The butterfly symbolizes femininity, sophistication, and elegance. Many people see it as just a beautiful insect fluttering around flowers. Therefore, logos with images are often used by companies operating in the fashion or cosmetology sectors. But its natural charm is only on the surface. In fact, the image of this creature runs much deeper, as it undergoes a complex transformation, from an insatiable caterpillar to a delicate butterfly.
Because of this metamorphosis, the lepidopteran insect is associated with rebirth and the immortality of the soul in many cultures. Native Americans saw it as a harbinger of joy, and the ancient Egyptians drew parallels between a butterfly chrysalis and a mummy. But in the modern world, it symbolizes sophistication and is an appropriate emblem for a brand’s connection to the beauty industry.
In today’s article, we’ve collected the most striking examples of how the butterfly on a logo can take on different meanings. With so many species, companies’ visual signs vary in color and shape. Let’s see how skillfully designers have played with the same image.
TOP Logos Featuring a Butterfly Symbol:
Galp
The Portuguese company Galp’s logo, used from 1999 to 2002, features a stylized butterfly. It has long, multicolored wings: blue, yellow, green, and dark red. Due to their atypically elongated shape, they resemble flower petals. The green circle at the top is the head, which hangs in space because most of the body is missing. It may seem like a butterfly has nothing to do with it, since Galp works in the energy industry and not the beauty industry. The graceful insect on the emblem represents positive energy; it is a universal symbol for any brand. On the right, a solid inscription reads “Galpenergia” in dark blue. The designers used italics for visual ease. The first four letters are bolded so that the words do not merge.
Winx
The designers who created the Winx logo assumed it was a children’s cartoon about fairies. So, instead of the letter “x,” they depicted a figure with four petals or loops, like a butterfly’s wings. Most likely, fairy wings are meant here. But since the butterfly was a prototype in Germanic-Scandinavian myths, the connection is obvious. The inscription “Winx” uses a handwritten font with non-standard glyphs. A four-pointed star, a magical symbol, is drawn above the letter “i” instead of a dot. The hot pink color matches the wordmark’s style and the theme of the girls’ cartoon series.
Freshtohome
For the Indian online store Freshtohome, the logo conveys the freshness of its products. Therefore, the butterfly should not be taken literally; it is used only to evoke subconscious trust in customers. Since the assortment includes fish, poultry, lamb, vegetables, and fruits, the insect symbolizes a connection to nature and a lack of chemicals. That’s why its wings are not multicolored but green with a gradient. They are depicted in the upper-left corner, above the purple inscription “Fresh to Home,” which is divided into two lines. The artist drew only three leaf-like wings, but their arrangement and shape make it clear it is a butterfly sitting on the letter “F.” The brand name is executed in a font with rectangular strokes.
Smile TV
Smile TV’s logo from 2005-2016 consisted of lettering. Even the butterfly was a stylized monogram of Janice Wendell Bethany’s initials. That was Jan Crouch’s birth name; she and her husband, Paul, founded the free children’s television network. Since all the programs were aimed at religious education, the image of a butterfly proved useful. It symbolized the best human qualities: kindness, love, tenderness, and care. The insect’s antennae and body bore a lilac “W,” and its wings bore pink “J” and “B.” To the right of the monogram was a lilac “Baby Smile,” the old Smile TV name used until 2017. The letters looked handwritten. This was indicated by uneven, irregularly expanding lines of different lengths. They added playfulness to the logo.
CBC
CBC is an acronym for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the country’s oldest broadcasting network. It has operated radio stations since 1929 and began broadcasting on television in 1952. In 1966, color television began, so the CBC emblem became bright and colorful. The artist depicted a butterfly using nearly all the rainbow’s colors. The upper wings are divided into three stripes: maroon, scarlet, and yellow. The lower wings are colored in cool shades of green, blue, and dark blue. The insect’s head is a rich black color. No inscriptions appear next to the butterfly, as the pattern speaks for itself. This logo remained in use until 1974, when it was replaced with an abstract composition of fragments of the letter “C.”
