Cdiscount, the French e-commerce platform founded in 1998, unveiled a completely new visual identity in June 2024, replacing a logo that had been in place for years. The rebrand was developed by Carré Noir, the strategic design and branding agency of Publicis Groupe, over a period of nearly one year in collaboration with Cdiscount’s brand teams.[1]
Design and History
Before the 2024 redesign, Cdiscount’s long-standing logo featured a white “C” on an orange background, a mark described by French media as the company’s historic logo.[2] Some press accounts also described the earlier mark as a red “C” underlined with a blue-white-red stripe.[3]
The new identity, launched on 24 June 2024, replaced the orange and navy palette with a more colorful graphic charter built around blue, white and red tones described as evoking France, modernized with a digital RGB blue, a dynamic red and a bright white.[1] The company name now appears in white handwritten lettering on a royal blue background, accompanied by a megaphone symbol.[2]
Thomas Métivier, CEO of Cdiscount, explained the choice of the more handwritten graphic style by noting that it recalls that behind the e-commerce site there are real people, specifically 2,000 employees working in France. He also stated that the new logo is “more popular” and that the megaphone underlines the company’s interest in staying alongside the French, particularly in a context of difficult purchasing power.[2]
Meaning and Symbolism
The megaphone, or porte-voix, is the central symbol of the new identity. According to Carré Noir, the logo integrates a megaphone and handwritten typography symbolizing “positive activism” and Cdiscount’s proximity to its customers.[1] The new brand platform is built around the purpose “défendre le pouvoir d’avoir le choix” (defending the power to have choice).[1]
The logo also incorporates three dashes or tirets, which represent the three pillars of the brand: “moins cher” (cheaper), “malin” (smart) and “engagé” (committed).[4] The handwritten typography is intended to emphasize the brand’s proximity, while the megaphone gives a militant posture, together “humanizing” the brand compared to the previous logo.[4]
Typography and Design
Carré Noir developed a proprietary handwritten typography for the new logo, described by the agency as “manuscrite” (handwritten) and by trade press as reminiscent of the drawing style of the animated series La Linea.[4] The graphic charter also includes decorative elements called “zigs,” designed to highlight various offers including products, prices and text hooks.[1]
Beyond the visual identity, Carré Noir also developed the brand’s tone of voice, graphic territory, web design for the future website and the graphic charter, while the sonic identity was created in collaboration with the agency Dissonances.[1]
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