Company Logos and their

Meanings

 

Ever wondered what company logos mean and whats the significance

behind them? Wonder no more!

 

 

You might think the arrow does nothing here. But it says that

amazon.com has everything from a to z and it also represents the

smile brought to  

the customer's face. Wow, that is quite deep.

 

Eighty-20 is a small consulting company which does sophisticated

financial modeling, as well as some solid database work. All their work

is highly quantitative and relies on some serious computational power,

and the logo is meant to convey it.

People first guess that 20% of the squares are darkened, but that turns

out to be false after counting them. The trick is to view the dark

squares as 1's and the light squares as 0's. Then the top line reads

1010000 and the bottom line reads 0010100, which represent 80 and

20 in binary.

Kinda like the surreal green screen of The Matrix, they want us to read

stuff in binary

 

 

Am not sure how many of you have noticed a hidden symbol in the

Federal Express logo.

Yeah, I am talking about the 'arrow' that you can see between the E

and the x in this logo. The arrow was introduced to underscore speed

and precision, which are part of the positioning of the company.

Paul Rand (who designed the iconic IBM logo in 1972) designed this

'eye bee M' logo in 1981. I like that they are quite relaxed about the

logo, unlike certain other companies who do not like the logo to be

tampered with in any way even for internal promotions

 

The SUN Microsystems logo is a wonderful example of symmetry and

order. It was a brilliant observation that the letters u and n while

arranged adjacent to each other look a lot like the letter S in a

perpendicular direction. Spectacular.

 

The above are two magazines from the Readers Digest stable. Again,

the attempt to communicate what it is about quite figuratively through

the logo catches my attention.

 

This was a logo created for a puzzle game called Cluenatic. This game

involves unravelling four clues. The logo has the letters C, L, U and E

arranged as a maze. and from a distance, the logo looks like a key

 

This logo is too good. For the name Eight, they

have used a font in which each letter is a minor

adaptation of the number 8. 

ABN-AMRO BankBodytext not available yet... Material for design cases, logo evolutions, info on designers and other trivia are very warm welcomed. So if you got anything interesting please let us know by sending an attachment, text-discription or link. Please mail to: submit@goodlogo.com

The following logo holds a reference to this case: ABN-AMRO (1993)

1993, ABN-AMRO

ABN-AMRO Commercial Ad2001, Internet Bankieren

volgens De Bank

AppleThe, now well-known, American company Apple was the first computer firm not to use its name as its corporate identity. The idea of selling a computer under the name and image of a fruit was conceived by Californian Steve Jobs and his collegues (even the word "Macintosh" is the name of an apple variety). The motif of a multicolored apple with a bite taken out of it is a reference to the Bible story of Adam and Eve, in which the apple represents the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge.

Click for a more extensive history of Apple and its logo.

1976

2000: Mac OS 9

2001: Mac OS X

The following logos hold references to this case: Apple (1976), Apple (1998), Apple

Newton, Mac OS, NeXT (1986)

Design CasesABN-AMRO

AEG

Ambigram Logos

Apple Macintosh

AT&T

BMW

Brand Branding

Browser logos

Coca-Cola

Exxon Oil

Fiat Automobilia

GoodLogo Story

ICI

KPN Brands

Macromedia

MasterCard

McDonald's

Michelin

Nike

NS Dutch Railroads

Olivetti

Olympic Games

Pepsi

Popstars and Bands

Q8

Renault

Shell

SNCF (French Railway)

Sony

Star Alliance Members

TV Stations

United Parcel Service

Wella

AT&TThe globe symbol symbolizes a world circled by electronic communications. Specifically, the symbol is made up of very carefully delineated "highlight" and "shadow" elements. As a result, the symbol may be reproduced to give the impression of a three-dimensional sphere illuminated from a distant source.

Play the Evolution of the AT&T Corporate

Signature

 

The following logos hold references to this case: AT&T (1984), Bell (1969)

1999

AT&T Commercial Ad

1930

Browser LogosBelow we try to give a short overview of the main internet browser logos. For more information and timeline history concerning browser versions be sure to check out this great page: http://meyerweb.com/eric/browsers/timeline-structured.html

Google Chrome (2008) Firefox Internet Explorer Netscape

Opera Safari

Coca-ColaThe Coca-Cola script was designed by an amateur, Frank Robinson, the fledgling company's bookkeeper. He devised both the Spencerian script and the brilliantly concise words beneath: "Delicious and Refreshing" in 1886The bottle is among the most recognizable icons in the world, a design that has come to symbolize the youthful exuberance of America. Countless variations have been released over the decades, but the enduring classic is the curved vessel designed by the Root Glass Company of Terre Haute, Indiana, and introduced in 1915. A Coca-Cola dispenser was later designed by Raymond Loewy.

 

For more information, see: http://coca-cola-art.com/

Frank Robinson

Dispenser by Raymond Loewy 1915 Early poster

The following logo holds a reference to this case: Coca-Cola (1886)

MacromediaFirst we have to say not only the logo is superstrong, as well is the name itself. Besides being a good alliteration, it stands for everything the internet is. Macromedia foresaw what new media was going to be. The logo is very simple reflecting the alliteration of the two M's.

The old logo

The present logo

Already made with... Still made with.. Made with!