Sigfox
The French company Sigfox provides wireless networking services for low-power devices such as smartwatches and electricity meters. It launched in 2010 and used a logo featuring a butterfly made of many small dots from the start. In 2016, Interbrand created a 3D insect logo for Sigfox. The butterfly wings are formed by two intersecting ellipses arranged diagonally in a cross shape. One is light blue with a gradient; the other is dark blue. In the right panel, the network operator’s name is displayed in the same blue color. All letters are lowercase, bold, and without serifs. The font resembles Ubuntu Bold by Dalton Maag Ltd.
Caprice
In 2016, design firm Pentagram created a logo for German shoe brand Caprice, which debuted at the beginning of the Fall/Winter 2017 season. Here, the butterfly symbolizes lightness despite its own visual appearance. The winged insect reflects the slogan “walking on air,” set on the second line in a thin sans-serif font. At the top, the word “CAPRICE” appears with balanced letters. All vertical and diagonal strokes vary in thickness, tapering toward the bottom to suggest plasticity, mobility, and airiness. Both the emblem and the wordmark are made in dark blue. The butterfly’s wings are formed only by contours, and the inside appears empty to enhance the sense of lightness.
Paramore
Paramore’s butterfly logo feels dramatic because the band has its own distinct philosophy. Apparently, the insect is already dead: only two wings remain, one on the left and one on the right. They have a symmetrical pattern of white, black, and dark red spots that resemble bloodstains or claw scratches. This color scheme reinforces the degree of tragedy and vulnerability. The butterfly’s torn wings here symbolize life, death, and rebirth. The central two-level inscription, “PARA MORE,” matches the chosen style. It is screen-printed, but some of the glyphs are custom-designed. For example, an “O” with a drop of ink at the bottom or a slightly blurred “M.”
Butterfly
The Butterfly logo can contain only a butterfly. But the designers had an unusual idea for this insect: they depicted it as two bright pink ovals with a touch of fuchsia. The geometric figures are angled and tilted in opposite directions, like a mirror image. They also share nothing with butterfly wings, neither in outline nor in texture. The brand name is written in the lower right corner. Black letters stretch vertically, contrasting with the pink emblem. Moreover, it is defined by a strict, rectangular form. This visually balances both parts of the logo.
Noggin
Now, the online learning service Noggin has a multicolored inscription as its logo. But the symbol used earlier could be anything, not necessarily a butterfly. The emblem’s concept was that its base was the bottom of a smiling man’s head. At the top, his “thoughts” projected in many different forms. According to one version, it was a butterfly. It looked like a fat green caterpillar with big eyes and a friendly smile. It had four blue wings, each a different size, so the image resembled a careless child’s drawing. This stylization fits the Noggin concept, since the modern streaming service was once a TV channel for teenagers.
Butterfly Home
The logo created for Butterfly Home is done in a yellow color scheme. The bright hue unites all components, including the wordmark and a stylized butterfly composed of four geometric shapes. Its wings are yellow pentagons with sharp edges towards the center. The upper fragments are almost twice as large as the lower ones. At the same time, the insect is shown only partially: the wings are separated by an empty white space. The butterfly’s minimalist style echoes the lettering’s minimalist design. The company name spans two lines, right-aligned. The font is a bold, low-contrast sans serif. Among the non-standard glyphs, the two “t” s that share a common horizontal stroke stand out most.
Nick Jr.
On the children’s TV channel Nick Jr., the logo has many variations. Now, the inscription has different variants, but earlier, the images of animals, plants, objects, birds, and people were relevant. Each emblem featured a large and a small object, encouraging preschoolers to watch programs with their parents. One emblem used throughout 2003-2009 featured butterflies: a large orange one on the left and a small blue one on the right. The first butterfly had “Nick” written in white, and the second had “Jr.” with a registered trademark mark instead of a dot. The adult butterfly had a wide smile and long-lashed eyes. The baby, meanwhile, was recognizable by its single tooth. The mother’s wings featured dark orange circles and ovals, while the baby’s had dark blue stripes.
