The Best Theories Explaining Ryobi's Abrupt Color Change From Blue To Green
It's not unusual for a company to go through a brand refresh, where everything from its logo to its color scheme changes completely. For many companies, it's a way to revitalize their image and reignite the spark of consumer interest. Others may upgrade their appearance to match changes in their core product. Then, some, like the popular Ryobi Tools brand, change for reasons unknown, leaving enthusiasts to merely speculate.
Anyone purchasing Ryobi hardware for the better part of two decades was privy to a stark change in the brand's appearance. Once a dark blue with touches of yellow accents, Ryobi's branding was traditionally not flashy. Then, seemingly from nowhere, sometime in the early 2000s, shelves of hardware stores like Home Depot were stocked with new, flashier green Ryobi tools.
Why did the company shift from a more subtle blue to what it calls "Hyper Green?" Surprisingly, no one really knows. However, some theories are floating around tool forums and Ryobi forum threads offering some ideas.
Making the Shift from Blue to Green
One of the oddest factors in Ryobi's shift from its deep blue and yellow to vibrant green is that the company didn't make a big deal about it or announce the change in any way. It's not even noted on the company's corporate timeline found on its official site. This seems even stranger, considering it lists the adoption of a new corporate logo and colors in 1994 to coincide with the founding of Ryobi Dalian Machinery Co., Ltd. in China.
Without a press release or acknowledgment from Ryobi, one can only guess when the official switch from blue to green occurred. According to the timeline provided by several Redditors on a post discussing Roybi's color change, the switch started around 2007. This is substantiated by a recall reported by In Compliance. The recall was for Ryobi model P113 Dual Chemistry chargers that support both nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) and lithium-ion (Li-Ion) batteries, and it states that the chargers were green and gray and sold between September 2007 and December 2009.
User @KaHuNaZ at the Tools in Action Forum further hones in on the timeline blue tools were officially phased out with a May 9, 2014 post showcasing a line of newly refreshed green Ryobi tools. Additional posts at the Sawmill Creek forum also suggest that the blue line phased out sometime after 2011.
The Best Theory for Ryobi's Color Change
While Ryobi was using Ni-Cd batteries beyond 2010, a new technology hit the industry in 2005 when Milwaukee Tool released the first Li-Ion-powered cordless tool. It's difficult to determine when Ryobi started officially integrating Li-Ion batteries into its line. However, there are reviews as early as 2009 for its Tek4 line, which features a 4V Li-Ion battery. Also notable about the Tek4 line? Its packaging used the current green branding.
All of this lends some credence to the most common theory on Reddit and other forums that the switch from blue to green was all part of the company's new focus on lithium. You could argue that Ryobi landed on the electrifying green to visually depict the upgrade to a more efficient and flashier way to power its tools.
It's also possible the company simply wanted to help its brand stand out on shelves, and with most power tool companies sticking to more serious tones, landing on a stark contrast may have seemed the logical option. Whatever the reasoning, the color works. Ryobi's green tools stand out from its competitors more than its blue and yellow line.