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Thomas Cook seeks new heartland

 

Gideon Spanier
Wednesday 02 October 2013 01:04 BST
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Travel group Thomas Cook today unveiled a new “sunny heart” logo and the simple message “Let’s Go” in a major rebranding, but some observers warned that it looked “bland” and could lead to confusion.

Chief executive Harriet Green has ditched one of advertising’s most acclaimed slogans, “Don’t just book it, Thomas Cook it”, along with the group’s longstanding globe logo.

The sunshine heart and “Let’s Go” message will be used across all the group’s subsidiary companies, such as Condor, Neckermann and Elegant Resorts, although they will keep their own branding.

It is the first time in Thomas Cook’s 172-year history that all its companies will have a unifying identity.

The group largely carried out the rebranding in-house, as part of Green’s efforts to turn around the company. It said research showed the new message and logo had “real resonance” across different countries and languages.

Jim Prior, chief executive of WPP branding agency The Partners, said: “They have married a very warm, emotional concept, with the heart and the sunshine, with a very bland piece of typography. Rationally, I understand what they’re doing. Emotionally, I’m not sure it achieves the objective.”

Thomas Cook could risk confusion as there is a student travel guide called Let’s Go, and Ryanair’s in-house magazine is called Let’s Go.

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