Studio Brief 01, Logotype - Serif Re-brand

Based on my previous experiments on Serif fonts, I narrowed down my possible candidates for the re-brand. 

From top to bottom the fonts are Times, Bodoni, Didot and Garamond. I chose to delete the space in between the two words to help make the brand look more compact and quick to read. What replaces that is the capital A of Apparel that breaks the consistent x-height, separating the two words. By deleting the space it creates a more fluent visual appearance between the two words. People on the high street only take a second to look at your brand, and you want them to read your brand quickly in order to attract their attention.

Times

Bodoni

Garamond

Didot

So I placed my serif experiments on American Apparels storefront to see how the logotypes look with context. The two that work successfully are Times and Bodoni. Garamond does not work large scale because of its low x-height. It makes the font look wider than the other and appears smaller on the store front, thus losing its visual impact that was present with the current logo. American Apparel needs to stay contemporary and modern and Garamond's serifs gives the impression that it is hand drawn. Didot does not work also because of its thin brackets and stems and its overall look. The thin brackets and stems lose focus on the large scale. As American Apparel is having a re-brand it needs to capture as much attention as it needs in order to attract customers. Also, the characteristics of Didot give the brand an aesthetic that is too far from the clothes that they sell. Didot gives the impression that American Apparel are a high fashion label like Calvin Klein or Armani Exchange which use Didot. Therefore Times and Bodoni are more relevant to American Apparel because of its relatively modern look yet form of sophistication with its serifs and contrasting stems. 

Times

Bodoni

So I placed the two selected typefaces onto a contextual reference to see how well it would work on American Apparels website. I realised that the deletion of spacing between the words made American Apparel look too compact, however adding a space was too far in between. Therefore I kerned the letters in between to find a spatial balance, by doing so the capital A's stand out more and give the brand more of an identifier.

Times

Bodoni

These are the revised logotypes.

I further experimented with contextual research with the application of font onto American Apparels advertisements and shopping bags. 

Times

Bodoni

These are the typefaces applied to one of the more toned down American Apparel adverts. The point of this is to see how well the typefaces will work within a range of scales. Both typefaces show consistent legibility and carry the intended message across.

Times

Bodoni

Here are the typefaces on the American Apparel shopping bags.

After considering the aspects of which the American Apparel name shall appear on, I have decided that Bodoni is the most suitable choice. The contrasting thickness of its brackets and strokes give the typeface visual appeal. The effect of this elevates American Apparel into a more sophisticated brand, appealing to a slightly older audience due to the typefaces formal tone. Furthermore, I find that Times to be a commonly used typeface much like Helvetica. Most people today are exposed to this typeface and thus it doesn't set itself apart unlike Bodoni where it is selectively used.