Everyone has long known that a logo is a brand’s face. If a logo is recognizable, memorable, and easy to recall, it can drive sales. A good visual identity becomes familiar to consumers when it clearly reflects a business’s values and unique characteristics.
Global sales leaders such as Nike have long recognized that advertising campaigns need a strategic approach, and the right image design can set the stage.
In an age of sophisticated technology, simple design attracts attention and excites the public. To stay on trend and avoid criticism, companies strive to keep up with the latest trends and resonate with consumers through aesthetically pleasing, concise, or meaningful design.
In 2015, a study found that 6 out of 10 people prefer to purchase products from familiar brands. This isn’t surprising, as a well-known brand can signal quality and build trust with the target audience. A logo you like can strongly influence your choice because you want to associate yourself with something good, right, expensive, or authoritative. This reflects consumer psychology, where people buy products based on subjective attitudes and aspirations.
Nike
The Nike brand above, originally called Blue Ribbon Sports, was founded in 1964 by Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight and renamed Nike in 1971. The brand logo costs only $35. That’s how much Carolyn Davidson of Portland State University was paid for the design. Originally, the lettering was rendered in black ink against a smoothly outlined flag.
Later, the logo was simplified into a concise, smooth, all-black checkmark with no outline and sharper corners. This checkmark may be lonely, but it is one of the world’s most recognizable visual marks.
Volkswagen
Volkswagen, a major automaker, was founded in 1937 by a Nazi labor organization to create a car. The manufacturer’s message was simple: any German family could have one. The original logo had swastika features, and in today’s reality, its use would be offensive and all the more inappropriate.
In 2000, IBM introduced a blue-and-white color scheme to give every car owner a sense of aesthetic appeal, authority, and solidity. There is no clutter of black circular stripes, and the white emblem looks friendly and neat.
IBM
In 1911, three independent companies merged to form a single large company. This marked the birth of the IBM brand, which received its current name in 1924 (previously Computing-Tabulating-Recording). Initially, the logo was designed to convey globalization, global reach, confidence, and prospects. The black-and-white color scheme suited the logo’s rounded, typographic style.
Paul Rand later replaced it with a new logo. The designer made the brand more appealing to customers; the blue-and-white hues convey influence and expertise.
AT&T
The AT&T brand, introduced in 1877, was a longtime monopoly in the telecommunications industry. In 1984, the Alexander Graham Bell (A) Company was forced to split up because of a civil antitrust lawsuit. The circular emblem logo was black and white, with a bell and the words “Bell System” centered.
Now, the logo resembles a blue-and-white sphere with black lettering; it looks dignified and harmonious, and it keeps up with the times.
Pepsi
In 1893, Caleb Bradham developed a drink that became incredibly popular and beloved worldwide: Pepsi-Cola. The drink’s positioning and claims initially focused on improving gastrointestinal health, and it was sold in North Carolina pharmacies. The ornate, red logo, with its distinctive lettering, gave the product a mysterious, mystical quality. Consumers benefited from the product’s novelty as it hit store shelves.
The Pepsi logo was later simplified in shape but kept its complex red, white, and blue color palette. Here, you can see a wave, a sphere, and a sense of movement. The meanings are several. Over the brand’s 126-year history, the logo has changed many times, but the one we see in stores today was introduced in 2014 and hasn’t changed since.
Starbucks
In 1971, Starbucks appeared in Seattle’s Pike Place Market. The brand name came from a not-so-famous literary character: Ahab’s first mate, Starbuck, from the novel Moby-Dick. The logo’s theme is a Scandinavian siren engraving that accompanied 16th-century feasts, when serving food in bowls was emerging.
Now, the brand is widely promoted and more established, according to 2018 data (and even more so now!). The company has a presence in about 30,000 stores across 50 countries. The siren on the logo has already taken on a more chaste look, with her hair covering her breasts, her face more open and expressing calm joy, and neat ponytails on both sides, all set within a green border with the brand name.
FedEx
In 1965, Yale University student Fred Smith began thinking about the challenges of shipping goods. He eventually wrote a term paper on freight transportation and, in 1971, founded Federal Express Corp. in Little Rock, Arkansas. On its first day of operation, the company marked a major transformation in the delivery industry, with 14 airplanes delivering 186 packages overnight to US cities. The FedEx logo was simple and uncomplicated, except that the font stood out from the more formal ones. The font’s lilac hue, white and red letters, and futuristic feel were clear.
The current logo uses a more saturated purple, with orange replacing red, and the overall highlight is not immediately obvious. A white arrow in the gap between the letters signifies forward motion or speed.
Microsoft
In 1975, Paul Allen and Bill Gates founded Microsoft, which became the world leader in software. Over time, giant products emerged that made people’s jobs easier and more efficient, and companies more successful and wealthy. All thanks to Windows (1983), Microsoft Office (1989), and Internet Explorer 1.0 (1995). In 1987, Scott Baker’s “Pacman logo” was recognized as a classic company logo.
In 2012, Boston unveiled a new logo after 25 years of the company’s visual identity. Four colored squares represent the company’s various products. The red, green, muted orange, and bright blue colors create a positive impression and inspire trust.
