Was the current 2009 Nickelodeon logo really that bad?

JMTV

Welcome to Wally World!
Joined
Oct 2, 2020
Messages
3,857
Location
Miramar, FL
Hello everybody. This is something that is something that has been on my mind for quite a long time, and I really want to let this out:

Was the current 2009 Nickelodeon logo really that bad?

Back in September 28th, 2009, after 25 years of the orange splat logo being used, Nickelodeon rebranded it's logo(and so as other networks like Nick Jr, TeenNick, and Nicktoons Network).

For what I remember, the reason why Nickelodeon changed it's logo was because the former CEO of Nick, Cyma Zargahmi, though the splat design was "outdated" and "messy" and she want to clean up with the 2009 logo and it would fit better on a business card.

For over 12 years of the current logo's existence, it had received massive hate online, especially YouTube. I remember seeing a lot of rants on YouTube were people complaining about the logo being too bland, generic, and boring compared to classic splat logo.

Now with me personally, I remember seeing the 2009 logo back when it came out when I was watching Nickelodeon at the time. At the age of 10, I was confused and really disappointed on the change of the logo. I tried to get used to it overtime, but it just didn't work with me. Over 12 years later, I still had that feeling.

In my opinion, I still don't like the current 2009 Nickelodeon logo. I thought it looked very unappealing, very generic, very freaking boring, and worst of all, it didn't have the memorability and creative flare compared to the splat logo. At least with the orange splat logo can do anything and everything that the current logo did not do: it can shape shift into different objects, it can change into different kinds of splats, and it was open for more creativity that you can do what you want with the orange splat logo. That was the best thing about the splat logo. It was a symbol of our childhoods, including mine's.

On top of that, the splat logo was made during the time when Nickelodeon was struggling. Back in the early to mid 80's, Nickelodeon was dead last among cable networks. Their pinball branding didn't really appealed to anybody, their programming (with the exception of You Can't Do That on Television and Mr. Wizard's World) were massive failures, and they're about ready to shut down. Until Fred Seibert and Alan Goodman came along, they were able to rebrand Nickelodeon as a whole in 1984, and became the #1 kids network within a year. It would continue to stay that way throughout the 1990's decade and some years of the 2000's decade. You have to give these guys credit and respect for pretty much made Nickelodeon what it is today. If it wasn't for them, then Nick would've been dead decades earlier.

So the fact that Cyma had to get rid all of that just because it's too messy and outdated and replaced with this bland and generic font just to fit for a business card?! That is completely ridiculous and dare I say, a complete slap in the face to Fred and Alan's hard work for reworking the network from the ground up. It's no wonder why people hate her presidency at Nick.

With all that said, even though I still don't like the 2009 logo, do I still think it's really that bad? If it was ten years ago, I would say "yes", but now? Probably not.

I mean, they are some decent things to like about the current logo. I do like how it's initial start from their 2009 rebrand. I though it was pretty tolerable. Nick Productions logo looks pretty amazing and I do like how the logo was animated like a slinky. Plus, I do like how the logo was animated in pretty playful ways in the bumpers. It was something that the animators can have fun with. Although, there's one thing that I wasn't too crazy about was the way used the logo(in their bumpers) as characters in the letters. I don't care what anyone said, but that's a bit too Disney Junior for my liking.

Other than that, I still don't like it, but I don't hate it as much as I used to.

But at the same time, I just wish Nickelodeon had a better logo that actually feels like Nickelodeon and was similar to the splat shapeshifting logo than we got right now.

Then again, I'm not in Nick's target demo anymore, so everything that I just said is completely moot at this point, but hey, that's just how I feel.

So what do you guys think of the current logo of Nickelodeon? Did you still really think it's as bad as thought it was? Or not?

I'm well aware that people's opinions changed over the years and now people are warmed up to the current logo. If you like it, that's fine by me. Nothing against you. If you like the current logo, tell me why do you like it? I'm curious to know about it.

So that's all I have to say.
 
