Viral X thread claims logos are trying to control your mind

If there’s been one notable trend in logo design over the last couple of years, it’s got to be nostalgia. We’ve seen countless brands take a leaf out of their own history books when it comes to their ‘new’ logos, with old designs reappearing all over the shop as brands celebrate their heritage. And one X user seems to think the whole thing’s rather sinister.

“The average company changes its logo every 7 years. Why? To control your mind,” exclaims font designer Saskia Ketz, who goes on to claim that there’s a “dark truth behind every logo change you’ve seen”. The thread has enjoyed over 2M views on X – but is there really anything sinister about the current trend for ‘fauxstalgia marketing’?

From Burberry to Pepsi, we’ve seen a ton of brands resurrect their old logo designs in recent months. And as Ketz correctly points out, this could all be be viewed as part of the nostalgia movement that has seen Gen Z yearning for Y2K tech, and generally reminiscing about ‘simpler’ times such as the ’90s that they didn’t even live through (hence the ‘faux’ in fauxstalgia). 

“Gen Z, born 1997–2012, are obsessed with the 90s aesthetic. Why? Well, they never experienced it firsthand—but they crave escape to a “better” time. And nostalgia isn’t about memory. It’s about emotion,” Setz claims on X. And she believes that this psychological aspect extends to those new ‘old’ logos. “It’s not about how the logo looks. It’s about what the logo reminds you of—and how it makes you feel.” 

So where’s the ‘dark truth’ here? It seems Ketz has realised that design has the ability to push emotional buttons – which isn’t exactly a new idea. Neither is the concept that a brand has strategies in place and demographics in mind when rebranding (as that unbelievable Pepsi design document once proved, too much thought can go into these things). 

Of course, a little clickbait is to be expected on X since the ‘X Premium’ model began dishing out ad revenue to verified users. Exclamatory introduction aside, Ketz’s observations of about nostalgic marketing aren’t incorrect. From 90s web design to the iPod revival, what’s old is very much new again in 2024.