10 Bad Branding Examples and What They Teach Us

Branding can either elevate a business or quietly damage it. In today’s competitive landscape, even well-known companies can fall into becoming bad branding examples through weak design decisions, unclear messaging, or a poor understanding of their audience. 

If you want to see these issues in action, explore the bad branding cases in this article.

Key Takeaways:

• Brands often fail when they remove familiar visual cues, lean on over-stylized design, or create identities that confuse instead of guide.
• Understanding your audience helps prevent tone-deaf or misaligned branding.
• Thoughtful typography choices, in both legibility and style, strengthen clarity, personality, and overall impact.

10 Poor Branding Examples that Missed the Mark

Here are 10 poor branding cases that reveal how brands can slip when they ignore consistency, misread cultural context, or pursue innovation without a clear plan.

1. Tropicana’s 2009 Packaging Redesign Revival

Although not new, it remains one of the most notable bad branding examples. Its relevance resurged in 2024 due to multiple design conferences and brand studies reevaluating it as a foundational failure in consumer-packaged-goods branding. 

The redesign failed because customers could no longer identify the product on shelves. Key visual cues, including the familiar orange with a straw, were removed. According to The Branding Journal, the update led to confusion and a 20% drop in sales.

As a lesson to learn, a redesign should reinforce existing memory cues, not erase them.

Also Read: 7 Brand Development Strategies That Build Consumer Trust

2. Twitter Rebranding to X (2023–2024)

The sudden shift from Twitter’s iconic blue bird to “X” remains one of the most discussed bad branding examples. The shift dismantled nearly two decades of brand equity built around the bluebird, the color palette, and the cultural vocabulary (“tweet,” “retweet,” etc.). 

What made this failure particularly significant was the speed and lack of a communication strategy surrounding the rebrand. Fortune reports that X’s ad revenue dropped significantly, falling to around USD600 million per quarter in 2023 after previously exceeding USD1 billion per quarter in 2022.

3. Kia’s Confusing New Logo (2021-2024)

Though introduced earlier, the confusion peaked recently. Millions of people still search “KN car” monthly because the new logo resembles those letters. The issue arises from over-stylization, a growing trend where brands lean toward abstract, monoline logos to appear futuristic but sacrifice legibility. 

This case shows that legibility is essential for any visual identity, no matter how modern the style aims to be.

4. Discord’s Rebrand and “Clyde” Logo Tweaks (2021)

Discord refreshed its visual identity, adjusting its “Clyde” mascot logo and redesigning its typography. But users complained that the new logo looked overly simplified and “off-brand,” losing some of the charm and personality of the original.

In addition, the flat visual approach clashed with Discord’s quirky, community-driven identity.

Also Read: What Is a Value Brand? Definition, Examples, and Strategies

5. Starbucks Olive Oil Drinks “Oleato” Launch (2023–2024)

The deeper failure was a good product with bad branding narrative. Starbucks never established a clear story that connected its core identity—premium coffeehouse culture and comforting beverages—with the unfamiliar, polarizing experience of olive oil–infused drinks.

The lesson is that even major brands must ensure new product launches fit naturally within their existing narrative.

6. Subway’s Brand Refresh Struggles (2018-2021)

Since 2016, thousands of Subway stores have closed, so the company has done a brand refresh. However, Subway’s attempt to modernize its identity through refreshed visuals, updated store designs, and new menu positioning drew mixed reactions. 

Although the brand’s new look appeared cleaner and more contemporary, consumers quickly noticed a disconnect between the polished branding and the actual in-store experience. Brand refreshes must align with real improvements, not just visuals. So it can win markets when compared to the competitors. 

7. Duolingo Max Mascot Expansion (2024)

In promoting “Duolingo Max,” the brand leaned heavily into humor, chaos, and meme culture. While this approach worked well for younger users, many others found the tone to be overwhelming or misaligned with their learning goals. The polarizing approach turned the campaign into one of the notable examples of bad branding.

The takeaway is that humor must support audience expectations and stay aligned with the product’s purpose.

Also Read: 15 Successful Brand Extension Examples to Learn From

8. Pepsi’s Limited-Time Neon Visuals (2023)

Pepsi experimented with neon, cyber-punk-inspired visuals aimed at Gen Z, leveraging trends from digital art and gaming aesthetics. However, older demographics felt disconnected from the neon styling. The lack of cross-demographic appeal weakened brand consistency. 

9. HBO Max → Max Rebrand (2023–2024 Feedback)

The transition from HBO Max to simply “Max” was one of the most contentious streaming brand decisions of the decade. According to Variety, removing “HBO” from the name diluted the platform’s association with prestige television, a massive asset built over decades.

The shift attempted to broaden the platform but instead weakened its strongest asset. 

10. Yahoo’s Unmemorable Logo Adjustment (2013)

Yahoo’s recent logo update was one of many bad brands examples. The update was so subtle that many users didn’t even notice. Yahoo’s visual changes felt passive, missing the opportunity to signal reinvention or modernization after years of competitive decline. 

In a market where competitors push bold identities, the minimal change is read as uninspired. 

Also Read: Top 11 Companies With the Best Brand Awareness in 2025

Build Strong Branding, Avoid Costly Mistakes!

Avoiding these bad branding examples starts with visual clarity, consistent identity work, and solid audience research to understand what people expect from your brand. Typography can also be a part of that foundation. The right typeface can shape how a brand feels and how well it communicates.

To support your branding efforts, explore the Bold Typeface for branding, an expertly curated font resource that helps you build identities with clarity and personality. Available through Get Studio, this resource offers precise kerning, optical corrections, multi-weight systems, and licensing built for real commercial use.

Strengthen your visual foundation and keep your branding future-ready with Get Studio!