Mcdonalds
The birthplace of the world-famous fast food brand McDonald’s is humble San Bernardino. In 1940, brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald began selling meat sandwiches and fries for 35 cents. The company’s basic idea was to boost sales through speed, affordability, and easy service of simple items. After World War II, the brothers expanded the menu, which foreshadowed the growing popularity of hamburgers and cheeseburgers. The logo, featuring a cheerful, winking chef, conveyed a positive impression: the food was tasty, easy to prepare, and quick to serve a hungry customer.
The logo debuted in 1961, when a golden arch replaced the playful chef, with flowing lines shaped like the letter M. The color evokes appetite and associations with energy, harmony, and comfort. In this form, the logo may have attracted more new consumers; as a result, the restaurants now operate in 101 countries worldwide, serving 69 million people daily.
Levi’s
Levi Strauss began his career as a haberdashery wholesaler and later focused on textiles, particularly denim. His logo looked both pretentious and simple. It claimed the fabric’s durability and the material’s overall high quality. The jeans depicted on it do not tear, even when farmers pull them in different directions with horses.
Another marketing ploy followed: in 1967, the company introduced a new logo. Walter Landor and partners created a design that has been part of jeans pockets ever since. It is a red wing that incorporates the name Levi’s. This emphasized the jeans’ youthful appeal and timelessness.
VISA
Credit cards have proliferated worldwide and are no longer unique. Every modern man has at least one card in his wallet. Another thing is that it is now fashionable to be interested in digital technologies and cryptocurrency. However, good old credit cards, such as Visa cards, are timeless classics that never go out of style. This financial giant issued its first card in 1958, creating a sensation. The then Bank of America issued its card, called BankAmericard, with a $300 usage limit (which is almost meaningless today). 18 years later, BankAmericard rebranded as Visa to strengthen customer relationships. Speakers of different languages found the name easy to adopt. The logo uses two colors: blue, symbolizing the sky, and gold, representing California’s rolling hills, the home of the American Bank.
Over time, the brand updated its design. We settled on a blue logo. It used a gradient of shades, from darkest to lightest. From afar, the difference in the letters’ color isn’t visible, but it is there. The most important distinguishing feature is the absence of gold or yellow tones, since the association of money with gold has long since fallen out of use.
Canon
The Kwanon Photographic Company, then called Kwanon, released its first camera model in 1934, a year after its founding. Although the company’s name does not directly refer to the equipment it produces, it is derived from the Buddhist goddess of mercy. It makes sense that such a significant figure in Buddhism would become a company symbol, as the logo reflects. Thus, the image of a multi-armed goddess surrounded by flames emerged.
As early as 1956, the company rebranded and introduced the logo we know today, which remains unchanged. It simply highlights the Canon name in red to convey the key message that advanced technology should be a global standard.
Audi
Audi is one of the world’s leading car manufacturers today and is renowned for its luxury vehicles. However, it was founded in 1910. The logo was simple, consisting of black-and-white elements. The number 1 was emphasized, with the company name set at the bottom in a triangle. With the logo, they aimed to assert their importance in the automotive market and show that motorists should love and pay close attention to the company.
The design features harmonious, rounded shapes reminiscent of the badge’s wheels, along with red letters in a simple font. Why get clever when you can convey several meanings at once: the quality of the cars produced, speed, and elegance?
On the other hand, reliable sources claim that after Audi’s competitors merged with the company in 1932 to form the Auto Union alliance, they chose four intertwined rings to foster mutual respect, recognize equal contributions, and symbolize the companies’ different fates.
Mozilla Firefox
Mozilla released Firefox in 2002, a web browser. The browser was originally called Phoenix. Due to a trademark dispute, they had to change the name. The logo was a bright red burning bird with a yellow beak. It looked odd and childish, but soon the company rebranded, and the image faded into oblivion.
In 2003, the company introduced a new concept, as it could no longer use the previous name due to litigation. The logo featured a bright orange, or rather, fiery fox with its entire body surrounding a blue ball. This logo reflected the company’s global presence and the growing popularity of its products.
Playboy
The popularity of the men’s magazine Playboy is both comical and simple. In 1951, Hugh Hefner, a copywriter for Esquire magazine, was denied a $5 pay raise. Over time, he became famous worldwide and gained recognition in many circles. This was all because his magazine was an incredible success, selling millions of copies and becoming a major brand that covered nightclubs, television shows, accessories, and clothing. The logo representing the ambitious man’s store resembled a full, detailed illustration of a rabbit in a tuxedo holding a cigar, set against a backdrop of a liquor table, a woman’s bust, books, a goblet, and a fireplace. This rabbit became the personification of the average erotic fiction lover.
Although the store owner liked the original logo, he had to rebrand and simplify it. The second issue featured a simpler rabbit image, with its head turned left and a butterfly around its neck. Art Paul developed the design in 1953.
Amazon
In 1995, no one could have imagined that in the simple garage where Jeff Bezos launched his business idea, a brand concept would be born that would generate multi-million-dollar profits for its owner. The concept was to sell books with a symbolic river image on the logo. The message was interesting, and unusual retailers were envisioned as the “largest streams of the Earth.”
