But when done poorly, it can do quite the opposite, drawing criticism, confusing customers, and in some cases, damaging brand loyalty built over decades.

Here, insolvency practitioners Liquidation Centre look at some of the most talked-about rebrands that left audiences less than impressed, with expert commentary from Director Richard Hunt on what businesses can learn from their mistakes.

1. PrettyLittleThing – 2025: A Step Too Far Into Minimalism?

In March 2025, PrettyLittleThing unveiled a sleek new visual identity, swapping its signature bright pink branding for a minimalist black-and-white look. The rebrand was part of an effort to reposition the fast fashion giant as a more mature, elevated label.

The shift was seen by many as a dramatic departure from the bold, playful aesthetic that helped build the brand’s popularity among younger shoppers.

By removing the distinctive elements that made PLT instantly recognisable, the rebrand sparked a wave of commentary suggesting the company had lost touch with its audience.

“The black-and-white logo feels like watching your fun best friend suddenly turn corporate,” one user commented on TikTok – a sentiment echoed widely online.

Richard Hunt, Director at Liquidation Centre, says:

“Rebrands can really shake things up, but if a brand loses what made people fall in love with it in the first place, it can backfire. Moving too far from what made the brand popular can risk alienating loyal audiences and undo years of goodwill.”

2. Jaguar Land Rover – 2023: A Heritage Brand Reworked

In 2023, Jaguar Land Rover revealed a major rebrand. The company became JLR, with Jaguar, Range Rover, Defender and Discovery positioned as separate brands.

The goal was to modernise and appeal to the luxury electric market. But the change didn’t land well with many fans. Dropping the Land Rover name confused customers and drew criticism for overlooking one of the most recognisable names in British motoring.

Long-time supporters said it felt like the brand was turning its back on its roots. Others felt the new JLR logo lacked character and identity.

Richard adds:

“Legacy brands need to evolve, but not at the cost of what makes them iconic. If customers feel you’re erasing history, the brand can lose more than it gains.”

3. Twitter – 2023: X Marks the Miss

In 2023, Elon Musk rebranded Twitter as X, replacing the famous bird logo and iconic name with a stark, minimalist identity. The move was part of his wider plan to transform the platform into an “everything app”.

The reaction was swift and largely negative. Users and branding experts criticised the decision for scrapping over a decade of global recognition. Two years on, in 2025, most people still call it Twitter and continue to refer to posts as “tweets”, showing how little traction the new brand has gained.

“Changing a well-known brand name should never be rushed. When people still use the old name years later, it’s a sign the new identity hasn’t stuck.”

4. Hyundai – 2023: A Lesson in Saying It Right

In 2023, Hyundai launched a UK campaign to change how people pronounce its name. The brand had been widely called “Hyun-die” for years, but the company pushed to correct it to “Hyun-day”, in line with the global pronunciation.

The adverts were light-hearted, but the move sparked mixed reactions. Some appreciated the effort to honour the brand’s Korean roots. Others felt the change was unnecessary and confusing, especially when the old version was so widely used and recognised.

“Even something as simple as how people say your name is part of your brand. But if you try to change it after years of people saying it a certain way, it can feel a bit forced. You’ve got to meet customers where they are.”

5. Tropicana – 2009: When Packaging Goes Pear-Shaped

In 2009, Tropicana decided to give its orange juice packaging a fresh new look. The brand replaced its familiar orange-with-a-straw image with a clean, minimalist design. But instead of being seen as modern, the new look confused shoppers and led to a sharp drop in sales.

Customers struggled to spot the product on shelves, with many saying it looked too generic and had lost its recognisable identity. Just weeks after the rebrand, Tropicana reversed the decision and brought back the old packaging.

“This shows how powerful familiarity is. A design might look dated to a brand team, but to customers, it’s part of what they trust. Change it too suddenly and you risk breaking that connection.”

Richard Hunt comments on how brands and businesses can rebrand successfully by balancing fresh ideas with what customers already know and trust:

“To plan a successful rebrand, businesses need to start by understanding how their brand is currently seen and what they want to achieve. Research is key; talking to customers and analysing the market helps spot what’s working and what isn’t. It’s also important to involve people throughout the process and test new ideas before going live. Clear communication about why the change is happening can build support, and after launch, brands should keep a close eye on feedback and be ready to adapt. Thoughtful planning like this makes a rebrand much more likely to succeed.”

