When it comes to rebrands, one thing’s certain – people have opinions. Whether it’s a full-scale redesign or a minor tweak, every change sparks debate and Capital One’s latest logo update is no exception.
Looking at it now, the old Capital One logo felt outdated, like something straight out of the ‘80s. It was functional for its time, but in 2025, it simply wasn’t working and needed an update. The redesign, however, made me wonder – is it a Turkish airline, Daihatsu, or, my strongest thought, something off the USS Enterprise from Star Trek? On closer inspection, it’s not identical, but I can see why my brain made the connection.
The change centres around the swoosh, which has now been zoomed out and encased in a circular frame. The intent was likely to refine and modernise the brand, but in doing so, Capital One may have unintentionally altered the way people interpret the logo. With the new framing, it almost feels like the design should be flipped to create a ‘C’ shape, something the original never needed, as it was more open and fluid.
Of course, this is the peril of logo design. No matter how much thought goes into a rebrand, you’ll never please everyone. And with the sheer number of existing logos, similarities, whether intentional or not, are almost inevitable.
This isn’t the first time a major brand has faced backlash over a redesign, and it certainly won’t be the last. As we saw with Jaguar’s recent rebrand, change is hard for consumers to accept, especially when a design has been ingrained in their minds for years. The best rebrands balance heritage with contemporary appeal, a challenge that’s easier said than done.
Capital One has taken a risk. Whether it pays off remains to be seen. But one thing’s for sure, when you change a brand’s identity, people will notice – and they’ll have something to say about it.