The face is a mirror of a person’s inner state. Looking at it, we feel either a pleasant disposition or a strong dislike. Therefore, in the era of consumerism, hundreds of thousands of companies compete with him for customers’ attention. Logos play an important role in this as they convey a lot. Some brands prefer realistic designs, others prefer abstract ones, but both choose a visual way to attract customers. And imagination has no limits! Someone uses restrained individuality; someone competes in the richness of graphics and colors.
In any case, physiognomy (the science of facial features and expressions) becomes one of the key tools to increase the number of consumers and, with it, the income. Companies pay the first attention to this question because the image of a person (especially happy and satisfied) involuntarily causes the feeling of trust in people around. Then, people from the category of potential customers move to the group of real buyers.
We propose to study this issue using the example of logos with faces to better understand the marketing mechanism. After all, identity is a decisive factor in the worldwide recognition of firms, organizations, and enterprises. The presented emblems have different colors and different styles, but they are united by one thing – a face. The brands are arranged in order of visual simplification.
Boston Children’s Hospital
Boston Children’s Hospital has the most complex logo regarding the number of elements. It has a lot of details, arranged in such a way that it is immediately clear to a person what kind of organization it is and what services it provides. After all, medicine is one of the most relevant in search, selection, and treatment. In some cases, procrastination can become a real tragedy, so the identity, although complex, is understandable. The emblem depicts a female health worker holding a young child in her arms. The woman’s welcoming face is turned to the baby, and he, in turn, is holding onto her with his hands. Both figures are arranged in a vertical medallion with a double border. Next to it is the full name of the medical institution. It is typed in classic sans-serif font. Below is the slogan, highlighted in blue.
Wella
The American-German manufacturer of hair care products also has a triple symbol of visual identity. The Wella logo has been in use since 1880, perfectly capturing the essence of its products. The designers used a female profile with no specific facial features to emphasize hair care. There is only a contoured image with an emphasis on the strands. They are wavy, fluttering in one direction as if blown by the oncoming air. The face is raised and outlined in shadow, so the emblem seems to depict not one woman but two. The lines are light, relaxed, gliding. The emblem is complemented by an inscription in two lines: above – “Wella,” below – “Professionals.” The first word is typed in bold font with smoothed corners of letters, and the second – is thin glyphs of strict form.
Rinascimento
Italian clothing brand Rinascimento chose a stylish and minimalistic logo associated with the world of high art. Its emblem depicts not just an undetailed face of a woman but a hint of a masterpiece of artistic creation. The contour of the hair, the head’s turn, and the neck’s slope remind me of the famous character of Sandro Botticelli’s painting “Birth of Venus.” The image symbolizes beauty – the goddess Venus, as the Romans or Aphrodite call her, as the Greeks call her. Below is the company name, which is typed in elegant antique font. The letters are tall, uppercase, and a combination of thin and wide lines. Next is the phrase “Made in Italy”. It is, on the contrary, grotesque and low. The logo is in monochrome.
Hawaiian Airlines
The Hawaiian Airlines emblem has three elements and a face, but the style is completely different. The emblem reflects the aspiration to new heights, the fullness of life, its colorfulness and brightness. Artistic boldness and diverse palette make the emblem modern, unlike the standard symbols of air carriers. The portrait of a young girl is made in purple and blue colors, and her hair is transformed into part of a palm leaf against the background in which she is located. The hairstyle is decorated with a large red flower – the symbol of Hawaii. On the right side is a two-tiered inscription. The word “Hawaiian” is large, bold, with diagonal slits and rounded ends, and “Airlines” is narrow, small, tall, with horizontal stripes on the sides.
Chef Boyardee
The culinary brand Chef Boyardee uses an emblem to represent its products shipped to all corners of the world. The emblem is colorful and detailed, so the chef in a white cap with a red band around his neck is depicted in detail. The face is in profile and looks more like a photograph than a drawing. Behind the man’s back is an archway with the cursive inscription “Chef” to the left of it. It is written in cursive, semi-erased script. Below it is the second part of the title, “Boyardee.” This line is large, typewritten, capitalized, and has a red border around each letter, making it appear three-dimensional. The background is green in two shades.
Olmeca
One of the most famous tequila brands, Olmeca, chose a historical logo. It depicts an Aztec warrior. His face is drawn large: it seems composed of geometric figures of different shapes. All lines are smooth, clear, and even. The head is depicted at full height. The man has a wide nose, large lips, a massive chin, and a tightly fitting helmet. Below is a shaped banner with the name of the alcohol brand. The lettering is in a very bold sans-serif font. The side letters are high, and the center letters are low, so the warrior’s head appears to be squeezing the letters “M” and “E.” At the very bottom is the word “Tequila.” It, like the rest of the elements, is colored turquoise.
