You won't have this logo to kick around any longer.

AOL (the forgettable part of Time Warner) is desperately trying to rebrand itself in an effort to stay… relevant.  The shortened namesake of America Online, which began life as QuantumLink in 1985, peaked with 30 million subscribers before merging with Time Warner in 2001.  It was all downhill from there.  The once-enormous Internet Service Provider has now become far lesser known as a content producer and distributor, although the company still has almost six million legacy dial-up account users paying between $9.99 and $25.90 a month for access.  They discontinued broadband service several years ago, which was a shame because it offered an Internet access alternative to whatever one’s phone or cable provider had on offer.

This week, with details finalized for December’s AOL severance from Time Warner, the “all-new” Aol. was previewed with a new image branding campaign.

Aol. It's capital "A" and lowercase "ol" with a period.

Yup… that’s it.  There’s now a period in there.  The old triangle, which never meant anything to me either, is gone for good.  Instead, a simple sans-serif logo with a period replaces it, designed to blend into one of hundreds of background images the service will introduce to its new look this December.

“Our new identity is uniquely dynamic. Our business is focused on creating world-class experiences for consumers and AOL is centered on creative and talented people – employees, partners, and advertisers. We have a clear strategy that we are passionate about and we plan on standing behind the AOL brand as we take the company into the next decade,” said Tim Armstrong, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of AOL.

Unfortunately for all concerned, there are going to be a lot fewer employees doing the work to create that “world-class” experience.  More than 2,500 employees, one-third of the company’s workforce, will be offered buyouts to get out.

The Associated Press reports on AOL’s plans to shed 2500 workers.  (1 minute)

The company is showcasing the all-new pretty wrapping paper for its December relaunch.

“Historically brand identity has been monolithic and controlling, little more than stamping a company name on a product.  AOL is a 21st century media company, with an ambitious vision for the future and new focus on creativity and expression, this required the new brand identity to be open and generous, to invite conversation and collaboration, and to feel credible, but also aspirational. We’re delighted to have worked so closely with the AOL leadership team to create something bold and exciting that sets AOL apart,” said Karl Heiselman, CEO of Wolff Olins.

The question is, do most consumers actually associate AOL with a 21st century media company, or a distant memory of dial-up access days gone by?  Aspiring to be the next best thing when your company formerly was the ISP tens of millions of Americans said goodbye to when broadband service arrived is a challenge.  The Internet is filled with yesterday’s sensations whose glory days are long since passed.  Just ask Yahoo!, AltaVista, Ask Jeeves, Napster, or GeoCities.

[flv width=”640″ height=”405″]http://www.phillipdampier.com/video/aol_brand-H.264.flv[/flv]

A video reel showcasing some of AOL’s new branding.  (1 minute)