About once a month, I publish a newsletter with branding news, featured blog posts, examples of great branding work and interesting images, and branding tips and tools. If you’re not already getting the newsletter, sign up here.

The most recent newsletter—from March 2022—featured the six stories below.

Brands are responding to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in a variety of ways. One of the more interesting reactions is Stolichnaya Vodka’s decision to rebrand as “Stoli” and drop Russian imagery from its label. Lest you judge too hastily, note that this is an effort to clarify, not obfuscate—Stoli is produced in Latvia and the founder claims to have been “exiled from Russia since 2000 due to [his] opposition to Putin.” 🍸

A more common response to the war in Ukraine is to cease or curtail operations in Russia. Dozens of brands, including Starbucks, McDonalds, Netflix, and American Express, have pulled out of the country. Somewhat reminiscent of brands’ responses to George Floyd’s murder almost two years ago, it’s becoming easier to spot the brands that haven’t reacted (e.g., Mondelez, Hilton, and Caterpillar) than those that have. 🇺🇦

Designer Václav Kudělka has created this funny “Brands Against Russia” series of modified logos. 🚫

Stoli’s not the only big rebrand of the month. Anthem announced they’ll become Elevance at some point in the near future. 🚑

Ever wonder where the “57” on the Heinz ketchup bottle comes from? CNN reports that it has no literal meaning—there weren’t really 57 varieties of anything. Founder H.J. Heinz saw an ad referencing “21 styles” of shoes and liked the sound of it. 🍅

Visit Sweden produced a cute ad comparing IKEA products to their namesakes—real places in Sweden. (Thanks to Jon Schleuning for sharing.) 🇸🇪

Feel free to send tips or links for this monthly/occasional roundup of branding news!

Rob Meyerson is a brand consultant, namer, and author of Brand Naming: The Complete Guide to Creating a Name for Your Company, Product, or Service. He also runs Heirloom, an independent brand strategy and identity firm, and hosts the podcast How Brands Are Built.