Brandweek writes about several logos that have undergone transformation, drawing a connection between the "softer, more approachable fonts; multiple colors and natural, child-like symbols" and the state of the economy.
Consumers are worried, time-pressured and cynical, and so if a logo can appear more friendly and comforting that can only be a good thing.
BW writes "The latest example of the trend is Kraft. While the food giant’s
previous visual treatment was a red, white and blue hexagon, the
new one, which the company introduced with great fanfare last week,
is in lower-case and sports yellow, green, purple, blue and orange
as well.
"Designers have a name for the trend: The Google Effect. Many say
that Google’s multicolor design and the company’s willingness to
tweak its logo for holidays and such have been widely influential.
“Because we’re in a tough time and people are getting laid off, I
think there’s a subconscious desire to take you back to when you
weren’t worried about things like that, which is why we’re seeing
these almost hand-drawn logos,” McAllister said. “And when you see
a logo that’s boxy and the edges are hard and sharp, and the
company just laid off 10,000 people, you get mad at them. But if
it’s a watercolory rounded logo, you feel kind of sorry for
them.”