The following logo holds a reference to this case: Macromedia

EuroCard MasterCardBodytext not available yet... Material for design cases, logo evolutions, info on designers and other trivia are very warm welcomed. So if you got anything interesting please let us know by sending an attachment, text-discription or link. Please mail to: submit@goodlogo.com

The following logos hold references to this case: Cirrus, Maestro, MasterCard

McDonald'sThe McDonald's Golden Arches logo was introduced in 1962. It was created by Jim Schindler to resemble new arch shaped signs on the sides of the restaurants. He merged the two golden arches together to form the famous 'M' now recognized throughout the world. Schindler's work was a development of the stylized 'v' logo sketched by Fred Turner, which was conceived as a more stylish corporate symbol than the Speedee chef character that had previously been used. The McDonald's name was added to the logo in 1968.

 

 

The following logo holds a reference to this case:

McDonald's (1962)

Nike

McDonald's restaurant

1978

 

 

1995

 

The Nike logo is a classic case of a company gradually simplifying its corporate identity

as its frame increases. The company's first logo appeared in 1971, when the word "Nike,"

the Greek goddess of victory, was printed in orange over the outline of a checkmark, the

sign of positivity. Used as a motif on sports shoes since the 1970s, this checkmark is now

so recognizable that the company name itself has became superfluous. The solid, orange

check was registered as a trademark in 1995.

The following logos hold references to this case: Air Jordan, Nike, Nike Classic (1972)

Olympic GamesFar in advance of every Olympic event, the logo for the Summer or Winter edition of the Games are designed. Even before a city is chosen, it has become a tradition to design a logo and branding for every city that's in the bidding for hosting the games. Because of huge competition and because when the logo is chosen it will appear just about everywhere for at least half a year and the 5 to 6 years awaiting the Games, the quality of these logos is very high.

Also most logos hold some same ingredients. First of all the logo of course should have something unique regarding its host, secondly the Olympic rings should be in it and optionally most times a person or persons figure in the logo displaying the joy the Olympics bring.

Because logos are designed so long in advance of the actual games on goodlogo we try to list logos based on their creation year, not their operational year.For more history on the Olympics please also see: http://en.beijing2008.cn/spirit/symbols/emblem/

Olympic Games logos by year of the games or when known by year of design:

Rio de Janeiro 2016 (2009) Tokyo 2016 (2009) Chicago 2016 (2007) London 2012 (2007)

Madrid 2016 (2007) Beijing 2008 (2003) Athens 2004 (1999) Sydney 2000 (1996)

Nagano 1998 (1993) Atlanta 1996 (1991) Albertville 1992 (1987) Barcelona 1992 (1987)

Seoul 1988 (1983) Olympics (1912)

Copyright ©2000-2009 goodlogo!com - Last modified at 00:49 on Wednesday the 28th of January 2009

Pepsi Cola Branding EvolutionUnlike big brother Coke, Pepsi has always struggled with its identity and logo design. Over the last century Pepsi renewed its branding several times. For an overview of this evolutions please see below:

 

1898 1905 1906

1940 1950 1962

1973 1991 1998

Renault, Créateur d'AutomobilesThe Renault diamond started out as a bonnet emblem. The horn lived behind it, and from 1922 the centre of the badge was cut out to allow the sound to escape. It started out circular and became a diamond shape in 1924. The new logo exists since 1992.Style Marque changes the company's logo, which becomes a 3D diamond shape. The company's headquarters transfers to the Quai du Point du Jour.

Please scroll down for a more extensive eloboration of the new 3D logo.

      

   

Early PosterThe new 3D proposal in 2D

Variants for the new 3D logo

Final version forthe new 3D logo and 3D constructual implementation

The new 3D logo, as created by Style Marque...

And its application on a Renault bonnet

Shell 1900-1971

Although primarily a petroleum company, Shell has many other commercial interests, and more than 90 percent of its businesses around the world use the time-honored logo. The picture of the shell has been altered several times over the years, but has been modified very little since 1971, when the text was repositioned below the stylized image.

 

The present logo Shell product branding

The following logo holds a reference to this

Shell (1971)

SonyThe visual simplicity of the Sony logo is pivotal to its design. Easy to understand and pronounce, the name is readable in any language and immediately recognizable. The name derives from the Latin sonus, meaning 'sound'. The design of the logo has been modified only minimally since 1957, when the strokes of the letters were lighter and the word itself more expanded. The version shown here is from 1973; it has remained the same since then.

 

October 3, 2001 Sony established a joint venture with Swedish telecommunications company Ericssonon to make mobile phones. The stated reason for the venture is to combine Sony's consumer electronics expertise with Ericsson's technological leadership in the communications sector. As of 2002 both companies stopped making their own mobile phones.

The following logos hold references to this case: It's a Sony, Sony Electronics (1973),

Sony Ericsson (2001), Sony Vaio

1973

It's a Sony 

 

2001: Sony Ericsson

Star Alliance Members

Air Canada Lufthansa Scandinavian Airlines

Star Alliance

TAP Air Portugal Thai Airways

TV Stations

Cuatro (2005) Antena 3 (2004) Animal Planet (1996) Pro Sieben (1994)

NBC (1986) MTV (1981) British Broadcasting Company

CANTV

Canvas CNN Das Vierte Discovery Channel

RTL4 RTVE Sat1.de SBS 6

Sky VARA Veronica Omroep Organisatie

Yorin

ZDF

Nothing filled out.

ING BankingR=50%, 3pts.

NBCNBC, National Broadcasting Company

R=67.2%, 2pts. +2 points

UnileverUnilever

R=75.2%, 1pt. +1 point

Nothing filled out.

VaillantR=26.5%, 3pts.

Coca-ColaCoca-Cola

R=92%, 1pt. +1 point

Sun Microsystems

Columbia SportswearR=24.2%, 4pts.

Nothing filled out.TUI AG

R=24.5%, 4pts.