And the rodent lives on

Obi is realigning its brand strategy. This affects the logo and brand identity, which is being implemented in a pilot store in Cologne-Pesch, as well as the international brand and marketing organization. To this end, Germany’s second-largest home improvement group has established a new “Creative Core” based in the Austrian capital, Vienna.

This will integrate the brand’s creative development more closely with the customer experience strategy and international brand management, the company announced. At the heart of the transformation is the conviction that the brand, market experience, and services are not isolated topics but must be conceived as an interconnected system.

Obi headquarters also announced that clear governance structures are being established in parallel to systematically manage the customer experience across all touchpoints. Specifically, this means that the brand, communication, digital platforms, and the brand experience will be managed within a common governance framework—with clear responsibilities and coordinated processes between central and local teams.

The company explains that it is strategically evolving the Obi brand—from a strongly transaction-oriented communication approach to a holistic DIY experience brand that accompanies people throughout their entire project journey. The brand’s new guiding principles—clear, empowering, and close—are intended to be consistently experienced throughout the entire customer journey and form the basis for unified brand management across all markets.

The reorientation also includes the further development of the visual identity. The Obi logo has been redesigned. According to the company, the goal is to improve scalability and simplify application across all channels, both digital and brick-and-mortar. The redesigned logo, which no longer features a black outline or italics, has a simplified design language, making it more visible and impactful on both small displays and large-format applications in retail settings.

The beaver, according to Obi one of Europe’s most recognizable advertising characters, remains an integral part of the brand universe—and is apparently set to appear a bit more lively: At the pilot store in Cologne-Pesch, the mascot peeks over the edge of the facade down toward the entrance.

Inside the store, the new brand experience was implemented holistically for the first time—from a revised layout and clear wayfinding system to a stronger project focus in the product range and…