Goodle Doodles: Reinventing the Logo

2015 Summer Solstice (northern hemisphere) Google Doodle by Kirsten Lepore. Source: Google.

We all love a Google Doodle, but the GIF that marked the Summer Solstice this year just had to get a mention on the Mzuri blog! Created by guest artist Kirsten Lepore, this Doodle has us chuckling even if it does make us feel a bit sorry for our ice lollies.

Artist’s original sketch. Source: Google

Animated GIFs are definitely having a revival and are becoming increasingly prolific online (see MTV’s recently unveiled GIF and meme-inspired on-air identity). Google have been embracing them regularly since 2010 however, when they released a Doodle celebrating Sir Isaac Newton’s birthday with an animation of a falling apple. Since the first Doodle in 1998 to celebrate the Burning Man Festival, the Doodles have evolved to be interactive too, and today it seems most days of the week bring a new and intriguing creation to entertain us while we search.

The Eurovision Song Contest 2015 Final Google Doodle shows how far removed the artwork can be from the logo while remaining recognisable. Source: Google

The Google Doodle is so much more than a source of entertainment however. With these works evolving to look less and less like the six letters of Google with each one that is released, they are a true testament to the well-established brand that is Google. A way to keep their hugely recognisable logo fresh in a world where it is seen everywhere so frequently, the Doodles are a great asset to Google and a device that invites it’s millions of users to engage with the brand while they inform us alongside humour and creative flair. The Google Doodle has to be one of the most endearing and inviting examples of advertising that we can think of. Hats off!