Hello,
I delayed my answer on this one, allowing this new visual identity to have a chance to “grow on me” over time.
A brand can be highly subjective and there’s no perfect recipe for a good one.
But after a couple of weeks now, my first impressions matches my current feelings: It simply doesn’t resonate with me.
I’ll try to explain:
- It’s bland.
There’s nothing much distinctive about this new design, and it’s a very “VC-Funded Web2 starter brand kit” Vibes. I’m ready to bet we can show this branding to a normie and tell that person it’s a new iOS app for seamless car insurance app and the person will believe it 100%.
- It’s not DeFi.
Hide the name; ask 100 people on the street of any city center, and exactly zero of them will tell you it’s a brand about Decentralized Finance, Blockchain, or finance in general.
- It’s not us.
Aave has one of the strongest brands in our ecosystem. Absolutely everyone loves it and fights for our legendary swag. Ask 100 people at the ETHCC what the name of the Aave Ghost is. More than half will answer “Ronnie.” That’s the sign of a powerful brand.
Trying to kill Ronnie for this NPC ghost and whatever is this fucking dog doing here is not appreciated.
- It’s not the DAO.
A DAO is a sum of voices; they are all different and unique, and they all add value in their own way. Service providers have the right to have their own identity and recognition for their work.
It’s not a zero-sum game, and trying to erase our identities into this bland branding is what I would refer to as Brand colonialism.
The ACI does not support this “Visual Identity”, will not comply with it, and will keep its own style & identity.
Thanks, but no thanks.