Last edited:

harry580

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 2, 2020
Messages
3,540
Location
manville
while I like the 1984 logo but my opinion I like the 2009 logo and yes I wish they kept the splat text bubble but replace the 1984 font with 2009 font
 

Red Arrow

ça va nog wel
Joined
Oct 22, 2012
Messages
16,823
Location
Belgium
At least in the Netherlands and Flanders, the splat logo changed every day, or maybe even more frequently. I really wonder how many splat logos there were in total. It must have been hundreds, maybe a thousand?

But since 2009, we have had the same logo with no variation. It symbolizes nicely what state Nickelodeon has been in.
 

JMTV

Welcome to Wally World!
Joined
Oct 2, 2020
Messages
3,857
Location
Miramar, FL
FUN FACT: I was originally gonna titled this thread "What was the appeal of the current 2009 Nickelodeon logo?", but I had to change it because I don't want come off as biased and tried to be more neutral.
 

Spacething7474

Modern Fairly OddParents’ strongest soldier
Joined
May 21, 2017
Messages
1,010
Location
Max-and-his-bunny-landia
The logo’s alright, but the branding is what truly made it good or not.

The bumps looked amazing between 2009-2012, looked good enough between 2013-2016, and have been “eh” since that lame 2017 rebrand.

The sibling channels have the same situation.
 

CNCN2014

Active Member
Joined
Jun 17, 2014
Messages
390
If I'd have to say, the 2009 Nick idents were a very wild change from the average "white-on-orange" splat design that they continued to use since 1984. The logo, now simply shortened to "Nick" was ingenious and didn't need to use the old name "Nickelodeon", but in many international markets they still used the Nickelodeon branding which kind of felt a little too mouthful-ish, I don't know why Nick in the UK continued with this since they later just called themselves "Nick" to begin with and would often do such a thing in earlier promos and the DOG.
 

JMTV

Welcome to Wally World!
Joined
Oct 2, 2020
Messages
3,857
Location
Miramar, FL
The bumps looked amazing between 2009-2012, looked good enough between 2013-2016, and have been “eh” since that lame 2017 rebrand.
Yeah, I have to agree on this part. I think the initial 2009 rebrand was a better rebrand for Nick than we got later on. It may look simple and bland, but at least it looked unique and charming. I much rarther prefer that over both 2013-2016 rebrand and it's current 2017 rebrand any day.

Then again, I wouldn't called it amazing compared to the 1984 splat rebrand, but I get what you're saying.
 

JMTV

Welcome to Wally World!
Joined
Oct 2, 2020
Messages
3,857
Location
Miramar, FL
To me, the current logo for Nickelodeon feels... generic when compared to the pre-2009 Nick logo.
Yup, pretty much. That's why I prefer the 1984 logo than the current one, in my opinion. It feels lively and magical.

A question that has been in the very back of my mind is "Should the logo be changed for 2021-onward?"
Well, I don't know. I'm hoping they changed the logo that is less boring than what we got right now, but I kind of doubt it.
 

jaylop97

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Oct 5, 2014
Messages
16,207
Location
Austin, Texas
At first I liked the change, because I was assuming Nick would have expanded upon what they would do with giving it more creativity in its design, but over the years they chose not to expand on what could be done. The Splat logo is generally better received because of the variety it had and having it's unique charm, the new one is just letters, nothing much can be said for any special symbolism there.
 

harry580

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 2, 2020
Messages
3,540
Location
manville
At first I liked the change, because I was assuming Nick would have expanded upon what they would do with giving it more creativity in its design, but over the years they chose not to expand on what could be done. The Splat logo is generally better received because of the variety it had and having it's unique charm, the new one is just letters, nothing much can be said for any special symbolism there.
that is why I said I rather have the 2009 font on the splat logo to replace the 1984 font
 

JMTV

Welcome to Wally World!
Joined
Oct 2, 2020
Messages
3,857
Location
Miramar, FL
At first I liked the change, because I was assuming Nick would have expanded upon what they would do with giving it more creativity in its design, but over the years they chose not to expand on what could be done. The Splat logo is generally better received because of the variety it had and having it's unique charm, the new one is just letters, nothing much can be said for any special symbolism there.

