But, is it the designer or the person choosing the designer that’s doing it wrong?

Anyway, I’d be interested to see what you would come up with for any of the big companies That would be a radical opportunity.

I think all of your points are completely valid. I’m in the same opinion. As a designer myself, the logo doesn’t leave me with that “Oh why didn’t I think of that” feeling, but at the same time it doesn’t make me cringe. Like you said, it’s sort of cliche and boring. What surprises me so much is how a company with so much money can’t come up with something better.

I know one thing; I’d love to be given the chance to create a logo for one of these giant companies. They seem to pay crazy amounts for their re-branding efforts, allow a great deal of time for completion, and many of them appear to have low expectations

The logo looks better integrated into the interior of the store (as pictured above), and I assumed that’s what would be done with it, judging by the online ads. But um, why not do anything with it IN the commercials? It’s….just….so…..lame. The product shot is an empty square, with a little square in the corner (new logo). DON’T BE SUCH A SQUARE JCPENNEY.

I think the new look is cliche, honestly. Too reminiscent of Target and Old Navy. I’m sure a lot of time went in to developing this “new look,” and it is by no means bad. I can see this attracting some new customers. It may be a step in the right direction for the company, but then again the rebrand doesn’t seem like much of a risk to me. It seems like the obvious alternative, a safe bet so to say, it’s very much like brand designs that are already working for other companies, so in a way it only makes sense. I don’t think it’s a step backwards, nor do I think it’s a step forward.