As Amazon expands its business with an emphasis on categorized delivery, the new logo font signals an A-Z experience, quick pickup, and peace of mind when making purchases.
Lego
The name of the global toy brand is derived from the fusion of two Danish words: “god” (meaning “play.) and “god” (meaning “good”). In 1932, the company first entered the market offering wooden toys, and by 1958, it introduced its iconic cube toy set. Initially, the logo was a simple serif font that failed to convey the company’s essence.
In 1973, production expanded to the United States, giving Lego a new lease on life and prompting a rebranding. The red-yellow-white typographic logo made customers feel comfortable, evoking fun as friends dug into toys. It remains a classic logo shape today.
Verizon
Verizon’s history began in 200 with the merger of Bell Atlantic Corp. and GTE Corp., which quickly grew and became the market leader in technology. Now, it is the largest cell phone carrier, covering 35% of the market. The logo originally featured black letters with a highlighted red Z and a thin check mark above, but it was later modified.
In 2015, a more modern logo emerged, featuring a different font and a smaller check mark next to the letter “N”. This alignment benefited the company, as rebranding and defining a new market position helped it attract a larger user base.
Shell
In 1833, Shell focused on Antiquity and the East, but it is now a major energy company with a well-established supply chain thanks to a fine-tuned import and export system. The realistic image of the shell has become the company’s trademark.
Over time, it became clear that the company was discontinuing activities in a certain niche and moving to a higher level of technology. So, in 2015, with the introduction of the first service stations, a new logo emerged: a bright, cartoon-like yellow-and-red shell. They chose these colors to show the close cooperation between California and Spain.
YAHOO!
In 1994, while students at Stanford University, Jerry Yang and David Philo founded the Yahoo! project as a hobby, which later became a major brand. It is an Internet company whose fortune was estimated at $ 125 billion. Under pressure from competitors, Verizon forced it to sell for $5 billion. The original logo resembled a blue balloon with a yellow man, a stylized Y with outstretched arms. Below, you can see the lilac lettering with the project’s name.
In 2013, when a sale was still out of the question, the company rebranded to regain its position and strengthen its market status. The company retained the purple color in the typographic logo; however, the updated visual identity did not yield positive results, ultimately leading to a decline and takeover by another company.
DELTA
Founded in 1924, Delta Air Lines initially positioned itself as a commercial agricultural enterprise. However, as early as 1929, it operated the first passenger flights. That period’s visual style featured a large Greek letter “delta” with outstretched wings. It was placed in a wide ring, with the company’s name above and below the letter. The color palette used national hues, adding a patriotic note.
The modern version of the logo is also a stylized letter. However, it also suggests an airplane taking off from the runway. In this way, the brand reflects its business scope and underscores its commitment to customers. To the right of the emblem, the word “Delta” appears in a laconic style that conveys strictness and conservatism.
Apple
Steve Jobs and his friend Steve Wozniak founded Apple in 1976 as a small company that developed computer equipment. And in 1978, the first revolutionary PC, the Apple II, hit the market. They presented their original logo as an ink drawing of Isaac Newton, thought to be pondering under the famous apple tree just before discovering the laws of gravity. The image is intertwined with a ribbon bearing the company’s name, emphasizing the creators’ desire to pioneer the industry.
The company replaced the old visual identity model with a concise, memorable image of an overbite apple, which remains in use today. Later brand changes focused only on the color palette, emphasizing the products’ prestige and quality. The palette shifted to monochrome shades, signaling the company’s seriousness and the growth of its image.
GE
General Electric Company is the world’s largest power company. Thomas Edison founded it in 1890. Two years later, it merged with a rival company to expand its capabilities and further develop its operations. The logo featured the letters “G” and “E” in cursive calligraphy on a monochrome black background.
The company’s modern visual style has changed significantly. One reason is the company’s globalization. The monogram became terser and more symbolic of unity. It was placed against a blue circle background, suggesting it provides services worldwide. In addition, the white ring surrounding the inscription, with small branches, resembles a turbine propeller, directly associated with the direction of energy flow.
Adidas
Adolf Dassler founded the German company Adidas in 1925. During its heyday, the company’s logo featured a studded athletic shoe, with the creator’s name above it in an arc and the brand name below. The font had no unique features. The only distinctive addition was the elongated “d” lines, which can be associated with a sporting obstacle. The color palette consisted solely of black.
When the company expanded production to include apparel, it changed its visual identity. The logo’s memorable element was three stripes angled at 30 degrees, resembling a mountain and symbolizing further development and growth. Since 2005, the brand has simplified the logo, arranging the three stripes horizontally and placing the name to the right in a customized style with rounded letters.
NASA
NASA was founded in 1958 in response to the USSR’s first satellite launch in 1957. With support from a representative of the research center, a unique logo was created to fully reflect the agency. It was a blue circle with a golden border, set against a background of a planet, a satellite, stars, and an orbiting spaceship. The agency’s full name was also outlined in gold along the outer contour.
