Rebranding or reinvention? What’s really changing for legacy brands

A growing cohort of legacy Indian brands is rethinking rebranding as a business exercise rather than a design intervention, but this shift is not happening in isolation. It is being shaped by a new consumer reality led by Gen Z and digital-first platforms, where attention is fleeting, culture is participatory and brand narratives are constantly under scrutiny. In this environment, identity can no longer be static or top-down. It has to be lived, responsive and credible.

Against this backdrop, recent moves by Godrej Group, Air India and Raymond signal a deeper shift in how rebranding is being approached. What was once largely a visual refresh is now increasingly positioned as a marker of structural change, spanning operations, culture, portfolio strategy and customer experience.

The most recent example comes from Godrej Industries Group’s 2026 identity overhaul, which is explicitly tied to a broader strategic reset. The new system is designed to unify its diverse businesses under a single purpose, while aligning brand expression with growth ambitions and organisational restructuring. This is not just a logo update but a multi-layered identity spanning typography, sonic cues and digital-first applications, reflecting the need for a flexible system across sectors and platforms.

Similarly, Air India’s rebrand has evolved into a visible shorthand for its transformation under the Tata Group. Anchored in the ‘Vista’ identity, the shift goes beyond aesthetics, encompassing fleet modernisation, upgraded cabins, new digital interfaces and improved service standards. By 2026, the identity is closely tied to its repositioning as a premium global airline, signalling both operational overhaul and renewed international ambition. 

In the case of Raymond, the repositioning reflects a transition from a legacy suiting brand to a broader lifestyle and consumer-facing portfolio, aligning brand identity with evolving product categories and younger audiences. While less visually dramatic, such shifts underline how legacy brands are recalibrating their core narratives to remain relevant in a changing consumption landscape. 

This shift is not limited to a few marquee names. Companies like Tata Motors, State Bank of India, Asian Paints and ITC Limited are also aligning brand expression with business evolution. Tata Motors’ EV pivot and “Tata.ev” identity, SBI’s platform-led push through YONO, Asian Paints’ expansion into home décor and services, and ITC’s growing FMCG focus all reflect a broader move where identity follows strategy rather than leading it. 

Dipshika Ravi, National Creative Director at Schbang said, “Legacy Indian brands today are rebranding with more honesty than before. They are now responding to real structural shifts. It’s less cosmetic, more introspective. With Air India or Raymond the change isn’t just visual polish. It’s about reclaiming relevance, redefining their role for a new generation, and then expressing that through design.”

She noted that for decades, legacy Indian brand identity was built for hoardings, packaging and print, but today it must extend across digital, motion and culture. The shift, she added, is that rebranding is no longer about surface change, but about staying relevant to a new generation.

Ravi further added that the first test of a rebrand is internal belief, noting that even strong identity systems fail if the organisation hasn’t internalised its purpose, while simpler updates work when product and communication align. She said the real signal is whether the identity has a clear point of view, adding that the best rebrands begin with “what’s changed?” rather than “what should it look like?”, as identity reflects what the brand truly is.

Janhavi Iyer, Vice President, Brand Communications at Gozoop Creative, placed this shift in a longer historical context, noting that rebranding has always been a way for brands to signal evolution while staying rooted. Citing Coca-Cola, she said brands have consistently refreshed themselves to remain relevant, not out of identity crises but as a function of longevity.

She added that what has changed today is the landscape, with brands needing identities that work seamlessly across a fragmented, fast-moving platform ecosystem. The challenge is to create something new enough to matter yet familiar enough to be recognised.

Iyer noted that not every rebrand needs to be a grand shift, adding that a sharp visual update can be effective, as design is ultimately about clear communication. “But when a rebrand is anchored in a deeper shift, whether it’s a renewed purpose, a redefined audience, or a cultural repositioning, that’s when it starts to feel substantive. You see it not just in the logo, but in how the brand speaks, behaves, and shows up consistently.” 

Taken together, these shifts point to a broader industry evolution from “branding as design” to “branding as strategy”. Earlier rebranding cycles prioritised recognition and recall, but today’s efforts are anchored in coherence, ensuring that external expression reflects internal change. In many cases, identity is now the outcome of transformation rather than its starting point. 

Industry experts point out that this marks a clear move from “branding as design” to “branding as strategy.” Earlier rebranding cycles often prioritised recognition and recall; today’s efforts are anchored in coherence, ensuring that what a brand signals externally is backed by internal change. In many cases, identity is being treated as the final layer of transformation, not the starting point.

A senior marketer at a leading FMCG company, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the real test of a rebrand is whether the business has changed beneath it. “You can’t design your way into relevance. If the product, pricing or distribution hasn’t evolved, the identity won’t carry the weight for long,” they noted.

They added that the strongest rebrands feel inevitable in hindsight because they are anchored in real shifts across the organisation. “When everything, from what you make to how you show up, is moving in the same direction, the brand naturally follows. That’s when a rebrand stops feeling like a campaign and starts feeling like a consequence.”

Gen Z and digital shift

A key force accelerating this evolution is the influence of Gen Z and digital-first ecosystems. Younger consumers expect brands to be transparent, culturally aware and participatory rather than authoritative. As a result, legacy companies are moving towards more fluid identity systems that can adapt across social platforms, creator ecosystems and real-time conversations. Rebrands are increasingly rolled out as ongoing narratives rather than one-time announcements. 

Iyer added that Gen Z and Gen Alpha are growing up in a world of minimal friction and constant stimulation, where attention is fleeting and culture is collaborative. In such an environment, nothing feels finished and everything is in beta. 

“For legacy brands, this changes the game entirely. Identity is no longer something you broadcast, it’s something people interact with, remix, and occasionally troll. The brand isn’t just a message, it’s a medium,” she said. 

She cited Duolingo as a global example, noting that its playful, self-aware presence on platforms like Instagram turns users into active participants rather than passive viewers. The takeaway for legacy brands, she said, is to build identities that invite participation or risk being ignored. 

According to Ravi, Gen Z has effectively turned every consumer into a brand critic, fundamentally reshaping how legacy brands approach identity. This shift is pushing brands towards authenticity, with companies like Raymond and Air India asking not just how to appear younger, but what they truly stand for and whether their identity reflects that honestly. 

She added, “Digital platforms, on the other hand, have changed how identity works. It’s no longer a static logo…it’s a system that lives across reels, apps, dark mode, and culture. And that is pushing legacy brands to think in systems and behaviour rather than just logos and colours. And that's genuinely exciting from a creative standpoint.”

This evolution also raises the stakes. In a highly networked digital environment, superficial rebrands risk immediate scrutiny, as seen in the mixed reactions around Godrej’s new identity. Without corresponding business change, visual updates can quickly be dismissed as cosmetic. 

Globally, a similar pattern is playing out. Companies like Burberry, Meta and Jaguar have used rebranding to signal strategic pivots towards new consumer segments, digital ecosystems and future-facing technologies. In these cases, identity shifts are closely tied to broader repositioning efforts, from organisational restructuring to product innovation and cultural reinvention. 

As more legacy Indian brands enter this phase, rebranding is becoming a visible indicator of intent, a way to communicate not just how a company looks, but what it is becoming. The challenge, however, lies in ensuring that the signal is backed by substance.