Sourced from Entrepreneur Europe
A logo is the graphic image of a brand. This advertising strategy has been used for many centuries as it is a way of identifying a company or a creator. Furthermore, the importance of logos lies in the fact that they are easily recognizable, even from childhood.
A logo must be able to condense, in a single image, the personality of the brand , to communicate a clear message to its audience and, above all, to become an effective tool for marketing and promoting the company. These can be made up of the name of the brand, the initials or a drawing that relates to the company, its values or its history.
We present a list of the 10 logos most remembered by our users on social networks. Take their strategies into account when designing your business:
1) NIKE
Image: Kristian Egelund via Unsplash
The sports clothing and accessories company has managed to position itself in a remarkable way. The slogan “Just Do It” and the popcorn in its logo are simply unforgettable. Why a popcorn? The NIKE brand was founded in the 60s and both its name and its logo are inspired by the Greek goddess Nike, deity of victory, who had wings and was very fast. The design was created by a young student who was paid $ 35 at the time. We like it because it is simple, easy to remember, attractive and because of its relationship with the values of the company.
2) Apple
A bitten apple is the image of one of the most recognized and innovative companies of the 20th century. There are many theories about the origin of this logo: that it is a tribute to Alan Mathison Turing, inventor of current computing, who committed suicide with a poisoned apple; that it was the favorite fruit of Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak; which is the emblem of Apple Records , the record label of The Beatles, Jobs’s favorite group; that Jobs’ adoptive father was a farmer and that he belonged to a group of farmers, or a simple reference to Isaac Newton’s apple (the first logo alluded to this character). The logo, designed by Rob Janoff, was initially rainbow and mutated to a bright gray. Many claim that the bite means knowledge or that it means that, in English, it is “bite”, which they alter to “byte”.
3) Coca-Cola
Image: Jordan Whitfield via Unsplash
This brand is a benchmark in all advertising elements, and its logo is no exception. This only consists of white typeface on a red background (or red typeface). The logo was created by the librarian Frank Mason Robinson in 1885, who thought that two letters “C” would look attractive in any advertisement; he named the brand and added the most widely used cursive font in the United States at that time. In fact, the first design has had very few modifications throughout its history. Coca-Cola is found in more than 200 countries in the world and it is almost a fact that everyone recognizes its logo from a distance.
4) Sabritas
Image: mafarifi_ via Instagram
Sabritas is one of the most loved brands in the Mexican market. The company “Sabrosas Botanitas” was acquired in the 1960s by Pepsico, formed by Pepsi and Frito-Lays, who were in charge of building the image of Sabritas, based on the popular Lays snack in the United States. This logo is said to have been created during a focus group when, in the branding process, participants were asked what this product produced for them, to which many responded with a happy face . From there, the design has been modified over the years, but it remains the main differentiator of this company that “wants to see you smile”.
5) Starbucks
Image: Sorin Sîrbu on Unsplash
The logo of this chain of coffee shops is known practically worldwide and is also one of the most plagiarized. As in the case of NIKE, the origin of its name and logo has a mythological and literary basis. The name appears in the famous Herman Melville novel, “Moby Dick,” where Starbucks was the first mate on Captain Ahab’s ship. As for the logo, although many refer to it as a mermaid, it is actually a melusine, that is, a double-tailed nereid. In the beginning, the logo was designed in black ink and then it became green. This element has mutated a lot and currently (as of 2011) a close-up of this character is shown.
6) Google
Image: Rajeshwar Bachu via Unsplash
When a brand is able to cover its logo, modify its colors and even omit some letters and change them for drawings, it means that it has achieved its mission. And there is no better example than Google. This is demonstrated with doodles (logos that honor certain characters or events). The first doodle appeared in 1998 and was “Burning Man.” Google also changes its colors to gray tones when a world tragedy occurs. The logo of the most important search engine in the world has undergone transformations over time; In the beginning it had an exclamation point (copied from Yahoo! ), until it reached the current one, designed by Kedar Ruth, which is based on the Catull typeface.
7) Ferrari
Image: Jannis Lucas via Unsplash
The logo of this luxury car brand is one of the most famous because, in addition to its style and elegance, it has become a sign of status. Usually the image shows a black prancing horse on a yellow background with the letters S and F, “Scuderia Ferrari.” The horse was the symbol of Count Francesco Baracca, who served in the Italian air force in World War I. In 1923 Enzo Ferrari met Baracca’s mother who asked him to put the horse that her son used, as it would bring him luck. So it was. Since then, this is the Ferrari emblem to which Enzo added the color yellow to be representative of his birthplace: Modena.
Other famous logos in the automotive sector are the Mercedes-Benz star that teaches mastery on land, sea and air, and the four interlocking Audi rings that refer to the union of four Saxon brands.
8) McDonald’s
The golden “M” for McDonald’s is one of the most well-known symbols in the world. It began to be used in 1962 when Jim Schindler, inspired by the arches that the first establishments had, used this logo in all his restaurants. This large “M”, both for its color and its shape, has great significance: first of all, it encourages hunger and represents a safe and trustworthy place. In addition, the golden hue works for investors who see in this fast food brand a profitable option to have a business. This logo is known as “Los Arcos Dorados” .
9) Disney
Image: Valentin GIRARD via Unsplash
Disney is synonymous with family entertainment and fun. Its original logo shows all these qualities. The logo arose from a stylization of the signature of its founder, Walter Elias Disney. However, this large corporation modifies its image according to its products. For example, for the movies, in addition to the typography, it shows the famous castle with a blue background (inspired by Neuschwanstein Castle, in Germany), while for others the unforgettable silhouette of Mickey Mouse’s ears or hand is used.
10) Nestle
Image: inma lesielle via Unsplash
Nestlé is one of the largest food companies in the world, a recognition it has maintained over the years. The first logo of this company arose in 1868 with its creator Henri Nestlé, who decided to base the design on the meaning of his surname in German (little nest) and on the family emblem. It was not until 1938 that he added the name to it and little by little it was simplified and modernized to give life to the image we know today.
Feature Image Credit: Maximilian Bruck vía Unsplash