Have you seen the new logo of Airbnb before ?

The dictionary meaning of a logo is a symbol, sign, or emblem. Human beings have used such symbols throughout time to convey a succinct message. In present times, logos tend to be graphical in nature, designed for easy recognition of an organization. It is a tool to build an identity for the organization, as part of its trademark or brand, and to generate favourable thoughts and feelings about the organization.

It is very important to get the answers of following questions before zeroing on the final logo:

How are you thinking your logo? What thought process went into it? Does it represent your brand effectively?

The online marketplace for accommodations, Airbnb has changed its logo and redesigned the website a shortwhile ago. They got convincing answers for all three questions mentioned above. But still, in a matter few hours, the media is already buzzed by the deluge of opinions on the new logo design.

In an interview with Cory TV, Om Malik gave a "lukewarm" reaction and even mentioned that he doesn't remember the old logo of Airbnb.

The philosophy behind the logo has been very well explained on Airbnb's blog. According to the blog post, the new logo is the universal symbol of belonging and will be referred as 'Bélo'. A short video on the new logo mentions that Bélo is a representation of people, places, love and Airbnb. The blog further explainss,

Belonging has always been a fundamental driver of humankind. So to represent that feeling, we’ve created a symbol for us as a community. It’s an iconic mark for our windows, our doors, and our shared values. It’s a symbol that, like us, can belong wherever it happens to be. It’s a symbol for people who want to welcome into their home new experiences, new cultures, and new conversations.

Within a matter of couple of hours after this announcement, there was something surprising we stumbled upon which will make you think as well.

When we went to the San Jose-based Automation Anywhere's website and its social media properties, we found the shared information to be true. There is no official communication shared from the company's side till now.

In past, when the telecom giant Airtel changed its logo, there was some criticism about the same. On a lighter note, people even compared the new logo with Videocon and Vodafone.

So, can we assume that the new Airbnb logo doesn't belong anywhere but Automation Anywhere? Did Automation Anywhere inspire Airbnb’s new logo design? Or all this is mere coincidence? We'll leave you with this thought for now.

What do you think? Please let us know in your comments!

 Related read: What is happening at Airbnb India?