The Force Awakens trailer revealed a lot of exciting scenes. Did you catch the Galactic Empire rebrand amidst the action? We’re taking a look it in here.
I’m sure you’ve seen the new Star Wars Episode VII trailer released this weekend. You’re excited about it. I’m excited about it. The inter-webs are in geek overload. Amidst pouring over all the new footage from the trailer there’s one thing I found particularly interesting. The Galactic Empire rebrand.
Since we’ve been taking a look at fictional logo designs in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I thought it would be fun to analyze what we know about the Galactic Empire rebrand too.
THE GALACTIC EMPIRE REBRAND
Part of the trailer shows a massive army of the newly redesigned Stormtroopers. They are facing away from a large platform with a giant red flag in the background. The scene bears a striking resemblance to the Galactic Empire from the Original Star Wars Trilogy. The popular theory about the icy-planet background is that it’s Hoth. But we could be wrong about that like we were that Tatooine was actually Jaaka.
We only see a portion of this logo on the flag. I’ve taken the liberty of recreating it below. Assuming it’s perfectly symmetrical and has nothing distinct at the top. This is what it looks like when compared to the previous Galactic Empire logo (on the left).
The new Galactic Empire rebrand ditches the outer circle of the past and uses a hexagon. Instead of the six, stylized addendum/dedendum (gear teeth), we have sixteen pillars inside of the inner circle. They create a rigid gear with long, inward facing teeth. Is this a stabilization of a solar system’s sun? Does the new Empire use the Sarlacc as their mascot? We may have to wait until Christmas 2015 to find out.
That’s definitely where the new logo comes from. The resemblance is uncanny.
Reports are coming in that the Rebels are now referred to as the “Resistance.” The Galactic Empire is going by the “First Order.”
Maybe things are not what they seem. This may not be a straight rebrand, or logo update for these groups within the Star Wars universe. The Resistance may be a Rebellion-style reaction to the uprising of an Empire splinter cell calling themselves the First Order. Could the Empire be renaming themselves to remind everyone they were ruling first, before the rebels took over? Is the “First Order” of business to crush the rebel scum? Since Order 66 was used to wipe out all the Jedi, might the First Order be the revival of the Galactic Empire? Referring to an Order 1 that founded the previous Empire.
Speculation could go on for another eight months or so. This is everything we know so far about the Galactic Empire rebrand. The Star Wars The Force Awakens trailer kicked off the Anaheim 2015 Star Wars Celebration. It lasts from April 16 through April 19. If anything new comes out over the weekend, we’ll be sure to update.
What are your theories about the new Empire logo?
For more fun looking into fictional branding design, check out posts on Marvel’s S.H.I.E.L.D. and Stark Industries, and the SSR and Ten Rings.