Logitech is older than I am. Not too much older, mind you - the Switzerland-based computer accessory company was founded in 1981 - but old enough that I can remember my dad using a Logitech keyboard on the home-built desktop he ran on a desk in the closet, back when having a computer in the living room was still a social faux pas. When the entire family upgraded to laser mice, an insane and futuristic luxury in the early 2000s, the friendly Logitech logo was emblazoned on all of them.
It won't be anymore. Or at least it might not be. Maybe. Perhaps. Logitech has announced that it is shifting its brand, or at least portions of its huge brand of computer and mobile accessories, to a new name. From now on the brand name is "Logi," pronounced... actually, the company's press materials and blog post don't say how it's pronounced. (We asked. "Lodge-ee" seems to be the prevailing interpretation.) New products will be emblazoned with the truncated name starting later this year. But strangely, not all new products: some of the company's most iconic wares, namely mice and keyboards, will be sticking with "Logitech" and an updated logo for now (goodbye teal blobby thing), and the corporate name won't be changed.
[EMBED_YT]https://youtu.be/7CO6PJ6IWFI
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Yeah, it's not at all clear what's changing and what's staying the same. Presumably the entire portfolio of accessories and mobile products will shift at some point, but Logitech probably doesn't want to jar some of its more dedicated users too much all at once. For the time being it's going to be a GMC-General Motors kind of situation, with new products mostly getting the Logi label while computer peripherals keep Logitech. Having said that, the commercial above clearly includes mobile keyboards, so the standard seems very flexible.
On top of a colorful and bold new look, you’ll start to see and hear the name Logi. The Logi label will appear on our newest product categories, and expect some twists and a few surprises in new categories. (Get ready – the first Logi product is around the corner!)
Speaking to Gizmodo, Logitech representatives said that the Logi brand represents the fact that "tech is everywhere" and that "in the future, 'tech' doesn't say anything," so the latter half of the brand name is redundant. OK, I can kind of see that, but this sort of existential crisis hasn't hampered companies like Microsoft or Cisco Systems. I can't help but think of Palm, which went from Palm Computing to Palm Incorporated to PalmOne and finally back to Palm before giving up its ghost and being sold to HP.
The new brand setup and a marketing push with bright, flat colors that border on eye-searing will land later this year.