Yup, exactly my thoughts.

that is why I said I rather have the 2009 font on the splat logo to replace the 1984 font
Meh, I guess so.
 

Ghoster1987

howdy
Joined
Aug 15, 2018
Messages
250
Location
usa
To be honest i wouldn't mind if they kept the Orange shape-shifting theme but change the font. But the fact that they don't do interesting things with the branding of the 2009 logo and the rest of its sister channels having the same theme of the new logo, it's such a downgrade then what came before it.

Really it's just bubble text sitting there and that's it. It's been a decade since the new logo was introduced and it still looks incredibly flat and boring and kind of destroyed what made Nickelodeon into the groundbreaking and beautiful network it once was and shows how corporate and out of touch they became later on. Thanks Cyma and Phillipe Dauman's Viacom.

I don't hate it but overall it's disappointing and cold like most logo changes since 2008
 
Last edited:

JMTV

Welcome to Wally World!
Joined
Oct 2, 2020
Messages
3,857
Location
Miramar, FL
To be honest i wouldn't mind if they kept the Orange shape-shifting theme but change the font. But the fact that they don't do interesting things with the branding of the 2009 logo and the rest of its sister channels having the same theme of the new logo, it's such a downgrade then what came before it.

Really it's just bubble text sitting there and that's it. It's been a decade since the new logo was introduced and it still looks incredibly flat and boring and kind of destroyed what made Nickelodeon into the groundbreaking and beautiful network it once was and shows how corporate and out of touch they became later on. Thanks Cyma and Phillipe Dauman's Viacom.

I don't hate it but overall it's disappointing and cold like most logo changes since 2008
Well said. :)
 

JMTV

Welcome to Wally World!
Joined
Oct 2, 2020
Messages
3,857
Location
Miramar, FL
I don't think it's bad but let's be honest, the splat logo is a tough act to follow.
Yeah, it's so tough, there is NO other logos in Nick's history could've even surpassed the 1984 logo. Not even close. Hell, not even the pinball logo couldn't even surpassed it.

To be fair, I don't mind rebranding the logo, but if you're rebrand something that looks completely unrecognizable, that's when I had a problem with.
 

5YearsOnEastCoast

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2019
Messages
1,154
Location
Serbia
Current Nickelodeon logo isn't bad, but more... kind of ok? The previous logo is much better

And speaking of logos, does anyone else miss specific Nickelodeon logos they made for Nicktoons during 1990s and 2000s? They was a certain charm attach to it. Here are few examples:
1612558927269.png

1612558935214.png

1612558943257.png

1612558952839.png

1612558961077.png
 

ThePharaohZ

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2016
Messages
204
Location
Las Vegas
Current Nickelodeon logo isn't bad, but more... kind of ok? The previous logo is much better

And speaking of logos, does anyone else miss specific Nickelodeon logos they made for Nicktoons during 1990s and 2000s? They was a certain charm attach to it. Here are few examples:
View attachment 285619
View attachment 285620
View attachment 285621
View attachment 285622
View attachment 285623
Yep! The old logo's multitude of different forms could not be replicated.
 

Spotlight

Staff online

Who's on Discord?

Latest profile posts

"I'm probably going to watch Nymphomaniac Part II on Disney+ this weekend" isn't something I didn't think I'd ever say, but here we are.
Change of plans, no concert for me tonight! Instead, if everything goes according to plan, I will instead be seeing Chris Barron (of Spin Doctors) in May.
I may actually delete my twitter account. It is just really bad these days, and I have other ways to keep in touch with the few people on there I do care about, so deleting it would be rather easy. Something I once thought I'd never think of doing.
And now: A Classic Toonzone Moment #3

On the TTTP on October 13, 2002, a couple of users question if Dumb Patrol (1964) is truly offensive, causing a long discussion about flame wars: "Dumb Patrol"
I still haven't made a real post on that Dreamwidth blog I have linked in my signature. Still deciding what I want to do with it, really. I want to practice my reviewing skills so I may use it exclusively as a review blog for whatever I feel like.

Featured Posts

Top