MSN
The MSN website contains content and applications for Windows. This platform has been around since 1995, but the first butterfly graphic appeared on it in 2000. The version we are considering dates from 2000 to 2010. Now, the MSN logo is minimalistic and in black and white. The old version, created by the joint efforts of Everbrand, FutureBrand, and McCann Erickson, was very colorful. It featured a butterfly in the upper right corner. It flew, spreading its wings in four colors: blue, red, green, and yellow. For each element, the designers used a gradient, and at the intersection of the wings, new darker shades emerged. The butterfly is necessarily combined with the blue inscription “MSN.” For the abbreviation, the designers chose a clear, bold font: Franklin Gothic Bold Italic.
Blue Butterfly
Blue Butterfly Coffee Co. Ltd. produces specialty coffee in Waterford, Ireland. On its official website and blend packaging, the brand features a stylish emblem that illustrates its name. That is, the Blue Butterfly logo depicts the corresponding insect. It is depicted in a realistic style: the artist carefully drew the dark body, and the antennae detail the pattern on the azure wings. The delicate butterfly stands out against a black circle with a white gradient in the center. As a result, it seems to fly into the light. Below the insect, a horizontal line is divided into two approximately equal parts. Below it, the brand name is written, emphasized by a single solid stripe. At the very bottom, the phrase “COFFEE COMPANY.” appears. In this variant, absolutely all letters are capitalized and white.
Benchmade
The logo of the American knife manufacturer Benchmade may seem incomprehensible to those unversed in stabbing and cutting tools. After all, it features a butterfly with dark blue outlines. Where did such an image come from? This indicates a special kind of balisong knife. Because the handle follows a unique trajectory when opening the blade, it earned the common name “butterfly.” The insect is not detailed, but its general outline is recognizable. It consists of uneven spots and lines on a white background. The drawing is divided into two parts by the black inscription “BENCHMADE.” The designers chose a strict, visually heavy font with large glyphs to convey the company’s seriousness. The angular letters resemble blades and actually “cut” the butterfly in half.
SK Hynix
For SK Hynix, a semiconductor memory manufacturer, the logo must convey the reliability and durability of its chips. Therefore, the butterfly on the company emblem symbolizes immortality and rebirth. At the same time, it symbolizes prosperity and adds to the composition. The company name appears under the two elegant wings. The two colors harmonize because the SK Hynix logo is rendered in crimson and orange. Both appear in the drawing and the inscription. The elements also share many shape similarities. Some letters end in rounded, slightly curved strokes, which complement the butterfly’s graceful wings. Another notable feature of the font is the case. Only the first letters “S” and “K” are capitalized; the rest of the glyphs are lowercase.
Baby TV
The designers of the butterfly logo for Baby TV didn’t put much meaning into the image. It is a funny character meant to attract the target audience’s attention. Since the channel is designed for kids under 2, the design is very bright and colorful. The cartoon insect smiles amiably. It has a mouth, tongue, nose, eyes, and even eyelids. The butterfly’s antennae look like two tendrils with pink dots on the ends. The green wings resemble an avocado in cross-section; instead of a seed, they have a dark red circle with a scarlet halo. The head and torso are light orange. The wordmark uses custom glyphs. Both parts of the name are written together but separated by color: the first part (“Baby”) is dark red, and the second part (“TV”) is orange. In addition, the letters “t” and “v” are slanted to the right.
Gas Natural
Gas Natural works in the gas supply and electricity sectors. One of its areas of focus is renewable energy, which is environmentally friendly. To show its maximum eco-friendliness, the company uses an insect-shaped logo. Designers developed a logo for Gas Natural featuring a red-and-yellow butterfly fluttering over the letter “u.” The mottled gradient gives the impression that the emblem is painted with watercolors. The lower lettering is in turquoise. It uses an elegant, bold font similar to Adobe’s News Gothic Std Bold font. The company name is written solidly. Visually, it is divided into two parts only by the glyph case: the word “Gas” is fully lowercase, and “Natural” starts with a capital “N.”
Anastasia Beverly Hills
For the cosmetics brand Anastasia Beverly Hills, the butterfly logo expresses its individuality. The company’s essence is to create beauty, so its symbol looks stylish and elegant. Moreover, beauty lies in simplicity because the emblem contains only the letter “A” with a crown superimposed on it. Four curved lines depart from the letter “A” and resemble the outline of a butterfly’s wings. The black figure sits inside the same black ring, and the basic version has a white background.