Activision Branding Absent From Call of Duty: Vanguard Marketing

As the dust has settled from the worldwide reveal of Call of Duty: Vanguard, the franchise's next chapter, one subtle detail that's left a lasting impression is the omission of Activision branding from Vanguard's marketing campaign.

With COD: Vanguard being the first major unveiling from Activision Blizzard after it's being sued by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing for an alleged 'frat boy' culture, harassment and discrimination in the workplace, many are noticing that there is "show, don't tell" going on to perhaps distance the franchise from the ongoing lawsuit.

As documented on Twitter by @Neoxon619 on Aug. 19, Call of Duty: Vanguard's reveal trailer noticeably does not include any mention of Activision aside from the fine-print copyright information at the end. Instead, in Activision's usual place at the bottom left of the newly announced game's title frame sits a Sledgehammer Games logo.

In case the point wasn't made clear enough, earlier on in the trailer, a scene was also dedicated to read, "Call of Duty Presents."

On Twitter, Neoxon619 went on to point out that Vanguard's store page on Battle.net is the only Call of Duty listing missing the Activision logo sitting atop of its wordmark.

As shown just last year in the Black Ops Cold War Reveal Trailer, the Activision logo has been a prominent fixture of the Call of Duty franchise's branding, dating all the way back to the premiere of Modern Warfare 3's trailer in 2011 (h/t Kotaku).

According to Kotaku, an Activision rep told the publication that these moves were a "creative choice" to essentially keep the focus simply on Vanguard being the next major installment of the series.

For more on Activision Blizzard, check out our coverage of a report from employees that details experiences working in the company's QA Department.