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The rebranding is part of VC evolving its business model to better support transformative technology ventures across the continent through catalytic capital and value-add support through its Venture Success Platform.

54 Collective, builds on its exceptional track record of investing in and scaling early-stage ventures in Africa.

The new name, 54 Collective, reflects the firm’s ambitious pan-African vision, aspiring to help entrepreneurs grow their businesses to serve all 54 African countries.

The firm is a commercial-first investor and embeds impact in everything it does. 54 Collective invests in ventures from idea to Pre-Series A stage by offering catalytic capital, and value-add support through its Venture Success Platform.

“Our catalytic capital and value-add support to founders, through our Venture Success Platform, signifies our evolution and ongoing mission to support entrepreneurs across Africa and enable them to build without boundaries to drive commercial and impact returns. Our name change to 54 Collective communicates our continued commitment to African founders. We are more supportive than ever of unlocking opportunities for entrepreneurs and ensuring a level playing field for youth and women founders,” commented Bongani Sithole, 54 Collective CEO.

Investment strategy 

54 Collective, offers equity and non-dilutive capital up to a total of $500k, enabling founders to scale their ventures across the continent. To break barriers of access, female founders receive an additional $150k, to their male counterparts, in the form of a non-dilutive capital.

The Venture Success Platform is made up of a team of highly experienced venture specialists who provide tailored support.

This is in the form of product, growth, commercial relationships, business strategy, talent, technology and data to build ventures for scale. The team also ensures that founders have access to the right funding by preparing them for investor readiness, investor access, fundraising strategies, unlocking debt and impact capital.

The Venture Success Platform empowers founders to succeed globally by facilitating networking and community building opportunities.

This unique combination of significant funding and comprehensive support distinguishes 54 Collective as the only Venture Capital firm in Africa offering early-stage founders with the highest amount of catalytic capital and support from the largest Africa-based venture capital team with over 70 staff members in Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria and the UK.

The firm has evolved from investing only in the Agtech, Fintech, and Healthtech sectors to being sector-agnostic in its investments, supporting more founders across many sectors on the continent. ​​

54 Collective helps founders navigate complex challenges to achieve commercial success and make an impact on the continent through economic growth and job creation.

In 2023, Founders Factory Africa was named one of the top venture capital investors in Africa, with an active portfolio of over 50 ventures across 10 countries.

To date, the firm has supported more than 70 ventures across Africa and helped its portfolio startups to raise nearly $140 million in follow-on capital.

A future of empowerment

With seven of the world’s fastest-growing economies in Africa, the continent’s venture capital sector is rapidly expanding, with $6 billion invested annually. However, this represents less than 1 percent of global venture funding, indicating a significant unmet need for smart capital.

“We are pursuing opportunistic investments in different sectors across the continent where there are uniquely large opportunities for startups to scale and create sustainable impact in these sectors. Our goal is to invest in 105 startups across Africa in the next five years, enabling entrepreneurs to provide solutions to the continent’s biggest challenges and transforming lives and industries,” concluded Sithole.

The firm is well on its way to achieving many of its five-year goals which range from enhanced financial inclusion, improved healthcare access, and creating dignified and fulfilling work to creating a gender forward portfolio.

54 Collective is targeting a portfolio where 50% or more of its startups are founded by women. Currently, from the 17 investments made between January 2023 and July 2024 in its portfolio, 45% of them are founded by women.

The firm’s investments are also creating social economic impact in the wider economy. For example, Asaak, a vehicle asset financing company has improved financial inclusion for over 11,000 bodaboda drivers.

An impact study uncovered that 79% of these drivers improved their quality of life significantly and 80% increased their income after receiving credit from Asaak.

Speaking on the significance of the brand evolution and future ambitions, 54 Collective’s Executive Chairman and UTOPIA CEO Roo Rogers said, 

“54 Collective is a powerful economic and social force in the African economy. It is anchored with strong roots on the continent and exceptional network and reputation across the globe. Together with our sister funds, we continue our mission to  redistribute investment and knowledge pathways towards a more inclusive, relevant, and equitable future for the Global South.”

