BLT *BASIC LOGO TYPES
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ICONIC Icons and symbols are compelling yet uncomplicated images that are emblematic of a particular company or product. They use imagery that conveys a literal or abstract representation of your organization. Symbols are less direct than straight text, leaving room for broader interpretation of what the organization represents. Iconic logos, one of the most common types, are represented by a single graphical element, When considering iconic logos, it is important to make the symbol fit any of the geometrical shapes. The best shapes to use are symmetrical geometrical shapes. They can be placed almost anywhere and still show balance and are very easy to handle. There is no obligation as to the kind of shape used, you can use any free form shape you want, but you have to be very careful with the placement, so the logo doesn’t look like it is falling apart. When selecting the shape, you should consider how conservative and stable your company wishes to appear. More complex shapes are often related to companies that are more modern, and basic geometric shapes relate to more classic brands.
Apple Inc.
For the last few years, the Apple logo has appeared in various colors (aqua color scheme was famous among all). But now Apple has discontinued the use of bright colors in the Apple logo, instead opting for white and rawaluminum color schemes. The polished chrome logo seems to fit ideally. For whatever reason Apple Inc. had to revamp its logo, the new Apple logo got a hearty endorsement by the customers and critics around the world. It can widely be seen on all Apple products and retail stores; and has become one of the world’s most renowned brand symbols. In 1998, with the roll out of the new iMac, Apple began the use of a monochromatic logo—supposedly at the insistence of a newly re-inaugurated Jobs—nearly identical in shape to its previous rainbow incarnation. However, no specific color is prescribed throughout Apple’s software and hardware line. The logo’s shape is one of the most recognized brand symbols in the world, identifies all Apple products and retail stores (the name “Apple” is usually not even present) and has been included as stickers in nearly all Macintosh and iPod packages through the years.
Playboy Inc.
This popular gentleman’s magazine has been running since 1953, when it was first introduced by Hugh Hefner. The logo depicts the image of a hare because it has a funny and sexual connotation, and looks a bit playful with the bowtie. Hugh believed that the hare in the tuxedo was charming and amusing. By 1959 the brand was already so well known that when letters were sent with incorrect address to the Playboy business they were successfully directed to the correct location.
Shell
The Shell brand is one of the most familiar commercial symbols in the world. Known as the “pecten” after the sea shell, the giant scallop, pecten maximus, on which its design is based, the current version of the brand was designed by Raymond Loewy and introduced in 1971. The yellow and orange colours used are thought to relate to the colours of the flag of Spain as Shell built early service stations in the state of California which had strong connections with Spain.
Nike
The swoosh logo was originally developed by a graphic designer, Carolyn Davidson in 1971. She was one of 35 people who made suggestions as to what logo to use for the organization. The owners met and agreed on Davidson’s design, taking into account her conceptual thinking about the wings of the Greek goddess Nike According to Davidson, Knight asked for a design that suggested movement- originally disliking the swoosh she submitted, but as Knight had deadlines to meet, he ended up using it saying “I don’t love it, but it will grow on me”. Together with Just Do It slogan, the Swoosh logo perfectly expresses the essence of the Nike brand and its philosophy. They show people the way to the determination, needed for reaching a desired mark in their sporting activities. It expresses well a high ambition and a will for victory, which the Nike Company made a part of its brand image and corporate culture
McDonalds
McDonalds Corporation has become synonymous with fast food and has become one of the largest chains of fast food restaurants in the world. The McDonalds logo has become a symbol of international business expansion and has been termed as ‘part of Americanization and American cultural imperialism’ as it is closely identified with US. The famous Golden Arches in McDonalds logo represent style, significance and a strong corporate identity. It was created by Jim Schindler in 1962 and the idea was first introduced by Dick and Mac McDonald as arch shaped signs on the sides of their then ‘walk-up hamburger stand’. From an angle, those arches looked like the letter “M” and thus, were incorporated in the McDonalds logo as a merger of the two golden arches together
Mitsubishi
The swoosh logo was originally developed by a graphic designer, Carolyn Davidson in 1971. She was one of 35 people who made suggestions as to what logo to use for the organization. The owners met and agreed on Davidson’s design, taking into account her conceptual thinking about the wings of the Greek goddess Nike According to Davidson, Knight asked for a design that suggested movement- originally disliking the swoosh she submitted, but as Knight had deadlines to meet, he ended up using it saying “I don’t love it, but it will grow on me”. Together with Just Do It slogan, the Swoosh logo perfectly expresses the essence of the Nike brand and its philosophy. They show people the way to the determination, needed for reaching a desired mark in their sporting activities. It expresses well a high ambition and a will for victory, which the Nike Company made a part of its brand image and corporate culture.
