Applebee’s Rebrands with a Spokesapple

There’s a lot of rebranding going on right now.  Yesterday, I wrote about Holiday Inn’s new brand campaign, and now, Applebee’s has announced their own rebranding initiative.  The Applebee’s rebranding strategy is a bit different from the Holiday Inn strategy though.  Applebee’s is looking to create a brand image that positions the restaurant chain as a place for family, friends and coworkers to reconnect and to differentiate the chain from the myriad of other casual dining chains available to consumers.  The first step is a new, modern logo. 
Here’s the old logo:
 
And here’s the new logo: