The face is a mirror of the inner state of a person. Looking at him, we feel either a pleasant disposition or intense dislike. Therefore, hundreds of thousands of companies are fighting with it for customers’ attention in the era of consumerism. And logos play an important role in this because they communicate a lot. Some brands prefer the realistic design, others abstract, but both choose a visual way to attract customers. And fantasy has no limits! Someone uses a restrained identity; someone competes in the richness of graphics and colors.
In any case, physiognomy (the science of facial features and expressions) is becoming a key tool for increasing the number of consumers and, with it, income. Therefore, companies give priority to this issue because the image of a person (especially happy and contented) involuntarily inspires a sense of trust in others. And then, people from the category of potential customers move into a group of real buyers.
We propose to study this issue using the example of logos with faces to understand the mechanism of marketing work better. 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 – the face. Brands are arranged in order of visual simplification.
Boston Children’s Hospital
Boston Children’s Hospital has the most complex logo considering the number of elements. It has many 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, the field of medicine is one of the most urgent in terms of search, choice, and treatment. In some cases, delay can turn into a real tragedy, so the identity, although complex, is understandable. The emblem depicts a medical worker holding a small child. The friendly face of the woman is turned to the baby, and he, in turn, holds on to her with his hands. Both figures are located in a vertical medallion with double edging. The full name of the medical institution is indicated next to it. It is set in a classic sans-serif typeface. Below is the slogan, colored in blue.
Wella
The American-German manufacturer of hair care products also has a triple symbol of visual identity. Wella has been using the logo since 1880, perfectly capturing its products’ essence. To emphasize the concern for the hair, the designers used a female profile without specific facial features. There is only a contour image with an emphasis on the strands. They are wavy, fluttering in one direction as if from a breath of oncoming air. The face is raised and outlined with a shadow, so there seems to be not one woman on the emblem but two. The lines are light, laid-back, and sliding. The logo is complemented by a two-line inscription: at the top – “Wella,” at the bottom – “Professionals.” The first word is typed in bold type with smoothed corners of the letters, the second – in thin glyphs of a strict form.
Rinascimento
The Italian fashion brand Rinascimento chose a stylish and minimalist logo connected with the world of high art. The fact is that its emblem shows not just an undetailed face of a woman but a hint of a masterpiece of artistic creativity. The contour of the hair, the head’s turn, and the neck’s tilt are reminiscent of the famous character from Sandro Botticelli’s painting The Birth of Venus. That is, the symbol of beauty is used in the identity – the goddess Venus, as the Romans, call her, or Aphrodite, as the Greeks call her. Below is the name of the company, typed in elegant antiqua. The letters are tall, capital, and consist of a combination of thin and wide lines. Next is the phrase “Made in Italy.” She, on the contrary, is grotesque and low. The logo is made in monochrome.
Hawaiian Airlines
The Hawaiian Airlines logo also has three elements, and it also has a face, but the style is completely different. The emblem reflects the desire for new heights, the fullness of life, its colorfulness, and its brightness. Artistic boldness and various palettes make the emblem modern, not at all similar to the standard symbolism of air carriers. The portrait of a young girl is painted in purple and blue, and her hair is turned into part of a palm leaf against which she is located. The hairstyle is decorated with a large red flower – the symbol of Hawaii. On the right is a two-level inscription. The word “Hawaiian” is large, bold, with diagonal cuts and rounded ends, and “Airlines” is narrow, small, tall, with horizontal stripes on the sides.
Chef Boyardee
The culinary brand Chef Boyardee uses the logo to mark its products, supplied to all corners of the world. Its emblem is not only colorful but also detailed, so the chef in a white cap and with a red bandage around his neck is depicted in detail. The face is in profile and looks more like a photograph than a drawing. Behind the man is an arch; on the left is the cursive inscription “Chef.” It is written in cursive semi-connected type. Below is the second part of the name – “Boyardee.” This line is large, printed, and capitalized, with a red stroke around each letter, which makes them 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 to consist of geometric shapes of various shapes. All lines are smooth, clear, and even. The head is in full face. The man has a broad nose, large lips, a massive chin, and a tight-fitting helmet. Below is a curly banner that presents the name of the alcohol brand. The inscription is in very bold sans-serif type. The side letters are high, and the central ones are low, so it seems that the warrior’s head is squeezing the “M” and “E.” At the very bottom is the word “Tequila.” It is painted in turquoise, like the rest of the elements.
BUAP
The Mexican university Benemerita Universidad Autonoma de Pueblo has an elegant symbol in the style of classical heraldry. Moreover, all the elements included in the BUAP logo are placed in one circle, which resembles a seal. It depicts a woman’s head wearing a Montefortino, a traditional Roman helmet. In front of her is a triangular shield with a dragon, a cloud, and flames arranged in a semicircle. Because of it, wide ribbons protrude to the right and left: they are the same, so they look like a mirror. The background is empty white space. The central part is encircled with the full name of the higher educational institution and the year of its foundation (1578). The borders are thin and dotted. The logo is colored blue.
