The power of the logo is evolving, thanks to Gen Z and its cultural hold on the market. And as “low-key” has joined the library of modern-day colloquialisms—meaning “subtle, restrained or slightly” (kind of)—understated logo use is providing experiential marketers with an opportunity to embrace these vibes and push creative boundaries around the brand expression.
Behind this trend: Minimalism, quiet luxury and authenticity. In events, brands are leaning more into sensorial engagement rather than overt messaging. For example, Mastercard unveiled a sonic brand identity, dubbed Priceless, and at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard last year, gave cardholders a plantable wristband embedded with wildflower seeds, each spritzed with Priceless Optimism, a signature fragrance from Mastercard with notes of Florida citrus.
Inspired by utility and simplicity, Tinder recently created a “low-key” environment for users and prospective users. The brand’s ExCycle pop-up at Tumbao in New York City in March combined spring cleaning, breakup baggage-dumping and sustainability all in one with singles invited to bring their exes’ clothing to the pop-up, where they could exchange the preloved garments for “a fresh, curated fit.” Devin Colleran, global brand director at Tinder describes the event as, “a low-stakes environment to mingle and do something cool.”
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In b-to-b events, the embrace of brand expression is allowing event marketers to target and engage multiple personas, and explore storytelling through design and color. Salesforce’s Dreamforce Trailhead branding, inspired by the National Park System, in many ways overpowers the Salesforce logo on-site. And that’s intentional, as Elizabeth Gilstrap, vp-strategic events at Salesforce, described in a panel at the 2025 Experiential Marketing Summit: “I almost think of it as a b-to-c brand, when you’re feeling that affinity, and no matter where you go in the event, you’re a part of our brand and it’s a super exciting place to be.”
And when it comes to logo use, b-to-b brands like IBM have created detailed playbooks on where and how a logo is placed. “We do view IBM as an iconic brand. We’re a 114-year-old company. We’ve had the same logo for a hundred years,” Colleen Bisconti, vp-global conferences and events at IBM, explained on the same EMS panel. “We call it the eight-bar logo. It hasn’t been touched in a hundred years, and there is strict rigor around how it can be used, where it can be used. And I think that helps us maintain that integrity across the brand.”
Being strategically understated… It’s low-key the new black.
