TripAdvisor’s New Owl Logo Drops Hollywood-Style ‘Buccal Fat Removal’ Sparks Brand Controversy

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Synopsis

TripAdvisor shakes up its 25th‑anniversary rebrand with a hilarious “owl plastic surgery” reveal that has the internet buzzing and design pros squawking.

Key takeaways

• TripAdvisor replaces its previous static owl, “Ollie,” with an alert, expressive redesign that prioritizes real traveler storytelling.
• The brand leaned into ‘chronically online’ culture, parodying cosmetic surgery posts—complete with rhinoplasty, lip filler, buccal fat tweaks.
• Green hues rebalanced: “Trip Pine” replaces black, aiming for warmth and depth, while the palette draws from actual travel photos.
• The bold move strikes a balance between authenticity and wit, but it also flirts with obnoxious branding—some find it genius, while others find it cringeworthy.

TripAdvisor’s rebrand

In a design world where logos often change with a whimper, TripAdvisor went the opposite route.

Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the travel giant decided to breathe new life into its iconic owl, Ollie, transforming it from a static observer into an expressive mascot that can “reflect real travellers’ stories.”

“It’s less about showing off design for design’s sake and more about showing how real people feel when they travel.”

The redesign was led by branding agency Koto, aiming to make TripAdvisor’s identity “personal, textured, and emotional,” aligning the brand’s visual language with the emotional highs and lows of actual travel experiences.

Cosmetic surgery reveal? That’s one way to drop a logo

In what many are calling one of the most hilarious brand reveal tactics of 2025, TripAdvisor presented the redesign as if Ollie the Owl had undergone influencer-level cosmetic surgery.

They listed the changes as:

• Rhinoplasty (for reshaping the beak)
• Lip filler (for plumper features)
• Brow lift (to look more alert)
• Buccal fat removal (for a sleeker face)

This cheeky approach mirrors the “chronically online” culture of Gen Z and millennial audiences, where beauty enhancement confessions are common across Instagram and TikTok.

The official reveal post read: “Meet the new Ollie. He’s had a glow-up. Rhinoplasty, lip filler, brow lift, buccal fat removal.”

Instead of an over-polished, sterile rebrand, TripAdvisor leaned into humor, ensuring it would be shared widely—and it worked, sparking a wave of commentary across design Twitter and LinkedIn.

New look, hoo this? 25 years in, Tripadvisor refreshes its brand by going back to what made it matter: the people who've actually been there. #Tripadvisor #BrandDesign #Redesign #Rebrand https://t.co/zYnaKp5k3g

— TAXI (@designtaxi) July 3, 2025

“Trip Pine” & “Trip White”: A color refresh rooted in real travel

Beyond the owl, the color palette received a thoughtful overhaul:

• “Trip Pine” replaces black color as the core dark tone, bringing warmth and depth.
• “Trip White” lifts clarity, making the UI cleaner.
• A secondary palette is derived from actual travel photography, grounding the visuals in authenticity.

This move is intended to ensure that the brand visuals feel natural, vibrant, and deeply tied to user experiences, rather than relying on synthetic corporate colors.

According to Koto, the palette is “designed to reflect the actual colors travellers see and capture while exploring the world.”

An identity system built for modern travel storytelling

Koto ensured that Ollie is not static but expressive, enabling it to “watch over travellers” in a friendly, accessible manner across digital and physical touchpoints.

This includes animations where Ollie can blink, tilt, and respond, keeping it alive and engaging across app interfaces and marketing materials.

Additionally, the new design language employs a “personal, textured, emotional” photo-led aesthetic, focusing on user-generated content and authentic travel experiences rather than glossy, curated stock visuals.

Authentic or trying too hard?

While many have praised TripAdvisor for injecting humor and relatability into an often bland brand process, some have critiqued the move as bordering on “try-hard” internet culture, risking the perception of trivializing the seriousness of a global brand.

Yet, this aligns with TripAdvisor’s stated aim:

“Authenticity is a promise. We needed to reflect how people feel about travel today, not how brands think they should feel.”

This approach positions TripAdvisor to stay relevant in a landscape where consumers reward brands that aren’t afraid to be human, funny, and flawed.

What did this mean for branding in 2025?

TripAdvisor’s rebrand demonstrates that modern identity systems aren’t just about logos—they’re about culture, conversation, and relatability.

By parodying influencer surgery confessions while rolling out a thoughtful, user-focused design system, TripAdvisor ensures it’s part of the culture it serves.

It’s a reminder to brands: If you want to stand out, don’t whisper your rebrand—launch it with personality, relevance, and yes, a touch of controversy.

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