Memeburn is set to undergo a strategic rebrand, which will see it ditch the name and logo that has helped make it one of South Africa’s most respected and popular technology news sites.
No ad to show here.
The new name, Y2K — Cyber, take its cue from the halcyon days of the dotcom boom as does the retro feel of the branding. Fun fonts, a space-inspired background and an assertive tagline all come together to reflect an online publisher that knows where its future lies.
“It all makes sense when you think about,” says Memeburn senior reporter Stuart Thomas. “Instagram was inspired by the 70s, TechCrunch’s new logo by the eight and 16-bit games of the 80s, so building a new brand based on an era that produced the Space Jam website is the next logical step”.
The website Thomas refers to has become an online cultural icon. But with the people who watched the film as youngsters in increasingly powerful positions, catering to their nostalgia has become vitally important.
“Sure you can write list after list talking about how much better the toys, snacks, and clothes were back then, but that’ll never replace the experience of having lived through it,” Thomas says.
“You have to immerse people in the wacky fonts, animated gifs and simple page layouts to make them really appreciate what they’re missing out on now”.
And that’s exactly what Memeburn Y2K — Cyber aims to do. Among the other features to be included on the rebranded site are a messaging board, a visitor count, and downloadable wallpapers.
One unexpected benefit of the redesigned site is that it will allow the five people still on dial-up to access the latest technology news.
Unfortunately it’s not possible to create a fully immersive experience, given that many of the social networking sites from the era (or the closest things we had to social networks back then) are now dead.
As a compromise, the new branding and name will feature on all of the site-formerly-known-as-Memeburn’s social accounts.
Y2K — Cyber will go live at 12:00 on 1 April.
Update: As you may have guessed, this is an April Fools’ Day story. Memeburn will continue to evolve its design and functionality, but we can all agree that some things are best left in the past.
