Can sans serif restore AIG’s reputation?

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AIG, the much-maligned insurance giant that fell into US government hands during the financial crisis, has unveiled a new logo. There it is on the right. Take a moment to compose yourself.

Here’s how AIG explains the look: “Our new logo reflects a rebuilt and forward looking AIG — contemporary, dynamic, transparent, and revitalized.”  By our eye, AIG’s new wordmark is rendered in a variation of Futura, the sans-serif typeface often associated with the Bauhaus school and modern design principles. The color is reminiscent of Barclays baby blue.

Brand New, the typically critical brand-identity blog, offered a mildly approving assessment, calling the redesign “fairly competent” and “probably as exciting and interesting as this redesign is going to get.”