COMBINATION
MARKS
Combination Marks are graphics with both text and a symbol/icon that signifies the brand image that you wish to project for your company or organization. Concise text can complement an icon or symbol, providing supplemental clarity as to what your enterprise is all about. A logo that in some manner combines both a symbol and the company name. The symbol and text can be integrated together, side by side, or with one located above the other. A combination logo offers the best of both worlds. This type of logo offers a memorable logo graphic that tells the story of who you are, what you do, and what makes you different, all in conjunction with your business name for easy identification. A combination logo is an excellent choice for a small- or medium-sized company or a company just starting out, to begin to build brand recognition, because a combination logo is both visually strong and explanatory. The symbol can speak to the services that the company offers, while the company name increases the company recognition.
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AT&T
After SBC merged with AT&T to form the largest telecommunications company in the United States, we were asked to position this new entity as an approachable, consumer-focused brand. Extensive brand research confirmed that AT&T is an internationally recognized, iconic brand with a valuable heritage associated with integrity and performance. It commands a 98 percent awareness rating across the US. Rather than adopt the SBC name or start from scratch with a new brand identity, we leveraged AT&T’s current brand equity. To signal a fresh, new era we developed an evolution of the classic Saul Bass logo to visually communicate the new brand positioning. AT&T’s logo has been rejiggered to give it a 3-D effect. The actual name will look different, too. Instead of using capital letters, AT&T’s name in marketing materials will be spelled with lower-case letters: at&t. The corporate name — AT&T Inc. — will retain the capital letters. The overhaul is aimed at freshening up the brand. The pint-sized letters, reminiscent of alphabet soup, were a tough sell internally. The new look is more evocative of the Internet generation.
Pringles
Pringles are especially known for their packaging (invented by Fred Baur), which consists of a tubular can with a foil-coated interior, and a resealable plastic lid; it also has a famous logo, a stylized representation of a man with a large moustache and parted bangs (until 2001, the man, commonly known as “Julius Pringles”, had eyebrows and his bow tie housed the product name.)
Cisco
The former bridge in a box Identity presented multiple problems to me: It was confining, limited in visual meaning and scope. Furthermore, always reminded me of the bars in a graphic equalizer or bar chart. The new Identity is streamlined, it adequately addresses the goals and aspirations of management’s vision of how it sees itself, what it has become and where it wants to go. Joe Phenom and The King breathed life into an otherwise visually cluttered Identity. Brevity, Clarity and Verve were incorporated to Support Management Vision. Identities need to Accurately Reflect Corporate Mission, Voice, Image and Culture. In that Respect, The New Cisco Identity is a Success. This Identity should last Cisco a Couple of Decades without Revitalization even through Merger and Acquisition.
