When it happens here there are explanations. When it happens there -- there is none. I've only seen it today and I am as appalled, of course, as everybody else: InBev's questionable name and it's horrendous vintage-videogame like logo.

The story in short: Belgium's Interbrew acquires Brazil's AmBev and subsequently becoming the largest brewer in the world. The identity is commissioned to McGarry Bowen an advertising agency in New York (btw, do these people even have a web site you know, on the internet?) with no previous experience in identity (let alone re-branding).

This is like eating the Christmas dinner at McDonald's.

Why, oh why? This is a huge consortium, huge as in "the largest brewer on planet Earth" -- couldn't they afford some professional work done by brand building experts like Landor, Interbrand, Wolf Ollins or even Lippincott Mercer (the CEO is an American, after all) or FutureBrand? What was in their mind?

Mr. Tony Spaeth concludes his analysis of the new identity on his web site Identityworks: « The name: one part Interbrew, one part AmBev says "merger!" Logical indeed, if a bit mechanical; but it's certainly short and functional, and in time I suppose we can warm up to it.

The logo:  Nothing here to warm up to. It's tortured type from the 1960's, with an 'I' made red so we see the exclamation point... but to what point? What vision, what intention for InBev's future is Mr. Brock struggling to express in this mark? It's said to convey "our passion for the business" but I'm sorry, the message I get is more like "Isn't this a clever logo?"

In contrast, the AmBev mark has stature and straightforward dignity. The Interbrew bird has heritage and a personality, a bit quirky but appealing. InBev lacks both, I'm sorry to say. »