BUAP
The Mexican university Benemerita Universidad Autonoma de Pueblo has an elegant symbol made in classical heraldry. Moreover, all the elements that make up the BUAP logo are placed in a single circle resembling a seal. It shows a woman’s head in a monfortino – a traditional Roman helmet. In front of her is a triangular shield with a dragon, cloud, and flames arranged in a semicircle. From behind it, wide ribbons protrude to the right and left; they are identical and look like a mirror. The background is an empty white space. The central part is encircled by the full name of the institution of higher education and the year of its foundation (1578). The borders are thin and dotted. The logo is colored blue.
AkzoNobel
The famous Dutch manufacturer of paint and varnish materials, AkzoNobel, has a monochromatic logo. This is very unexpected for a company that deals with paints, supplying them to more than 80 countries worldwide. Its emblem consists of two parts: graphic and text. The drawing shows a man waving his arm. He stretches it forward and raises his palm as if calling others to him or pointing to something important. The figure occupies ¾ of the icon and seems to emerge from negative space, as it is blue on a white background. However, the palette is not homogeneous; it is a gradient: the fingertips are the lightest, and the opposite hand is darker. Below the person is the name of the international firm. It is written in a bold font with a mixture of lowercase and uppercase characters. The letters “A,” “k,” “N,” “b,” and “l” have semicircular tops. Only “z” retains its corners and sharp protrusions.
Foot Locker
American online sportswear store Foot Locker also has a face in its logo. It depicts a man turning his head to the right and looking straight ahead as if assessing the future. This shows the retailer’s commitment to constant development and improvement. The character is dressed as a judge – in a black and white striped shirt. This image is ideal for the retail site, as it conveys the idea of selling sportswear and footwear, paying attention to them, and tracking current trends. The man stands in the posture of a confident man and rests his hands on his hips, ready to come to the aid of anyone in need. This approach to identity reflects the core concept of the e-commerce company. Below is the verbal part of the logo – the store’s name. It is made in a mixed font with red letters: “F” and “L” are uppercase, and the rest are lowercase. All glyphs are rounded.
Vegeta
Croatian brand Vegeta also has a logo with a face but with a realistic one. Moreover, it is thematic because this brand belongs to Podravka, a company associated with the food industry. Under it, various seasonings are produced, from the packages of which everyone invariably smiles at the cook. The man is drawn half-turned to the viewer. He is wearing a cap and a neckerchief. One eyebrow is raised, and a gracefully curved mustache is visible above his lip. The left hand is shown in a gesture of approval: the thumb and index finger are brought together, and the rest are extended as if the professional recognizes the high quality of the product. The background is two ovals. The inner one is blue with a gradient. On it is the brand’s name, typed in an individual font. The letters are wide, angular, chopped. The outer oval is white. It blends perfectly with the lettering and the chef’s cap.
Prudential
This is the most famous financial and insurance organization in Great Britain. It came into existence in London in 1848, and since then, it has been using the only name associated with Prudential. Translated from Latin, the name means “prudent, wise, intelligent, prudent” – these qualities were originally incorporated into the company’s concept. Therefore, it is unsurprising that Prudential chose the logo with the portrait of the woman of the same name. The symbol is made in an elegant but modest design using only two colors – gray and red. The emblem depicts the face of a beautiful girl. She holds a mirror in her hand and stares intently into it. The portrait is drawn contourwise as if a sketch of an unfinished painting. A red ribbon is visible in her hair, echoing the color of the corporate name below. It is typed in capital letters with narrow character spacing. Some characters even merge into each other, such as “UDENT” and “IAL.” Only “P” and “R” are written separately. All glyphs are smooth and have no serifs.
Gerber
Baby food manufacturer Gerber has used a logo with a face since it opened in 1931. It is now the largest structure whose visual identity is known worldwide for its line of complementary foods for babies. The Nestle Corporation owns the brand and still uses the baby face icon. Over the years, the emblem, designed by Dorothy Hope Smith (an American artist), has remained almost pristine. Ann Turner Cook took the portrait. It was from her that the image of a carefree child was copied. The face is realistic and consists of small strokes that form large eyes, raised eyebrows, a surprisingly ajar mouth, a tiny nose, small ears, and short hair. The child’s shoulders are also visible. Other details are absent. The head is placed against the background of a dark circle, where it occupies almost all the space. Below is the name of the company. It is typed in a smooth font with rounded serifs. The first letter is uppercase; all other letters are lowercase.
