I thought the difference between Pacsun’s new and old wordmarks were quite interesting. The first wordmark uses the color yellow to emphasize the fact that most of Pacsun’s merchandise is used in the summer time or when it’s sunny. Hence why the S in Pacsun has rays around it as though it is the sun. On the other hand, the second logo is very simple, using plain black, bold typeface. This second wordmark gives Pacsun a cleaner and more prestigious look as though they are trying to change their look and target a demographic with a higher income. However, both wordmarks still hold some of the same characteristics. They both mix lower case and upper case letters within the wordmark. These letters are scaled to be the same size as well.
Although this wordmark is very simple, it is known by many people, especially those of the higher income demographic. Michael Kors’s wordmark uses a thin typeface that displays simplicity and class. The letters in the wordmark are also all upper case letters to emphasize the importance of this brand name. Also, the kerning between each letter is the same, except between Michael and Kors. This is so that you can distinct the first and last name. Although these words are separated, they still work as a unit. This wordmark is very simple, but because of the name and style of the typeface it attracts the attention of it’s targeted audience.
I completely agree with you about PacSun making their store seem more prestigious by using the black and simpler wordmark as opposed to the more fun yellow one. The color is more likely to draw in younger teens looking for fun clothes whereas the black might appeal more to older teens who are trying to look “cool.” Personally, I think I prefer the yellow one better. Any store and any company can have a simple black san serif wordmark. Like you mentioned, I think that the rays of sun above the “S” are much more aligned with the store’s brand identity than just the plain black.