The visual identity has since been simplified. The logo consists of a single blue circle with the abbreviation “NASA” at the center, an orbital trajectory drawn around it, and scattered stars. At the same time, a red-shaded aerodynamic jet trail runs diagonally across the entire circle. This suggests different spheres of activity.
Burger King
The first Burger King branch opened in 1953 in Florida. It faced a series of hardships that culminated in bankruptcy. However, in 1961, the restaurant was bought out and, after a lengthy renovation, reopened across the United States. The logo was concise and immediately caught the eye. It featured a stylized rising sun, which also resembled the burger viewed from above. In this way, the business’s direction and the catering chain’s dawn became clear. The brand name sat beneath the image, set in a simple, bold font.
The modern visual identity received a new color scheme and underwent a dramatic change. The stylized sun began to resemble two halves of a golden bun, with the inscription “Burger King” appearing between them in two red rows, serving as the filling. The text is in a bold, rounded-edged font that conveys benevolence and responsiveness. A ring segment around the emblem thins toward the top edge.
Adobe
In 1982, Charles Geschke and John Warnock co-founded Adobe Systems. Five years later, they introduced their new creation, Adobe Illustrator, which brought them fame and the freedom to develop further. The first version was a horizontal rectangle with a dark gray fill. The company name was on it, and the main word was highlighted in a separate, unique font, forming a trapezoid.
In 1990, the logo was updated with several changes. The background became a red square with the letter “A” in white, preserving the original design. Below the image, the text “Adobe” was set in a regular font and slightly narrowed to match the main visualization’s width. This created a simple, clear interface that new users could easily master.
United Airlines
The airline made its first passenger flight in 1926. The logo was introduced in 1973 as a dark blue horizontal rectangle. A white stripe ran through its center, with the company’s name printed on both sides of the central image. The trademark features a white circle with a smaller ring, set against the same background color. Inside the ring is a silhouette of the US territories, with two arrows marking a flight from one city to two other places.
Despite its popularity, United Airlines merged with Continental Airlines after its history ended. The visual style has also changed. Its execution aligns with current trends, suggesting concision and greater memorability. Thus, the merger was emphasized. The logo is a dark blue square with a structured image of Earth in the background.
3M
3M was founded in 1902. Its main activities are in the chemical industry and consumer goods. The logo features a white ring with black inner and outer borders. The company’s name ran along its perimeter, and a horizontal rhombus sat at the center, set against a background on which the text “3M Co” was crossed vertically and horizontally.
The company created many emblem variants throughout its history. However, the final version of the visual identification, presented in 1978, was a bright red image consisting of two symbols: “3M.” The concise design increases memorability, which is essential for a company planning further expansion and development.
Target
Target’s department store is an offshoot of Dayton Dry Goods, founded in 1902. The original logo has personality, which helps visitors remember it. It is represented as a tee with white and red rings. The store’s name is centered. It was designed to reflect the chain’s commitment to offering its most popular products.
In 1968, the visual style was updated to reflect modern trends. This also coincided with the department store chain’s nationwide expansion. The result was an emblem with a richer color palette and a simple execution. The emblem’s main distinguishing feature remained the target; only the number of rings was reduced to two. The text was removed.
Ford
Ford Motor Company was officially registered in 1903. It specializes in designing and developing automotive products. However, it was not as famous at the beginning of its career, but it changed after the first model was produced and sold. The first logo featured a horizontally arranged oval, braided and adorned with ornate branches around the perimeter. Inside was a smaller oval ring, resembling a bracelet with added pearls. The center held the company’s name and the city where it was founded. The brand radiated luxury and conservatism, which set its cars apart.
Visual identification has a long history and has evolved continuously, ultimately reaching its current form. Childe Harold Wills created the calligraphic text in the emblem, and it is centered. A flattened oval ring surrounds it on an oval background filled with a blue gradient. At the same time, shadows add depth and volume to the composition. It still symbolizes quality and safe products.
WWF/E
WWF/E was founded in 1963. However, the federation acquired its present form only in 1982. It united many professional wrestling clubs under its leadership, creating a national league. The logo is minimalist yet elegant. It features two wrestlers fighting in the ring. The main focus was on WWF/E activity. To the right of the image, the federation’s full name and abbreviation appear against a black background.
In 2014, viewers were introduced to a new, updated visual style. It features smooth, stacked “W” letters with pointed ends to emphasize the situation’s seriousness and gravity. Behind them, a red stroke adds aggression and confrontation. John Lifteratos helped create this logo.
WWF
The need to protect the environment worldwide led to the 1961 merger that created the World Wildlife Fund. The panda image that appeared at the London Zoo became the logo. Under this pretext, one of the founders, Peter Scott, created a simple sketch that laid the groundwork for the community’s visual identity. Originally, it was a hand-drawn ring with a panda nestled inside, glaring pitifully at whoever looked at the emblem.
After a quarter-century, the image has been digitally transformed. The animal became more graceful and clearer, but still looked sullen. Rounded details gave it a softer perception. In this way, the association explicitly stated that animals also want to live well in our world. The abbreviation “WWF” was placed beneath the image in bold, rounded letters.
