Aardman Animations Logo

Aardman Animations LogoAardman Animations Logo PNG

The Aardman logo tells the story of a major film studio capable of bringing dreams to life. The emblem is about bright cartoons that captivate viewers, about the impressive popularity and fame of the company that creates them.

Aardman Animations: Brand overview

Founded: 12 April 1972
Founder: Peter Lord, David Sproxton
Headquarters:
Gas Ferry Road, Bristol, England, UK
Website: aardman.com

Aardman is a British animation studio working in stop-motion techniques using drawn, clay, plasticine characters, and computer animation. The studio’s cartoons have grossed $1 billion. The company employs 500 people. The most famous creations include “Flushed Away,” “Arthur Christmas,” and “Chicken Run.”

The 12th of April 1972 marked the dawn of a new era in animation. Aardman Animations was birthed into existence by Peter Lord and David Sproxton in the culturally rich city of Bristol, England. This innovative duo had a vision—to craft unique, engaging stories through the art of animation.

Aardman Animations distinguished itself with its unique use of stop-motion clay animation, a technique that brought a distinctive charm to its creations. One of the first productions to showcase this style was “Morph,” a character that won the hearts of audiences and marked the beginning of the brand’s journey in creating beloved characters.

With an emphasis on craftsmanship, the brand ventured into more complex projects. In 1989, they introduced a new duo to the world – Wallace and Gromit. These characters, known for their quirky adventures and heartwarming relationship, further solidified the brand’s reputation for creating compelling narratives and memorable characters.

The brand’s unique style caught international attention when it teamed up with DreamWorks Animation. This collaboration resulted in critically acclaimed features like “Chicken Run” and “The Curse of the Were-Rabbit,” demonstrating the brand’s capability to create compelling feature-length animations.

With the advent of digital technology, the brand embraced the opportunity to explore new formats. They expanded their repertoire to include digital animation while maintaining their commitment to quality storytelling. This willingness to adapt and evolve allowed the brand to stay relevant and continue to captivate audiences.

Meaning and History

Aardman Animations Logo History

The company was formed in 1972, but the first logo appeared in 1989. This is because, in the early years, the team performed individual tasks for television: creating characters and brief plots. Only in 1989 did the team of three founders start creating short five-minute films, one of which won an Oscar, and then they started shooting feature-length cartoons. Therefore, a studio logo was needed. Its creation was likely influenced by Nick Park, who joined the team in 1985. It was in his series of cartoons about Wallace and Gromit that the emblem first appeared.

What is Aardman?

It’s an animation studio headquartered in Bristol. It works in stop-motion technique. The most profitable film was Chicken Run, which grossed $220 million. The studio has nine films and eight multi-episode series to its credit.

1989 – 1998

Aardman Animations Logo 1989

The initial logo combines fairy-tale-like beauty and an interesting concept. At its core is a square. The figure serves as a window or a beautiful frame. The theme of the window is confirmed by the fact that there is an image of the sky behind it. The frame indicates the company’s shooting style. Stop-motion involves frame-by-frame photos with small changes in character positions, creating a sense of movement when viewed quickly.

Inside the square is an image that resembles the following:

  • Moon.
  • Face.
  • Yin and Yang circle.

Moon hints at mystery, fantasy, and dreams. The face indicates the director filming the cartoons. The combination of yin and yang elements speaks of variety and pictures for an adult and children’s audience. The idea was that the studio planned to shoot cartoons for all ages.

Below the face, there is a butterfly tie. The rest of the picture is a jacket and hands studded with stars. From the center of the composition comes a lens or a telescope from which stars are pouring. It seems that the person behind the window, located in the sky, is filming cartoons. Each one is a masterpiece that is given to people. The logo conveys the idea of creativity that goes beyond the ordinary—beautiful fantasies and fairy tales that the company presents to the viewers. At the same time, ideas for pictures are taken from life, which the director observes.

It is interesting that the first star from the lens is white, and the rest are black. This technique indicates new products which gradually become well-known and popular.

Below the image is a caption. The name of the studio is in large letters and a small type of activity. The company’s name is given after the character from the cartoon. Aardman is a superman-bore in a series of shorts for the British Broadcasting Corporation.

1998 – 2022

Aardman Animations Logo 1998

In 1997, the company signed a multimillion-dollar contract with DreamWorks to work on the film “Chicken Run” and four more cartoons that were to be released over 12 years. The new stage of the studio’s work was marked by rebranding.

The red name of the company and the bright star over the first letter demonstrate a breakthrough in work. New popular cartoons. Collaboration with industry leaders. High box office receipts.

The company plans to work actively. Employees enjoy their work and are passionate about what they do.

2022 – today

Aardman Animations Logo

After the massive success of new cartoons and the filming of animated series, the company changed its emblem again. Designer Gavin Strange worked on the logo.

The letters of the new inscription have become capitalized. The color has changed from red to raspberry. The size of the star has decreased, but it is still above the first letter of the name.

The uppercase reflects the growth in the company’s popularity and finances. The change in proportions: the enlargement of the letters and the reduction of the star indicated a transformation. Before, Aardman was pursuing a dream; now – a large part of the dreams have come true.

Font and Colors

The raspberry color is very cartoonish and fantastic. The shade is rarely encountered in reality. It points to a company that lives in a world of dreams. In psychology, color reflects passion and active development. Aardman is passionately engaged in its business and has made a huge leap in development from a short-term project to a major studio. Peter Lord and David Sproxton founded the company to fulfill a dream and shoot a cartoon. However, after 50 years, the studio earns more than $130 million for each feature-length film.

The font resembles Goda Black with smooth cuts at the top of the letters, making them more childlike and grotesque.

Aardman Animations color codes

Amaranth Hex color: #f01e57
RGB: 240 30 87
CMYK: 0 88 64 6
Pantone: PMS 192 C