Sissy Estes
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Walmart Print

In 2008, Walmart underwent the most significant logo change to date, introducing a new font and the iconic spark. The last logo change was in 1992.

With this new logo and new tag, a print template had to be developed to reflect the new look. How do you please 25+ retail category managers who are all territorial, external co-op suppliers waiving big money to be part of their ads, a design company who created the new logo and in-store graphic guidelines, agency art directors who always want go rouge with their own design (this includes myself) and top brass within Walmart and the agency? If this was not enough, the template had to be flexible enough to feature a vast product line and handle tight deadlines. And try this all during the holidays, the most important time for all retailers.

I decided the best approach was to tell all suppliers their names would be treated fairly and equally but that it was time for Walmart to own a new look to help them build their brand affinity. I used a generic diagramed ad with call-outs that literally counted the co-op mentions. We did not allow a single co-op logo to appear in the ads. I personally took a lot of heat internally and externally for this decision.

Finally, we wanted the photography to be a snapshot in time echoing the brand’s down-to-earth nature.

Not only is the template included, but you can see what the art directors did under this new system. The template allowed us to move quickly and still have a quality brand product. I am very proud of this work since it was the only time Walmart had a consistent brand look and feel within their print, even today.