Logos are tricky things.  An organization spends years or decades building an identity around an image, then out of a need for modernization or to rebuild after a PR disaster, it decides “out with the old, in with the new.”  Thing is, some organizations do it better than others.  Here are our picks for the 10 best logo redesigns in recent memory.

1. Wal-Mart.   Sharp, unfriendly capital letters are replaced with a much softer font in lower-case letters.  Plus, the bold, pointed star was ditched for a more flower-like emblem.  Still not our favorite place to shop, but the logo went a long way toward conveying a more comforting, friendly place to shop.

2. Apple.   The original black and white logo drawn by one of Apple’s founders, Ron Wayne, was too old-fashioned and too intricate for accurate reproduction in small sizes.  The simplified Apple icon was a welcome change — a friendly, everyday object that enticed non-computer users into seeing computers as a fun, welcome addition to their homes.  The modern revision drops the rainbow palette for Steve Jobs’ modern preference for simple elegance in design, a monochrome symbol that looked much more elegant on his cleanly designed devices.

3. Pepsi.   Pepsi’s logo evolution through the years represents a study in simplification.  The ornate original wording full of curly-cues gave way to a simple font in an elaborate bottle cap, with future iterations gradually cleaning up this theme.  The most modern version often drops the Pepsi name entirely, as the red, white and blue circle have become synonymous with the #2 cola.  We like the abandoning of symmetry, the off-center white bulge creating more visual interest than the boring,  perfectly centered wave ever did.

4. Microsoft.   Microsoft’s old logo practically screams 1970s, with funky “futuristic” lettering.  The Os are lined up one top of one another, but why, if they’re not taking advantage of the symmetry?  The newer logo, while never particularly exciting to look at, was a significant step forward.  The integration of the Windows symbol, representing the product that orchestrated the company’s stranglehold on the computer industry, was a savvy touch.

5. Starbucks.   Starbucks’ original emblem featured a topless mermaid, but the company decided to put a more family friendly spin on the design and had the mermaid’s hair covering her naughty bits in an early update.  But the pose of the mermaid holding its legs (flippers?) in the air was still suggestive, and the new logo in distinctive green cropped in to obscure the provocative pose.

6. Google.   Poor Google.  Maybe it’s appropriate that the site with little (no?) graphic design have one of the worst logos in modern times.  The new font was a marked improvement, and as much as we still dislike it, there does seem to be some symbolism going on here, with the multiple colors perhaps representing the variety of content on the Web and the Google word organizes and tries to make sense of it.  Yes, we’re stretching here.  But still, you have to admit the revision is quite better.

7. BP.   British Petroleum has not enjoyed the best PR in recent years, but its new logo at least attempts to present a green, earth-friendly image for the company that had to deal with one of the worst oil spills in memory.  The green and yellow of the old logo is reworked into a flower symbol and the harsh capital BP is replaced with softer, friendlier lower case letters to make you feel soft and fuzzy toward the oil giant.

8. Firefox.   Mozilla retired its almost disturbing bird on fire in favor of a cuddly fox hugging the world, making us want to join in its loving embrace of the World Wide Web and dump Internet Explorer in droves.

9. Amazon.   Yes, we get it, Amazon is a river.  But what does that have to do with an online merchant that wants to sell you virtually anything you can think of?  The new logo adopts a friendlier, lower-case typeface and integrates the expression you make when you see an Amazon package on your porch… a big smile.

10. Adobe.   Another example of a tech company starting out with a misguided, futuristic typeface that is supposed to make you think cutting edge and forward-looking.

The problem is, such fonts look cool for about a year or two and then remind you of a bad sci-fi movie from the 70s.  The new logo goes minimalist and elegant, always a good approach when your core customers are designers.

Don’t agree with our choices?  What do you think are the best redesigned logos?