Google is by far the most popular internet resource by traffic. However, when it was created in 1997, it was inconspicuous and little known. The main office was initially located in an old garage, but demand grew exponentially over the next three years, and the site gained popularity. The first logo was used only during the test version stage, featuring the name in a different color palette and at various angles. This added a three-dimensional effect. It was unusual and colorful, which helped attract new users.
Today, nothing remains of the former visual style. Only the blue, red, yellow, and green color palette has remained unchanged. The text “Google” is in bold Muguet font, designed for the company. It has no serifs, and the letters are arranged strictly, emphasizing that the company has already earned its status in society.
Coca Cola
In 1886, Dr. John Pemberton developed a blend that remains in high demand today, with more than 1.9 billion servings consumed worldwide each day. Frank Robinson helped name and trademark the drink, proposing a simple version of “Coca-Cola” that is still in use today. The first logo was a name written in simple typewriter letters and lasted only a year.
Later, Frank created a clearer visual image and applied his calligraphy skills. The result became the basis for further logo development. The color scheme and execution approach changed, but the overall style remained the same. In 2003, the company presented its final version, featuring a dark red shade, italics, and elongated letters, created with digital technology.
Warner Bros.
A love of movies led Warner Bros. to start its movie studio in 1903. For 15 years, they devoted significant time to perfecting their craft. Their labors produced the feature film “My Year in Germany.” They used the proceeds to buy their premises and continued to develop further in small steps. The logo is a black rectangle with a shield at the center, featuring the studio’s logo in the background and the company’s abbreviation beneath it.
The current version of the visual identification was created back in 1925. It uses a three-dimensional style that creates the illusion that elements are in front of the viewer. The shield is a triangular figure with rounded sides and stepped upper corners. At its center, flush with it, are the letters “WB,” forming a shield. Behind the letters, the recess features a blue-hued gradient. A golden ring surrounds the visualization, on which a volumetric representation of the studio’s full name is displayed. It symbolizes honesty and the desire to cooperate with other companies.
In October 2010, two talented people, Mike Krieger and Kevin Systrom, created Instagram. It was a new social network that allowed people to share photos online. The app’s popularity reached 27 million active users in less than two years. The logo featured a non-original Polaroid camera with a rainbow stripe at its center. Since the resource was intended exclusively for photos, the team chose a retro style. The color palette included light milk, gray, black, red, and other shades. This approach created a unique execution that helped the brand stand out.
The visual style used today wasn’t immediately popular with everyone. However, it was necessary to align with current trends. The emblem is minimalist, featuring a square with rounded corners filled with a blue-red-yellow gradient. At the center, a camera outline mirrors the main sign’s shape, with the lens highlighted. In the upper-right corner, an eye flashes.
American Airlines
American Airlines Inc. was created in 1930 by merging small independent businesses into a single entity. In 1934, it changed its name to American Airlines, which it still uses today. The logo uses national colors, with the main element being a monochrome image of an eagle spreading its wings and standing on a landmass. All of this sits on a dark blue background. On either side of the animal are two letters, “A,” representing the company. The background features a red-toned diagonal line. The entire emblem is also surrounded by two rings, white and red.
In 2US3, US Airways Group joined the company, expanding its presence and necessitating a brand redesign. As a result, the new logo adopted a concise, distinctive variation that remained modern. The current emblem is a 30-degree sloping runway divided into two parts by an arch. This creates a simplified visualization of the eagle that fully reflects the association’s nationality and occupation.
Mercedes-Benz
The company began as two independent entities founded in 1886: one led by Karl Benz and the other by Gottlieb Daimler. However, in 1926, they merged into a single company, Mercedes-Benz. The main logo was a flattened, horizontal oval filled solid black. Along its contour ran a slightly smaller oval ring. At the same time, the text “Mercedes” was centered, written in regular, varying-height letters. This implied the association’s integrity and independence.
The current visual identification is a ring with the three-pointed star. The entire composition features a color palette of various shades of gray. This creates a metallic, volumetric effect. Many call this logo the “silver star,” a term that captures its essence. The company’s name appears under the sign in a serif font. The designer added a shadow to create a three-dimensional effect.
Airbnb
Nathan Blecharczyk, Brian Chesky, and Joe Gebbia founded Airbnb in 2008. It is an online platform that lets you find short-term rental accommodations. That same year, they unveiled their logo, which included text. The white cursive had a thick blue border, adding to the brand’s friendliness and lightness. The two-part division comes from lightly overlapping the first word with the abbreviation “bnb,” implying reliability and confidence in the company’s employees’ professionalism.
In 2014, the brand introduced a redesigned visual identity that looks more concise. However, the abstraction to the left of the brand name can have multiple meanings. It can be an arrow indicating direction, a roof providing protection, and much more. Nevertheless, the image’s freshness draws attention. The text uses simple block letters with straight lines, keeping the logo free of unnecessary detail.
Chevrolet
In 1911, William Durant founded and headed the Chevrolet automobile company. He wanted to produce machinery the public would appreciate, and he was right. The company’s first logo featured the signature of its financial partner and famous racing driver, Louis Chevrolet. It was bold and high quality. The brand component’s color palette consisted solely of black. This emphasized the conservatism and laconism that defined its early production.
