USA Today, the national daily newspaper published by Gannett, introduced its current visual identity in September 2012, timed to the publication’s 30th anniversary. The redesign was developed by the branding agency Wolff Olins, New York, which was responsible for the newspaper’s overall rebranding.[1]
Design and History
The 2012 rebrand replaced the previous blue globe logo with a large circular device, commonly described as a “blue dot” or “blue point.” The new logo was designed to function as a live infographic that changes with the news, containing a photo or image that represents key stories of the day.[2] The circle appears in colors corresponding to different sections of the publication.[2]
USA Today described the logo as “designed to reflect the pulse of the nation and be as dynamic as the news itself,” noting that it was “simple and straight to the point, providing the opportunity for the newsroom to highlight the stories that matter to the nation.”[3] The approach built on the paper’s long-standing leadership in visual storytelling.[3]
The redesign was part of a broader effort to revitalize the publication across print, web and mobile platforms. Larry Kramer, who took over as president and publisher in May 2012, said the goal was to “reinvent news” and to be as good on every platform as the paper was at producing a daily newspaper.[4] The new logo replaced the paper’s long-standing blue globe mark, which had been in use since the paper’s 1982 launch.[4]
In 2017, the USA Today Network extended the identity to more than 100 local Gannett newsroom websites. Thirty local digital properties received new master brand logos incorporating the network’s core blue color and “blue point,” with customized imagery inside the dot to reflect each community.[5] The blue point was described as a bold design element when USA Today adopted it in 2012.[6]
Typography and Design
The wordmark uses Futura Today, a custom version of the Futura typeface drawn for USA Today. The fonts were produced in close collaboration with the designers at Wolff Olins, New York. Futura Today differs from regular Futura with shorter extenders, several redesigned letterforms (most noticeably lowercase ‘j’, ‘t’ and ‘u’), and completely re-drawn glyphs, spacing and kerning.[1] In the newspaper, Futura Today is used alongside the Chronicle family from Hoefler & Co.[1]
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