Consumer Reports is an American nonprofit product testing and consumer advocacy organization based in Yonkers, New York, founded in 1936 as Consumers Union. It publishes the leading consumer magazine in the U.S. along with several buying guides and consumer information guides covering topics such as health care, family planning, travel, and prescription and over-the-counter drugs. [1]
In 2016, the organization introduced a new brand identity designed by Pentagram, the international design consultancy. The project team was led by Britt Cobb. [2]
Design and History
Consumer Reports magazine has evolved its logo, cover treatment, color choices, and even its name since its first issue in May 1936, when it was born as “Consumers Union Reports.” [3] The logo retired in November 2016 was introduced in January 2000. [3]
The 2016 redesign, announced on September 20, 2016, was part of a transformative step for the organization as it executed on its vision to create a marketplace that listens to and responds to consumers. [4] The new identity was designed to help the magazine reach new audiences, especially younger readers. [2]
The logo shifted to a simple “CR,” an acronym that was already used internally by the magazine and its readers. The iconic monogram was designed to easily translate to digital applications and social media. [2] The wordmark combines the “CR” monogram with the full “Consumer Reports” name in a lighter, thinner typeface, replacing the previous bold black lettering with a prominent red “O.” [5]
Meaning and Symbolism
The redesign introduced a new color scheme. The magazine’s former identity was black and red, and in the ratings charts, the best products were indicated with red. The redesign evolved the ratings to make them more intuitive, moving away from the red and black circles to a more universally understood scale where green is excellent and red is poor. This favorable green was also utilized for the new identity. [2]
Before the redesign launched, it was thoroughly reviewed using the same testing formulas the magazine has applied to countless products over the years. [2]
Typography and Design
The new wordmark pairs the “CR” monogram with a thin, light-weight rendering of the full “Consumer Reports” name. [5] The “CR” can be used independently as a standalone symbol across social media and other digital environments. [5]
The brand’s signature green color is documented as #00AE4D in brand asset databases. [6]
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