The latest change in Chevrolet’s visual identity is a less structured image, known as the golden butterfly, which symbolizes strength and self-confidence. The image has become more luxurious, and the thick edging with a silver gloss adds additional volume and dynamism.
Heinz
Founded in 1869, the German company Heinz today produces mass quantities of tomato ketchup and other food products. The company’s original logo concept featured bold red lettering on a white background. All letters are capitalized with rounded edges and no serifs. The wide spacing between the letters suggests a desire to cover more area and expand production capabilities. The color palette also balances strength and brightness, allowing the emblem to endure for almost 50 years.
The brand was redesigned in 1989, featuring an elegant rendition of the capitalized text. The white fill of the word on a dark red background creates a strong contrast, thereby accentuating the entire composition. The figure holding the text has straight lines along the sides and bottom, with a smoothly curving arc along the top. The rounded corners testify to the company’s benevolence and love for its customers.
SONY
In 1946, Sony was announced under the leadership of Akio Morita and Masaru Ibuka. It took a year before it introduced its first brainchild to the market, a powerful megaphone. The company then grew rapidly, becoming one of the largest electronics manufacturers. The first logo was presented as a round icon with a white background and a black outline. It included an abstract figure made of two elements: a trapezoid with its larger base on top and a vertically oriented rhombus. Part of the rhombus overlaps the trapezoid. Thus, it achieved the strictest and most serious laconism.
The brand subsequently abandoned images, leaving only the text component, with periodic typographic and qualitative changes. In 1973, “SONY” was introduced in the Clarendon Medium typeface. Its straight serifs enhance clarity and readability. The outlines convey precision and integrity.
Xerox
Originally an American company, Xerox produced photo paper under the name Haloid since 1906. For over 40 years, the company operated in information technology, leading to the creation of the first machine capable of copying any image or text. The visual identity features a black rectangle with large, rounded corners. At the center is a large, light-yellow letter “X,” with the word “Xerox” in white fill. This creates a powerful, bright, serious image and eliminates the need for additional details.
The current logo is a concise reproduction of the company name, set in a bold, dark red font. The lines have a smooth, soft outline that contrasts more strongly with the white background. The emblem reflects a professional approach and aligns with modern trends.
KFC
In 1930, under Harland Sanders’ leadership, the first catering establishment, now known as KFC, opened. The restaurant chain specialized in chicken dishes. The first logo was designed only in 1952. It represented the establishment’s full name, with the first letters highlighted to simplify pronunciation from the start. The hand-drawn font was original and unfussy. At the end of the emblem’s verbal component, a portrait of the founder was placed. It exudes kindness, cheerfulness, and trust.
The logo was last changed in 2018. Its shape was a trapezoid with slightly rounded corners. At the top of the figure, two vertical red lines mark the edges, and a concise, clear, modified portrait appears on a white background. Sanders’ butterfly suggests a body. The direction of the “arms” and “legs,” along with the smile, gives the image a warm, welcoming feel. The word “KFC” is in bold italics below the portrait.
Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines has been operating passenger air service in the region since 1971. It took 27 years to reach fifth place among large enterprises. The logo features three vertical stripes at a 30-degree angle, sloping slightly to the left. The two outermost elements are dark orange, and the central part is red. Horizontally, a white field divided into equal parts bears the airline’s name. At the same time, if you look closely, an airplane with a red wing emerges from the white outline inside the emblem, emphasizing the line of business.
The new emblem reflects Southwest’s core values of friendliness, helpfulness, and quality service. It is presented as a heart divided diagonally into three parts. The division lines and outline are filled with a gradient of gray tones as if light sources were directed at them. The fields have a color palette ranging from blue to red to orange, from bottom to top.
FIAT
In 1900, Fiat was founded in Turin, Italy, to manufacture automobile products. The company’s visual style resembles an ancient birch bark scroll. In the background, the company’s full name is displayed, with a Catholic cross separating the words. This manifests the desire to go far beyond the country’s borders. Below is the abbreviation, with the same sign between the letters, and slightly set apart from the letter “N,” with an empty field next to it. This space was specifically designated to display the car’s serial number.
In 2006, the world saw an updated version of the Fiat logo, reflecting the financial downturns. It is both a poignant reminder of difficult times and a celebration of everything that has influenced the company’s further development. As a result, the brand’s visual component has taken on a rounded shape, composed of dark and light gray tones, creating a volumetric, complexly structured figure. An inverted trapezoid with rounded corners and convex sides appears in the background. The text “FIAT” is highlighted.
Nintendo
In 1889, Nintendo, a Japanese company, was founded to sell Hanafuda playing cards. It quickly won customers’ favor and expanded into other gaming products. Initially, the logo resembled a spade, reflecting the company’s main focus. The same suit appeared in a smaller size in the background, with a white tail and triangular rays around the perimeter. In the center of the emblem, two rings girdled a white circle with the letter “N” in a heraldic style. Below this, the company’s name was placed, with rounded ends.
Nintendo’s globalization efforts led to a 1982 redesign of the visual style, with exports in mind. Today, it features an outline resembling a racetrack. It contains the company name, and everything is rendered in dark red. The logo has a simple style that attracts attention and evokes harmony and a pleasant feeling.
