Iconic logos reimagined for the age of coronavirus

With all this time spent inside, it's no wonder that creativity is booming around the world. It's also no surprise that many of the new projects we're seeing are in response to the coronavirus outbreak. But despite it being such an unsettling and uncertain time, artists and designers are responding with strong messages of hope, unity and forward-thinking.

One such project is this reimagined iconic logos concept by motion and graphic designer Jure Tovrljan, who has played with spacing, image and brand names to create a bunch of witty and thought-provoking designs. Named Coronavirus Logos, Tovrljian prefaces the designs with: "Just an idea of how logos should look like in these difficult times. Hang in there, guys. Stay home." 

Below are the Olympics and Mastercard logos, normally famous for their interlocking icons. But, alas, in the age of the coronavirus they have been socially distanced for safety. Some logo design inspiration here, for sure. 

The NBA and Starbucks logos (below) have been manipulated to add some topical detail. Starbucks' iconic mermaid is adorned with a face mask, and the NBA player's usual basketball game has been cancelled so he's taking some downtime with his laptop.

Tovrljan has rebranded Goodyear into Badyear because, obviously, and poor Corona's current plight is advertised under its trademarked crown. Head over to Tovrljan's Behance gallery to check out the rest of his designs.

These reimagined logos aren't the only ones to get a makeover. In a real-life rebrand, GUT Buenos Aires has created a coronavirus-specific new look for online marketplace giant Mercado Libre. 

To reinforce the message of social distancing, Mercado Libre's logo has been redesigned to reshape social greetings. The handshake is out, the elbow bump has arrived, and GUT/Mercado Libre wants the world to know it.

A concept logo redesign always gets people talking, as we saw when designers gave these logos makeovers. But the topical edge seen here gives a unique perspective into current events, and we're looking forward to seeing more creative takes on the world's events as they unfold.

Read more:

• 8 fantastic non-profit logos
• The 10 best logos of all time
• The best logo designer: the best paid-for and free logo designer software