Versace
The world leader in the fashion industry, Versace, has a simple logo. It has only two elements: a round icon and a large headline. The graphic part is a medallion with Medusa’s head. According to mythology, this creature made people fall in love with themselves and forever turned them into its crude “admirers,” freezing them with a single look. That’s why the face expresses no emotion – it’s like stone. The empty eye sockets confirm this. The details are similar: cold, smooth, but flawless. Only the haphazardly arranged hair, strands of which hang carelessly around the face, brings dissonance. A wide stripe girdles the contour seal with ancient Greek ornamentation in one continuous line. At the bottom is the name of the fashion brand. It contrasts with the image, consisting of bold letters in a different style. The glyphs are tall, expressive, and readable due to the wide inter-character space.
Wendy’s
The third largest American fast-food restaurant chain, Wendy’s, has a friendly and attractive logo. It depicts the daughter of the company’s founder, Melinda-Lou Thomas. The emblem has not undergone significant changes for many years (the first restaurant appeared in the late 60s of the last century). Adjustments were insignificant, so the face of a cheerful girl is still painted on the emblem, almost in pristine form. The colorful badge is a black ring with a smiling child on it. The girl has round eyes, raised eyebrows, a snub nose, bright freckles, and a white-toothed smile. She also has red hair gathered in two pigtails and decorated with blue bows. The collar also attracts attention. In this case, it is scalloped, done in a black and blue palette, but previously, its shape was quite different and underwent several changes. Below the portrait in the italicized handwritten script is the name of the fast food restaurant chain. The line is slanted and extends upward. The sans serif letters are unconventional: they appear to have been written fluently by hand with a marker on a piece of paper.
Schwarzkopf
The name of this brand translates as “black head,” so in the identity of Schwarzkopf, the logo contains exactly its image. It suits him thematically since the company is producing scalp and hair care products, being the cosmetics division of the German concern Henkel. The man’s head is depicted in profile and turned to the left. The design of the drawing is close to portraits on classic medallions: it has the same facial line, flowing smoothly into the neck. This age-old sophistication is necessary for a skincare brand to show the continuation of tradition. The dark pattern is placed on a white background. The company name is also in black. It is typed in an elegant font with tiny extensions at the ends that end in sharp serifs.
Pringles
The American chip manufacturer is very popular. Therefore, the logo remained the same after Pringles’s ownership change, as it is already well known to consumers. The fact is that until 2012, the brand belonged to Procter & Gamble, and now it is the property of Kellogg’s Corporation. On the packaging of the product paints an improvised face of a mustachioed man. He also has arched eyebrows, eyes with black dots, and a red bow tie. Below the abstract head is the title. It is diagonal, bright yellow, with a black stroke. Above the letter “i” is a miniature chip. The font is sans serif, bold, and lowercase.
OBEY
OBEY’s youth clothing brand has a logo designed by its founder, contemporary artist Frank Shepard Fairey. He chose Andre René Roussimoff, a French actor and wrestler better known by his nickname Andre, the Giant, for the image on his label. His face has become an integral part of the brand’s logo. It is drawn in black paint on a white background and as if in negative space. The eyes, mouth, temples, nose, and folds near it are dark; the rest is white. Below him is a red rectangle with the company name typed in grotesque upper case. All elements are placed in a double rectangular frame.
KFC
The KFC logo is one of the most recognizable signs of visual identification of fast food chains. As in the previous case, it shows the face of the company’s founder. It is Harland Sanders. It is drawn with a black contour line, smiling at visitors from the center between two red rectangles. Geometric figures are arranged vertically, and the emblem itself has the shape of a plastic cup; that is, it is trapezoidal. In the same frame is written the name of the brand. It is written in black, italicized, and with a capital letter.
Starbucks
Coffeehouse Starbucks chose a very unusual logo that is not typical of fast food establishments. However, this did not prevent it from becoming a popular franchise, as customers perfectly remembered the white entity depicted in a green circle. The emblem features a mermaid, usually associated with the water element. Her head is decorated with flowing hair and a crown with a five-pointed star. Her face is friendly and smiling.
Whistling Straits
This is a luxury resort from the United States located in Wisconsin. Its visual identity is the face of a fictional character, drawn in thin dark blue strokes and tinted flesh-colored. The Whistling Straits luxury vacation resort chose the logo based on mythology. The fact that it depicts the god of wind means the lines are flowing, curly, and “moving.” In some places, they resemble a leafy ornament. The designers did their best to make the symbol match the resort’s name.
Goodwill
Telenet
Playmobil
Alibaba
