike Reed
Once F1 was acquired by a mass media company in 2017, they faced a crossroads that many legacy brands face: How can they honor their storied past while attracting a new, more global audience? In our most requested episode yet, we’re zooming in on verbal identity with Mike Reed, Co-Founder and Creative Director of Reed Words, in the driver’s seat.To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.Created by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard (@blakehoward), co-hosted by Tracy Clark, edited and scored by ATAM Audio, fact-checked and coordinated by Jill Jeffries, produced by Brianna Belcher, and artwork by Stephanie Kim.

Jun 4, 2024 • 51min
Glassdoor with Deanna German
After Glassdoor’s acquisition of Fishbowl in 2023, they enlisted the help of Deanna German, Creative Director at Koto, and her team to reposition them as more than just a workplace insight platform, but a place for community conversation. The catch: Glassdoor requested an open design process, meaning Koto would share design concepts with the public early and often. How can you have such a wide range of feedback and still move forward with work you believe in? This episode may be about transparency, but you’re just going to have to listen for yourself to get the full story.To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.Created by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard (@blakehoward), co-hosted by Tracy Clark, edited and scored by ATAM Audio, fact-checked and coordinated by Jill Jeffires, produced by Brianna Belcher, and artwork by Stephanie Kim.

Aug 29, 2023 • 37min
Minecraft with Harry Elonen
As a highly successful and ever-expanding company, the Minecraft brand began spawning major inconsistencies as it was built over time; block by block. But in 2022, they released a brand update that tidied up the logo system and individual identities for their ever-growing amount of sub-brands, extensions, and products. Harry Elonen, Senior Brand Manager for Minecraft at Mojang Studios, shares how he and his team regained control by refining the master design system.To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.Produced by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard (@blakehoward), co-hosted by Tracy Clark, edited and scored by Landon Oseitutu, fact-checked by Jill Jeffries, written in part and produced by Brianna Belcher, and artwork by Rachel Jackson.

Aug 22, 2023 • 30min
Nokia with Lee Coomber
Despite being known as a B2C telecom giant turned dying star, Nokia’s focus has been on developing B2B network technology for the past decade. For Nokia’s first major rebrand in 45 years, it was crucial to be seen as the digital innovator they are, not the mobile phone company they were. In this episode, we talk to Lee Coomber, Creative Director at Lippincott, to learn how his design team righted the misperceptions of an enterprise legacy brand.To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.Produced by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard, co-hosted by Tracy Clark, edited and scored by Landon Oseitutu, fact-checked by Jill Jeffries, written in part and produced by Brianna Belcher, and artwork by Rachel Jackson.

Aug 15, 2023 • 35min
Bolt with Arthur Foliard
Arthur Foliard, Creative Director at Koto, shares how his team approached the risk of pursuing a strong idea for Bolt's brand refresh. They discuss the debate around originality in logo design and the reaction to Bolt's new brand identity. The podcast also explores the process of logo design, the concept of originality, and the importance of simplicity in brand marks.

Aug 8, 2023 • 40min
Baskin-Robbins with Ryan Brazelton
Despite being associated with cherished childhood memories, Baskin-Robbins began to feel frozen in time. Domestically the brand felt dated, but in international markets the line was out the door. Baskin-Robbins needed to create a signature that was strong enough to be global while domestically rebuilding the brand at a core level. But there was confusion around the timing - didn’t they just debut a brand refresh a few months prior? We get the inside scoop on the 2022 rebrand from Ryan Brazelton, Chief Creative Officer at ChangeUp.To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.Produced by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard (@blakehoward), co-hosted by Tracy Clark, edited and scored by Landon Oseitutu, fact-checked by Jill Jeffries, written in part and produced by Brianna Belcher, and artwork by Rachel Jackson.