Wendy’s
Under Dave Thomas’s leadership, Wendy’s opened its doors in 1969. Today, it is a large chain with over 1,500 restaurants across North America. The logo and name featured the founder’s daughter, which many people liked. The emblem is a small oval featuring a red-haired, freckled girl in a striped dress against a background. Ornate lines, reminiscent of a forged product, conceal the institution’s name, written in elongated, high-contrast red letters. Beneath it, black-and-white text details the restaurant’s specifics.
In 2012, the visual identity changed dramatically and became more concise. The text “Wendy’s” appears handwritten in bold red marker, which adds to its brightness. Above it, the same image of a girl appears in a black ring, simplified and clearer. At the same time, her crown and pigtails creep out of the circle, hinting at further expansion.
Nokia
Founded in 1865, Nokia was the area’s only paper mill. However, at the beginning of the 20th century, the company shifted its focus to manufacturing telecommunications systems. The logo’s originality lies in the salmon protruding from the circle, which adds volume to the composition. The symbolism refers to the Nokianvirta River, where the company’s main facilities were located. The brand name in its native language sits on the circle’s contour. In addition, the image is concise and clear, serving as the brand’s face for 10 years.
The current logo is widely recognizable today. It is presented as a text component representing the company. Designed in 2006, it was updated five years later when the font style was changed. Designer Dalton Maag created it in collaboration with Nokia and named it Nokia Pure. The bright blue shade, combined with clear, straight lines, creates a friendly effect and promotes memorization.
Dell
Dell began in 1984 as PC’s Limited. Michael Dell founded the company while attending the University of Texas at Austin, selling computers directly to customers. The business later adopted its founder’s name, and Dell became the name on its logo.
In the early design, “DELL” appeared between 2 blue horizontal bars. They extended across the full width of the word, framing it above and below while leaving the sides open. The black capital letters had pointed serifs and strokes of contrasting thickness. Generous spacing separated the letters, while the blue lines brought them together in a horizontal arrangement.
The later emblem followed a 2016 redesign by Brand Union after Dell and EMC came together under the Dell Technologies name. By then, the wordmark already appeared inside a circular frame. The redesign kept that combination but thinned both the letters and the surrounding ring. In the version shown, both are blue. The name uses closely spaced sans-serif letters with uniform strokes. The tilted “E” carries over from earlier versions. Its diagonal position between the upright “D” and “L” letters interrupts the otherwise level wordmark. Compared with the early logo, the frame shape, lettering proportions, and spacing have changed, and blue has replaced black.
Kodak
George Eastman coined the name Kodak for a camera introduced in 1888. He experimented with letter combinations that began and ended with his favorite letter, “K,” until he arrived at a short, distinctive name for his photography brand. An early version of the logo consisted of the Kodak wordmark.
The red lettering paired an uppercase “K” with lowercase letters. Heavy rectangular serifs gave the wordmark weight, while the letterforms alternated between rounded and angular shapes. The smooth contours of the “o,” “d,” and “a” sat alongside the vertical and diagonal strokes of the opening “K” and final “k.”
The 2016 redesign reconnected the brand’s appearance with its photographic heritage. New York studio Work-Order brought back the red-and-yellow emblem rooted in Peter Oestreich’s 1971 design. The earlier symbol’s proportions remained, while the typeface and name placement changed. A red shape with rounded corners sits against a yellow background. Diagonal cutouts suggest a “K” and resemble spreading rays of light.
The name appears on the right side of the emblem. Yellow uppercase sans-serif letters run from top to bottom, one letter per line. The resulting column recalls the perforations along the edge of photographic film, reinforcing the red symbol’s reference to photography.
MTV
MTV’s focus on music took shape during launch preparations, when The Music Channel was considered the name for the future American network. An early emblem concept included the full name beneath the artwork. A hand drawn to hold a musical note rose above heavy, slanted lettering. The black-and-white design reflected the planned programming.
By its launch, the channel had adopted MTV, short for Music Television. Broadcasting began on August 1, 1981, with music videos forming the core of its schedule. Manhattan Design replaced the preliminary concept with a logo. Its designers combined a large “M” with “TV” drawn over it. This pairing of contrasting letter styles remained part of the channel’s later branding.
The Music Television tagline was removed from the logo in 2010. For the 2021 update, the agency Loyalkaspar revisited the early 1980s emblem and the bright color combinations of MTV’s early years. The agency refined the logo’s contours for different screen sizes while preserving its connection to the channel’s past.
In the 2021 color version, the yellow “M” resembles a solid block with turquoise side faces. Red “TV” lettering crosses its right half in loose, rounded strokes. The slant and irregular outlines contrast with the main letter’s straight edges, while the different front and side colors heighten the sense of depth.
Nestle
Henri Nestlé’s surname gave the brand both its name and the subject of its emblem. The name means “little nest” in German, which explains the bird in a nest on the family coat of arms. The image appeared inside a hatched shield, topped by a knight’s helmet with decorative flourishes. The motif moved from family heraldry to infant-food packaging.