54 Collective’s vision is to create a future where African entrepreneurship drives generational progress and prosperity across the continent.

The firm’s new name, catalytic capital, and value-add Venture Success Platform offering, marks a new era for the venture capital ecosystem.

Regardless of the reason, what it all boils down to is if the brand is reaching its desired target audience. If the brand is not reaching its target audience, it could be time for a rebrand.

Rebranding might seem intimidating at first, which is why Matthew Woodword, the director of Search Logistics, is sharing some of his top tips regarding the most successful rebrands ever, and why they actually worked.

Dunkin Donuts to Dunkin’

Many overlook the transformative power of rebranding in revitalizing a company’s image, attracting new audiences, and staying relevant in dynamic markets.

The best rebrands are the ones that feel like they were already like that in the first place.

For instance, take a look at the Dunkin Donuts rebrand. Their slogan was already “America runs on Dunkin’.”

Making their transition from Dunkin Donuts to Dunkin’ a step in the right direction. Plus, by eliminating “donuts” from their brand title, they opened up their product base to include more than just donuts.

McDonalds Adding McCafe

McDonalds is one of the biggest brands out there. Everyone knows what those golden arches mean, and there are locations around the globe.

What used to be a red and yellow haven with playgrounds and kid birthday parties became sleeker and more mature–as if McDonalds was growing up with the kids it used to feed happy meals to.

Now McDonalds has rebranded to include a more “grown-up” coffee and bakery menu named McCafe. The restaurants themselves got better, faster wifi, modernized the design, and even changed their menu to fit whatever global location they were in.

For example, did you know you can get macarons in the Paris McDonalds? All this, while still keeping the core value-price menu items that everyone has grown to love, like cheeseburgers, fries, and happy meals.

WalMart to Walmart

The best rebrands are the ones that people do not even notice, because the brand still stays true to its intrinsic core. That is exactly what happened here.

Walmart has always been a place to save money because they offer some of the cheapest goods in the USA. That’s why when they rebranded their tagline from “always low prices”  to “save money, live better,” it just made sense. Not only was their rebrand received with open arms, people were rushing through the door to see how Walmart could truly help them live better lives by saving money.

Key Takeaways

So what are some key takeaways from these giant corporations and their wildly successful rebrands? First off, more often than not, simplicity is key.

Matthew says ‘Changing the entire identity of the company is not only unnecessary, it often loses the audience you had in the first place and is a great way to sink your brand.’

Think back to Dunkin Donuts, and how a simple name change clarified their message and moved them closer to their target audience.

Next, audiences grow up. Your target audience is constantly evolving, and as a brand, you need to figure out how to evolve with them. Just like McDonalds did with their rebrand, don’t be afraid to modernize and grow up with your audience by catering to their newfound needs while keeping your unique brand intact.

Lastly, as shown through the Walmart rebrand, brand identity goes far beyond just the logo. You have to think of colors, symbols, and especially the tagline to really reach your audience and land your mark.

Matthew emphasizes, ‘All of these rebrands worked because they succeeded in achieving better clarity of purpose, authenticity, and differentiation. They made sure their rebrand still connected to the original core concept of the brand, and therefore kept consistency across touchpoints, while still aligning with the ever-changing and evolving consumer preferences.’

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The firm was founded in 2019 by Swiss unicorn GetYourGuide co-founder Pascal Mathis, former Switzerland Lead at Creathor Ventures Alex Stöckl, and EAT.ch co-founder Lukas Weder.

The team’s driving force has always been helping ambitious Swiss tech startups to become international market leaders.

The firm was established with the singular goal of backing local, pre-seed startups in their first financing round with hands-on, founder-focused funding.

Bucking the venture trend of keeping ‘dry powder’ on hand, Founderful has made nearly 50 investments in the last 4 years alone, having made eight Swiss investments in 2023.

From Fund I, Founderful has deployed $60m into 40 startups. This represents 109 founders who scaled to create 1,093 jobs and went on to raise almost 6x additional funding of over $350m in just 3 years, some of which from leading international venture firms.

