# Kodak new logo (2016)

> Kodak launched a new logo in Oct 2016, designed by Work-Order. The plain red lowercase Kodak wordmark of 2006 gave way to the return of the 1971 K symbol, kept to its original proportions, with KODAK now stacked vertically in bold capitals inside it.

## Key facts

- Brand: Kodak
- Launched: Oct 2016
- Studio: Work-Order
- What changed: The plain red lowercase Kodak wordmark of 2006 gave way to the return of the 1971 K symbol, kept to its original proportions, with KODAK now stacked vertically in bold capitals inside it.
- Industry: Consumer electronics
- Logos: https://rebrandlog.com/logos/kodak-2016/before.svg (before), https://rebrandlog.com/logos/kodak-2016/after.svg (after)

## The rebrand, explained

The Kodak K was drawn by Peter J. Oestreich and adopted in 1971. WIRED described its two arms as beams of light, pouring into a viewfinder or out onto a screen, "a mark with meaning hidden in plain sight." In 2006, in an attempt to modernise, Kodak replaced it with a plain red lowercase wordmark from Ogilvy & Mather. Six years later it filed for bankruptcy.

Under new leadership, Kodak asked the New York studio Work-Order to bring the symbol back. According to WIRED, the company never even sent a brief beyond going back to the K. "We said, ‘fantastic,’ because we would see no other way than to take it back to this symbol," said Work-Order partner Keira Alexandra. "It’s such a valuable asset, it would seem fruitless to begin again."

The original proportions of the K and its rounded rectangle were kept. What changed was the name. Kodak had always been set in lowercase; Work-Order switched to bold capitals and stacked them vertically, which it said is "reminiscent of film perforations and street signage" and lets the logo act "as a manufacturer’s stamp: the logo is the first read and the name is the supporting mark." At small sizes the name is simply dropped.

There was no big launch. Work-Order describes an organic roll-out using available resources, with the K appearing in brand materials over six to eight months "as a hint of things to come" before the full system arrived, built on Kodak's yellow. It's Nice That put Kodak alongside Co-op and NatWest in a wave of brands going back to their vintage identities.

On X the news mostly travelled as a simple fact. ParallaxPhotographic wrote: “Kodak have rebranded and the "K" is back.” That is probably the best review a returning logo can get.

In short: Ten years off, then the K came back.

## Other rebrands of Kodak

- [Kodak (2006)](https://rebrandlog.com/rebrand/kodak-2006/) 2006

## Sources

- https://www.wired.com/2016/10/kodak-revives-iconic-logo-gives-little-twist/
- https://www.itsnicethat.com/news/kodak-rebrand-work-order-returns-to-1970s-symbol-211016
- https://work-order.co/project/kodak

## Cite this

Rebrand Log, "Kodak new logo (2016)", https://rebrandlog.com/rebrand/kodak-2016/, last updated 2026-10-21.