In 1867, Henri Nestlé introduced an infant formula in Switzerland. A year later, he adapted the family coat of arms for the product. A mother bird feeding 3 chicks replaced the lone bird. The feeding scene linked the manufacturer’s surname to the formula’s purpose.
The heraldic surroundings were eventually removed, and the number of chicks was reduced to 2 in 1988. In the 2015 version, the parent bird leans toward them above a nest resting on a branch with leaves on the left. Smooth brown outlines replace the detailed, hatched illustration. The update removed small details to make the birds, nest, and branch easier to distinguish on smartphones and small screens.
Beneath the birds, the Nestlé name appears in rounded sans-serif lettering. A long stroke extends from the top of the capital “N” over the following letters. The final “é” retains its acute accent.
Procter and Gamble
Procter & Gamble takes its name from 2 Cincinnati entrepreneurs, candlemaker William Procter and soapmaker James Gamble. Their wives were sisters. Their shared father-in-law, Alexander Norris, suggested they combine their businesses, and they formed a partnership in 1837. The name was later shortened to P&G, and the founders’ initials became the basis of the company’s letter-based emblems.
In an early logo, the letters form an ornamental design enclosed by a double circle. Their elongated black shapes intertwine in a dense pattern, with curved strokes echoing the frame. The monogram resembles a seal, representing the company’s name through interwoven lettering.
The circle remained in Landor’s version, introduced in 2013, but the initials were arranged differently. White “P&G” lettering spans nearly the full width of a blue disk. The serif letters lean to the right and sit on a single line, with an ampersand between them standing for “and.” Gradients from light to dark blue, together with shadows around the lettering, give the emblem depth.
A pale crescent along the disk’s left edge connects the logo to the company’s history. Its arc frames the initials and recalls the moon-and-stars emblem introduced in the 19th century.
Snapchat
Disappearing photos were the premise behind Picaboo, an app Evan Spiegel, Bobby Murphy, and Reggie Brown worked on in 2011. The service was later renamed Snapchat, combining “snap,” meaning a photo, with “chat.” Its early icon retained the app’s Picaboo-era appearance, featuring a white ghost holding a photograph.
The character sat inside a yellow square with rounded corners. Highlights and shadows gave the background depth, while the ghost appeared slightly raised above the surface. A thin dark line outlined its figure. Oval eyes, a smile, and a small pink tongue sticking out gave its face a playful expression. The white-framed photograph linked the image to photo sharing.
In 2013, the ghost’s facial features were removed. Its rounded head, outstretched arms, and wavy lower edge remained. By the 2019 update, the photograph was also removed, and the outline became thick and black. A white ghost silhouette now represented the app.
In the later version, the white area inside the outline sits against a solid bright yellow background. Flat color replaces the gradients and shadows. The icon uses 3 contrasting colors: the ghost, the outline, and the background.
Bird imagery ran through Twitter’s name and emblem. Launched in 2006, the short-message service took its name from the word for birds’ chirping. Posts became known as tweets, extending the association with birdsong. A blue bird visually expressed that connection and became the service’s emblem.
Martin Grasser, Todd Waterbury, and Angie Che designed the silhouette introduced in 2012. The bird faced right with an open beak and a raised wing divided into 3 feathers. Intersecting circles defined the curves of its head, chest, and wings. The designers reduced the image to a solid blue figure with simplified outlines of the head, body, and plumage. The emblem remained in use until the platform was renamed in 2023.
In July 2023, Elon Musk renamed Twitter X. The rebranding was tied to plans to turn the service into an app for messaging, watching videos, and making payments. The blue bird disappeared with the old name, replaced by a black-and-white “X.” Intersecting lines and sharp angles replaced rounded forms.
The new emblem consists of 2 diagonals. One is a solid band, while the other comprises 2 thin parallel lines separated by an open space. The difference in stroke weight makes the design resemble the mathematical symbol “𝕏.” In the version shown, the logo is a standalone black letter.
Walt Disney
Walt and Roy Disney founded their Los Angeles studio in 1923 and named it Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio. Roy later suggested calling the business Walt Disney Studio. His brother’s name became the company’s name, and Walt’s autograph provided the basis for its logo lettering. Studio artists gradually reworked the signature while retaining its handwritten style.
In the early “Walt Disney” wordmark, rounded black strokes form letters of varying heights and angles. The middle of the “W” curls inward, a vertical line runs through the “D,” and a loop replaces the dot above the “i.” The final “y” extends below the other letters. Loose flourishes connect the first and last names, preserving the link to the founder’s handwriting.
A new motif entered the studio’s branding in 1985, when a castle appeared in the Walt Disney Pictures opening sequence. It connected the company’s screen identity with the architecture of Disney parks. In the castle version of the logo, the building sits within a square frame, with the Disney name on a line below.
Towers of varying heights, topped with pointed spires and flags, form the silhouette of a fairy-tale palace. The arched entrance, windows, and openings appear in white against the black building. An arc curves above the rooftops and ends in a star. The handwritten name beneath the frame retains features of the earlier lettering, including a large “D” with a long upper flourish and a loop above the “i.”