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Decoding identity · Food

Vinamilk removes the badge, but not entirely

In July 2023, Vinamilk replaced the identity system that had been in use since 1976. The key lesson lies not in what they discarded, but in the two small details they intentionally retained, and why those details are the wisest part of the entire rebranding.

Milestone

Change

2023July 6Change signal

From badge to handwritten signature

The first identity change in forty-seven years. The sign removed the emblem format to fully transition to text, but two old details were intentionally retained.

Change component(5)
  • Structure. The badge format is transformed into text, with no surrounding frame around the name.
  • Typeface. The word Vinamilk transitions to a handwritten style, with the dot on the letter i becoming a smile.
  • Color. Two primary colors named Bright Blue and Sweet Cream, along with an expanded tropical color palette.
  • Details retained. The milk droplet in the belly of the letter a and the line Est 1976 indicating the founding year.
  • Expanded system. Three custom-designed typefaces, a pattern system, and a library of hand-drawn illustrations.
Read at the professional level(4)
  • Removing the surrounding frame is removing the most space-consuming element. The frame is a prestigious way of speaking from the print era, functioning like a seal. On online storefronts and mobile screens, a frame only takes up space without adding any meaning, as prestige there is read through other elements.
  • Handwritten style changes the tone, not the name. The same eight letters, but the handwritten style reads as a person while the geometric style reads as a factory. This is where the typeface achieves what the content cannot.
  • Conceal meaning in the smallest details. The dot on the letter i becomes a smile, using the same technique as the way Viettel places dialogue boxes. The image remains readable at a large scale, but those who pay attention will notice an additional layer. At a smaller scale, that layer is lost first.
  • Three typefaces and a pattern system are tools for replication, not decoration. For a company with hundreds of packaging codes, what matters is not whether the sign is beautiful, but whether there are enough tools for each code to create its own identity.
Why change(2)
  • The 1976 sign was created for a world of printing. The badge with a surrounding frame was a prestigious way of speaking at that time, similar to a seal, and it works well on both signage and cardboard boxes.
  • The challenge in 2023 is entirely different. The sign must exist across hundreds of packaging codes, on online storefronts and mobile screens, where a surrounding frame only takes up space. Handwritten elements change the tone, shifting from a factory voice to a human voice.
Within the brand system(2)
  • Hundreds of packaging codes mean the master sign must stand alongside dozens of different product names on the shelf. The trio of custom typefaces, along with the pattern system and illustration library, is designed so that each code can build its own identity while still representing the same brand.
  • The two primary colors are given unique names, along with an expanded color palette. Naming colors is the task of a system, not a sign: with names, hundreds of codes can accurately refer to a color; without names, each printer mixes a style, and no one is wrong.
Trade-off(2)
  • What you have to pay is forty-seven years of familiarity. Vietnamese consumers recognize that oval shape from a time when there were few choices, and what has entered the memory of many generations cannot be reordered.
  • What you receive is a system that works in all formats, plus three custom typefaces and a library of images. For a business selling thousands of product codes, having a system to replicate is more valuable than just having a beautiful design.
Professional assessment(4)
  • It can be closed. Transitioning from an emblematic form to a typographic form while still carrying over two pieces of recognition to the new version. This is the most challenging task of any rebranding after many decades, and they solve it through small details rather than by retaining the old shape.
  • Build a toolkit, not just a design. This is also where the distinction lies between a one-time sign change and the creation of an identity system.
  • It remains open-ended. The handwritten style reads as a person, while Vinamilk is an industrial-scale enterprise. The new tone is friendlier, but the institutional prestige that the emblem once carried must now be rebuilt with something else.
  • The two retained pieces are so small that few can name them. They are enough for those familiar to recognize the new version, but the accumulated prestige over generations may not follow a drop of milk with a small line of text.
Takeaway(1)
  • Vinamilk did not discard everything. The drop of milk and the small founding year are rarely named, but these two pieces allow those familiar with the brand to recognize the new version at first sight. This is the difference between changing identity and erasing identity: before discarding, you must identify which piece carries the recognition, and then bring it over.
Similar case(1)
  • Viettel 2021 Remove old identity assetsFacing the challenge of discarding a brand identity accumulated over decades, Viettel completely removed it while Vinamilk retained a key piece.

SourceVietnamNetRGB

Q&A5 frequently asked questions

Common questions people often search

What year did Vinamilk change its logo?

Vinamilk announced its new identity system on July 6, 2023, replacing the badge-style sign used since 1976, after forty-seven years.

How does Vinamilk's new logo differ from the old one?

The sign transitions from a badge to text. The word Vinamilk is written in a handwritten style instead of the old typeface, with the dot on the letter i transformed into a smile, the belly of the letter a retains the shape of a milk droplet, and the line Est 1976 is included.

Why did Vinamilk change its identity after nearly fifty years?

The old sign system was created for the era of printed packaging and signage, where emblems were a way of speaking prestige. The new system must operate across hundreds of packaging codes, online sales channels, and mobile screens, requiring a more concise sign and a tone closer to people.

What does Vinamilk retain from the old brand identity?

Two details. The milk droplet shape is located in the belly of the letter a, and the founding year is noted as the line Est 1976. This part helps those familiar with the brand recognize the new version without having to learn from scratch.

What does Vinamilk's new identity system include?

In addition to the sign, Vinamilk announced three custom typefaces, a pattern system, and a library of hand-drawn illustrations. The two primary colors are named Bright Blue and Sweet Cream, accompanied by a color palette inspired by tropical culinary culture.

For you3 questions to ask

Three questions Vinamilk must answer before removing it, every business encounters

  1. 01In the current identity system, which piece is carrying its recognition?Vinamilk was able to eliminate the badge shape because it understood that the real recognition lies in the milk droplet, not in the surrounding frame. If that piece wasn't identified first, every change would be a blank slate.
  2. 02Where will the new sign be printed, on what materials, and by what craftsmanship?A consumer brand primarily engages customers through packaging. The beautiful handwritten style looks great on screen but fails when printed small or in a single color, breaking exactly where customers look the most.
  3. 03After the announcement, who will ensure the new system is not diluted?Vinamilk has changed hundreds of packaging codes and thousands of sales points. The more users there are for the identity system, the more important it is to have someone to maintain the standards, as the guidelines alone cannot enforce themselves.

Sinh Vũ has been addressing this challenge for Vietnamese businesses since 2009.Share your story with Sinh Vũ

CloseExtracted rules

The cheapest way to remove an asset is to retain the anchor piece

Forty-seven years of recognition do not lie in the oval shape, but in the fact that buyers can glance and know it is their milk. Vinamilk discarded most of the old shape but retained the drop of milk and the founding year, two elements so small that no one can name them, yet sufficient for memory to catch up with the new version. The company learned this crucial lesson: before discarding, identify which piece carries the recognition, and then bring it along.

Read and decode by Sinh Vũ, the operational brand design studio.Updated August 15, 2026.