MusicTelevision The MTV logo is one of the most influential devices of “pop culture.” MTV was one of the first television networks to interrupt programming by “popping up” a small version of their logo in the bottom corner of the screen. This small distraction would catch the viewer’s eyes and reinforce to them what they were watching. The MTV logo has always made an instant connection in the minds of most viewers. One of the most unique aspects of the MTV logo is that new versions are always being released. The logos vary in size, but are always made up of a large box-letter, capital “M” complete with lower-case “tv”, in handwriting style font, laid over the lower right quarter of the capital M. The various (and many) treatments of the MTV logo is effective because the wide variety of variations is “hip” and it catches the viewer’s eye
Starbucks
The logo is a “twin-tailed siren” (the siren of Greek mythology). The logo has been significantly streamlined over the years. In the first version, which gave the impression of an authentic 15th century European woodcut, the Starbucks siren was topless and had a fully-visible double fish tail. The image also had a rough visual texture. In the second version, her breasts were covered by her flowing hair, but her navel was still visible, and the fish tail was cropped slightly. In the current version, her navel and breasts are not visible at all, and only vestiges remain of the fish tails.
UPS
Renowned brand designer, Paul Rand, designed the third and more simplified version of the UPS logo in 1961. The newly renovated UPS logo featured ‘a bow-tied package above the familiar shield to express the mission of the company’: of offering package delivery as its sole service. ‘As part of the rebranding, UPS adopted its fourth UPS logo, marking the first change in the UPS logo in 42 years’. On March 25, 2003, UPS with the help of FutureBrand, unveiled its new corporate identity with a new UPS logo. The most significant change, in the new UPS logo, was the removal of the bow-tied package above the UPS shield. Ironically “the bow”, which had become one of the most recognized features of the UPS logo, has been subjected to refusal by UPS over decades as the string refrain UPS’s abilities to represent itself in various supply chain services. Additionally, though the decision for its removal is not entirely based on this, the string in the bow-tied package can get caught in UPS’s high-speed sorting machinery. The new UPS logo symbolizes UPS’s expansion from package delivery into a broader array of supply chain services.
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WORDMARK LOGOTYPE A logo can be as simple as having your company name typeset in a unique font. The company name can have a small graphic embellishment – like an underline, or it can appear on a colored background. This is a simple approach that can work for many consultants. If you do go this route, you’ll miss out on some of the benefits that you can get by including a graphic in your company name – namely, that your logo won’t have an image in it to help clients remember it. However, if your company name is long, this approach will help you to keep the logo as clean and simple as possible. And, if your consultancy’s services or goals may change over time, there is no danger of your icon becoming inappropriate – since you don’t have one. One of the considerations when going for a text-based logo is if you have a multi-word business name. If your business name is made up of many words, that are not commonly or easily abbreviated, or when an abbreviation may not be appropriate developing a text logo will keep the logo design as simple and clean as possible.
Microsoft
Microsoft logo is a perfect example of ‘innovation meets simplicity’. The logo intelligently expresses the company’s mission of providing quality products to the customers with its strong slogan and simple typeface. The Microsoft logo like the company has become synonymous with latest computer technologies, innovative ideas and the comprehensive development of both. The logo consists of a simple typeface with an equally powerful slogan symbolizing potential and passion. Though the Microsoft logo was subjected to major critical transformations over the decades, its principal message has remained largely unaffected.
IBM
In 1972, a new version of IBM logo was introduced, again designed by Paul Rand. The solid letters were replaced by horizontal stripes, suggesting speed and dynamism. The graphic evolution of IBM logo shows that the IBM logo is an excellent example of a company that uses capitalized block lettering to establish authority without alienating its audience. The IBM logo stands so absolute it looks like it was made by machine, instead of by hand. IBM is recognized as the powerhouse of high-quality computer products and services. The IBM logo is an image of expertise, innovation, service and trust, thereby reinforcing the strength of IBM in the industry. If observed closely, the IBM logo, also known as “Big Blue”, generates a message of “Equality”. The Big Blue IBM logo, with its lower right parallel lines, highlights in the shape of an “equals” sign. Furthermore, the term “BIG” in the Big Blue IBM logo refers to the company’s size in the market share, whereas, the “BLUE” is the official color of the eight-bar IBM logo.
