Thursday, August 19, 2010

Holiday Inn Logo

Awesome Holiday Inn from the 1970s

The other day on my way to ShopRite, I passed the Parsippany Holiday Inn. Passing this Holiday Inn is something I do about once a week. Every time I see that big green and white Holiday Inn logo, my heart sinks just a tiny bit.  It may sound silly to you, but here's why...

I'm not happy about this logo
In October of 2007, the Holiday Inn CEO and marketing team unveiled an updated, modern logo to match the hotel chain's new and improved services and amenities. Fancy new shower heads, bedding and even a newly developed Holiday Inn fragrance welcomes overnight guests.  CEO Andy Cosslette reveled, "We're creating a Holiday Inn scent. It's going to be very subliminal, You're not going to walk in and find it hits you between the eyes. It'll be very subtle."

I love that Holiday Inn has updated their service and style, I'm behind all of it, but not the new and improved branding. I guess I'm a sucker for the vintage look and feel. I want to see the old script I identify with childhood drives down to Disney while squeezed between my little brother and a pile of pillows.


As a kid, I loved the Fisher Price Little People toy hotel. Notice it's a Holiday Inn. The Holiday Inn and I go way back. Why does everything have to be so new and improved? I'm still applauding Coca Cola for returning to the old school Mello Yello logo. I think brand managers should continue to push the vintage. Let consumers hold on to their memories, although I understand the idea of forming new memories. I guess I'm just an old-fashioned girl. How about you?

21 comments:

  1. I am right there with you on this WHOLE post! I had that playset as a kid, remember it so well. I loved it. And staying at a real Holiday Inn when I was about 17 for the first time was mainly because I wanted to experience it. Nothing really special other than the memories, but yeah, the vintage signs/logos rock so much more than these bland new ones.

    ReplyDelete
  2. THANK YOU for this post & those pics!

    ReplyDelete
  3. That is so cute! I totally loved Legos as a kid- and probably would now also. Perfect gift for the constant traveler who never grew up. Hey, that's me!

    ReplyDelete
  4. haha, i totally remember those!! and i agree with you about loving old logos.
    as for the holiday inn scent... i'm a little put off by it. what is it going to be a scent of? :\

    ReplyDelete
  5. i love the old toy! i can see why you prefer the vintage feel, but i do think the new logo is more fresh and updated!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I have a book about vintage Motels & Hotels. Holiday Inn practically "invented" the art form of kitchy motel signs. They were the first to use the crazy arrow and neon. After that everyone was trying to out-do each other and they got wilder and wilder. I cannot believe that they would turn their back on that type of history. Boooooo.

    ReplyDelete
  7. It's funny that you wrote about this since vintage logo tees are all the rage. I bought a Fanta shirt yesterday. People at work think the shirt looks cool, but I still look like a dork. Baby steps I guess.

    ReplyDelete
  8. i adore that holiday inn fp playset! thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Kind of like "If it ain't broke don't fix it" right??? Yeah if the log was working why change it???

    ReplyDelete
  10. I've stayed in many an old Holiday Inn and I thought they always had a "scent."

    I agree about the logo. It's something we indentify things with. Somebody needs to tell these stupid earthlings that "new" and "improved" is not always better, or even what we want. We want familiar...

    ReplyDelete
  11. Wait a sec...they have a signature smell??
    That's what that is?!

    ReplyDelete
  12. I work for a property management company and we actually own a Holiday Inn. I am going to have to ask the powers that be about the scent thing!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I agree the new logo is crap. Makes it look cheap in my opinion.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I suddenly have the urge to play with legos....and there are none around here. Does anyone have a kid (with legos) that I can borrow?

    ReplyDelete
  15. Growing up we never stayed at the Holiday Inn because my parents thought they were too expensive. Guess that's why I was happy when we spent our wedding night at one!

    ReplyDelete
  16. found your blog "by accident", and want you to know I grew up in the 70's, 80's, and 90's in Floral Park and Garden City!
    Going through your posts is a trip - the Franklin Square McDonalds! LOL!
    Where did you grow up and go to school?
    You can send me an e-mail
    cjcam918@optonline.net

    ReplyDelete
  17. I'm just not a fan of Holiday Inns in general. Or hotels for that matter. But I do like the older logo better.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Well, of course you love the vintage. I like their old style too.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I had that the Holiday Inn Playskool playset as a kid. I for one hated the new logo. I almost included it in a post I did for my blog on old corporate logo's versus new ones.

    New marketing and design just doesn't seem fresh and creative anymore. And what's with all the shortening of names? KFC.. BK.. IHOP.. Geezaloo!

    ReplyDelete
  20. I wish that I had that playset when I was a kid. My brother and I had the airport, farm and house.

    I don't care for the new logo either. We used to have a Holiday Inn near us but they tore it down and put a Shop Rite there. I miss seeing it.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I like the vintage look too! Sometimes it's okay to not update everything. Hint, hint company advertising team.

    ReplyDelete