Google Logo Celebrates Barcode Invention

Google changed its logo to celebrate the invention of the barcode today on the 57th anniversary of the barcode patent.

Originally designed for the railroad industry to label car, it wasn’t until the early 1970’s that the barcode was introduced commercially in the supermarket industry to automate checkout systems and introduce a cost reduction in the labeling of supermarket products.

Read more about the barcode on Wikipedia.

Google’s Visual Communication

Google uses its logo as a form of visual communication, to create conversations across the web. In changing its famous and highly recognizable logo, Google leads inquiring minds to discover noteworthy items, historic dates and points of interest via key words on its search page.

See previous posts about Google logo changes on Ghandi and on Samuel Morse and the intervention of the telegraph here.

Brand Influence

One of the most influential uses of brand changing or remixing is the image of Barack Obama during his 2008 presidential campaign.

A photo taken by a journalist during the campaign was artistically adapted and made into a poster to express. The effect of  Obama’s highly recognizable image (brand) being changed to convey a message proved overwhelmingly powerful; probably the single most indelible image of the President. The artist, Shepard Fairey, was instantly catapulted into to fame with the image seen round the world and shared widely on the internet.

Barcode as Art

See an ABC News Story on artist Scott Blake who remixes art using barcodes.

Conversational Marketing or Artistic Interest?

When have you modified your brand to create conversations or influence others?

Post a comment here.

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Amos White is a Social Media Marketing Evangelist and public speaker.
Follow Amos on Twitter @Mos42

Google’s homage to Gandhi

Google is just a class act.

Today Google posted a minimal home page homage to Mahatma Gandhi.

Google’s Tribute to Gandhi

Their long tail approach to sharing information through images linked to searches inspires us to connect with the stories of other great artists, factoids, historic dates, etc.

Its sort of a geeky way to join in a world community, learning about people, places, and things not so much larger than ourselves, but that had great impact on our world or impressioned others around them.

International Day of Non-Violence
Today is also the Internal Day of Non-Violence.
It is led by the United Nations as inspired by Gandhi.

Learn more about Gandhi.

Building Community
What conversations will you create to bring more peace into this world?

MidWest Corps “Get Closer” with Social Media

The St. Louis Business Journal reports major corporate brands investing in social media to respond to consumer need for connectivity through conversation and to enrich marketing effectiveness.

Read the full post here.