Notably, Wingtra (survey drones) has scaled to 200 employees and an annual revenue of over $20m. DePoly has been recognized globally for its revolutionary plastics recycling technology and raised a $15m seed round, while Corintis (sustainable computing) is working with tech giants such as Microsoft, Google, and Nvidia.

Founderful has already started deploying the capital raised in Fund II, backing the founders of Chiral Nano (alternative silicon chips), Nala Earth (ESG reporting), Ascento (security robotics), SAEKI (manufacturing robotics), Anthropos (workplace skills), Isospec Analytics (biomolecular analysis), Eightinks (lithium-ion batteries) and Faive Robotics (humanoid robotics).

Alex Stöckl, Founding Partner at Founderful, commented:

“We’re beyond grateful that we get to continue our work with the most ambitious founder teams of this exciting ecosystem. Switzerland is one of the world’s fastest-growing venture capital markets. With the global shift towards more complex technologies solving some of our society’s most pressing challenges, it will become one of the world’s most important tech hubs. With our founder-operator backgrounds and the deeply rooted access we’ve built over the years into the universities and research institutions with our Founderful Campus program, we’ve become the go-to firm for entrepreneurs and investors alike.”

Founderful II is backed by a range of institutions, family offices, and founders who have successfully scaled their startups into global unicorns such as Duolingo, Climeworks, GetYourGuide, Delivery Hero, and Scandit.

Severin Hacker, CTO and co-founder at Duolingo, commented:

“Building Duolingo, I’ve seen my own fair share of VC firms, and it is rare to collaborate with an investor who is as meticulous and relentless toward creating value to the founders they backed, as the team at Founderful.”

Jonas Theiler, Head of Asset Management at Artemis Group, added:

“We’ve been working with Founderful since day one, and the companies they back have impressive substance and relevance from a technological and business perspective – they are spot-on doubling down on the Swiss venture ecosystem.”

Founderful is laser-focused on the Swiss tech market and, with it, concentrated on supporting founders in the B2B software and industrial technology space This includes robotics and industrial automation, artificial intelligence and machine learning, computer vision technologies, and material sciences innovations in cleantech, climate tech, and construction tech.

Founderful works quickly and closely with academia and industry to boost the new generation of technology leaders.

Lukas Weder, Founding Partner at Founderful, commented:

“Our fresh identity as Founderful reflects our purpose as a venture capital business to have the deepest understanding of founders and give them the highest level of support. We were once founders ourselves and know what it takes to succeed. We are redefining founder-friendliness beyond just the term sheet through sharing advice, granting insights, and investing courageously. We bring lightheartedness and empathy to serious topics and remain calm in the face of adversity. We try to be the honest companion we would have wanted by our side when we built our own companies.”

The Founderful thesis on investing in Swiss-based startups has been proven by three megatrends:

• For the 13th consecutive year, Switzerland has ranked first in the Global Innovation Index – topping the lists for technology, knowledge, and creative output. It also has the world’s highest patent per capita ratio, and ETH Zurich produces more university spin-outsthan any other university worldwide.
• Big tech is fascinated by Switzerland, which is why Google has 5,000 developers there (its largest tech office outside the US). Disney, Nvidia, Meta, Huawei, and Intel have consistently grown their local R&D teams over the past years.
• Switzerland is a Unicorn state – there are more billion-dollar tech startups per capitain Switzerland than anywhere else in Europe. Recent unicorn graduates like Scandit (logistics software), Climeworks (carbon capturing), and SonarSource (code security), and bootstrapped under-the-radar success stories like Proton (internet privacy) underline Switzerland’s rising global relevance for B2B technologies.

Yoram Wijngaarde, CEO and founder of Dealroom, added:

“When looking at our data, Switzerland has been on the rise as one of Europe’s fastest growing VC ecosystems over the past five years, and in 2023 becoming the fifth largest venture market on the continent only behind powerhouses UK, Germany, France and Sweden. When you look at nine tech unicorns on 9 million inhabitants, it becomes apparent that this is a market you cannot miss in your coverage as a European fund or limited partner.”