Coca-Cola
The first Coca-Cola logo was created by John Pemberton’s partner and bookkeeper, Frank Mason Robinson, in 1885. Thinking that the two Cs would look well in advertising, it was Robinson who came up with the name and chose the logo’s distinctive cursive script. The typeface used, known as Spencerian script, was developed in the mid 19th century and was the dominant form of formal handwriting in the United States during that period. The red and white colored scheme in the Coca-Cola logo was kept simple and distinctive to lure young minds. Coca-Cola logo has been highly popular and is often regarded as the best design ever. The Coca-Cola logo was first advertised in the Atlanta Journal in 1915 and also appeared on the display of Pemberton’s pharmacy. A Coca-Cola dispenser with a Cola-Cola logo was later created by Raymond Loewy. The Coca-Cola logo got registered as a trademark in 1887 and has since then become the brand’s corporate identity.
Fedex
FedEx is organized into operating units, each of which has its own version of the wordmark, designed by Lindon Leader of Landor Associates. In all versions, the Fed is purple. The Ex is in a different color for each division. Thev corporate wordmark uses a grey Ex. The original “FedEx” logo saw the Ex in orange; it is now used as the FedEx Express wordmark. The award winning[citation needed] FedEx wordmark is notable for containing a hidden right-pointing arrow in the negative space between the “E” and the “X.”
Walt Disney
The Walt Disney logo, like the company, has served as a beacon for decent family entertainment and worldwide recognition. The Walt Disney logo is a ‘stylized version of the founder’s signature’ that signifies the brand name and promises secure, cheerful and quality American mainstream entertainment. Other than the regular logo, the company uses different logos on its different products. A castle on a blue background version of the Walt Disney logo is used for the movie releases and as the curtain-raiser to its films. The original Walt Disney logo, to a large extent, has retained its uniqueness, however, over the time, different animations and styles were introduced in the Walt Disney logo to complement the entertainment quality and the technological breakthroughs of the era. No doubt, the Walt Disney logo has branded the company.
Google’s mission statement is “To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful”. Since the beginning, Google has closely and zealously worked towards achieving the goal of providing relevant information and innovative products to its customers. Saying that, Google has now become a leader of the web-search industry. Google began as a research project in 1996 by two Stanford University’s Ph.D. students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin. It was initially nicknamed “BackRub”, and had many different logos overtime. However, the current Google logo was designed by Ruth Kedar, which consists of the name “Google” in logotype based on the Catull typeface. It has now become the official logo of Google Inc.; a company specializing in Internet search and online marketing. The company uses features that compliment and refer to specific holidays like Christmas, 4th of July, Mother’s Day etc.; birthdays of famous personalities like Albert Einstein, Leonardo Di Vinci, Edward Munch, etc.; and major events like the Olympics, Football World Cup, elections, etc. These special modifications of the Google logo are known as Google Doodles were first designed by the creators of the company in 1999.
Logo is a term used to refer to a graphic symbol or emblem commonly employed by commercial enterprises, organisations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition. In the days of hot metal typesetting a logotype was a uniquely set and arranged typeface or colophon. At the level of mass communication or simply in the high street a company’s logo is today often synonymous with its trademark or brand. Logo design is an important area of graphic design, and one of the most difficult to perfect. The logo (ideogram), is the image embodying an organization. Because logos are meant to represent companies’ brands or corporate identities and foster their immediate customer recognition, it is counterproductive to frequently redesign logos.Color is considered important to brand recognition, but it should not be an integral component to the logo design, which could conflict with its functionality. Some colors are formed/associated with certain emotions that the designer wants to convey. For instance loud primary colors, such as red, are meant to attract the attention of drivers on highways are appropriate for companies that require such attention. In the United States red, white, and blue are often used in logos for companies that want to project patriotic feelings. Green is often associated with the health and hygiene sector, and light blue or silver is often used to reflect diet foods. For other brands, more subdued tones and lower saturation can communicate reliability, quality, relaxation, or other traits.
Idea and Design by
Santiago Rodriguez