AkzoNobel
The well-known Dutch manufacturer of paints and varnishes, AkzoNobel, has a one-color logo. And 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 picture shows a man waving his hand. He pulled it forward and raised his palm as if calling others to him or pointing to something important. The figure spans ¾ of the icon and appears to emerge from negative space because it is blue on a white background. But the palette is not uniform but 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 bold type, where lowercase and uppercase characters are mixed. ‘A’, ‘k’, ‘N’, ‘b’ and ‘l’ have semi-rounded tops. Angles and sharp protrusions are preserved only at “z.”
Foot Locker
The American online sportswear store Foot Locker also has a face in its logo. It shows a man who has turned his head to the right and is staring straight ahead as if assessing the future situation. This demonstrates the retailer’s commitment to continuous development and improvement. The character is dressed as a referee – in a black and white striped shirt. This image is ideal for a trading platform because it conveys the idea of selling sportswear and shoes and an attentive attitude to it and tracking current trends. The man stands in the pose of a confident person and rests his hands on his hips, ready to help anyone in need. This approach to identity reflects the main concept of an e-commerce company. Below is the verbal part of the logo: the store’s name. It is in a mixed font with red letters: “F” and “L” are capital, and the rest are lowercase. All glyphs are rounded.
Vegeta
The Croatian brand Vegeta also has a logo with a face, but with a realistic one. Moreover, it is thematic since this trademark belongs to the Podravka company, which is associated with the food industry. Under it, various seasonings are produced, from the packages of which the cook invariably smiles at everyone. The man is drawn half-turned to the viewer. He has a cap and a neckerchief. One eyebrow is raised, and a gracefully curved mustache can be seen above the lip. The image also shows the left hand in an approving gesture, with the thumb and forefinger brought together and the rest fanned out as if a professional is acknowledging the superior quality of the product. The background is two ovals. The inner one is blue with a gradient. On it is the brand name, typed in an individual font. The letters are wide, angular, and chopped. The outer ellipse is white. It matches perfectly with the inscription and the chef’s hat.
Prudential
It is the UK’s most prominent financial and insurance organization. She appeared in London in 1848 and has since used the only name associated with Prudence. Translated from Latin, this name means “prudent, wise, smart, prudent” – these are the qualities that were originally put into the company’s concept. Therefore, it is not surprising that Prudential chose the logo with a portrait of the woman of the same name. The symbol is made in an elegant but modest design with just a couple of colors – gray and red. The emblem depicts the face of a beautiful girl. She holds a mirror in her hand, peering intently into it. The portrait is drawn in outline as if it were a sketch of an unfinished painting. A red ribbon is visible in the hair, which echoes the color of the corporation name below. It is typed in capital letters with narrow intercharacter space. Some characters even merge with each other – for example, “UDENT” and “IAL.” Only “P” and “R” are written separately. All glyphs are smooth and do not have serifs.
Gerber
Baby food manufacturer Gerber has been using the logo with a face, not since its opening but since 1931. Now it is the largest structure, whose visual identity is known worldwide thanks to the line of complementary foods for babies. The trademark is owned by Nestle Corporation and still uses the badge with the baby’s face. Over the many years of existence, the emblem, designed by Dorothy Hope Smith (American artist), has been preserved almost in its original form. The portrait was based on Ann Turner Cook. It was from her that the image of a carefree baby was copied. The face is made in a realistic style and consists of small strokes that form large eyes, raised eyebrows, a surprising open mouth, a tiny nose, small ears, and short hair. The child’s shoulders are also visible. Other details are missing. The head is located against the background of a dark circle, where it occupies almost the entire space. Below is the name of the company. It has a sleek, rounded serif typeface. The first letter is capital; all others 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 title. The graphic part consists of a medallion with the head of Medusa. According to mythology, this creature made people fall in love with itself and forever turned it into its uncomplaining “admirers,” freezing them with just one glance. Therefore, the face does not express emotion – it is like a stone. Empty eye sockets confirm this. The rest of the details are similar: cold, even, but flawless. Dissonance is caused only by randomly styled hair, strands of which hang casually around the face. A wide band encircles the contour seal with an ancient Greek ornament made in one continuous line. Below the bottom is the name of the fashion brand. It contrasts with the image because it consists of bold letters in a different style. The glyphs are tall, expressive, and highly readable due to the wide inter-character space.
Wendy’s
The third largest American fast food chain, Wendy’s, has a friendly and attractive logo. It depicts the daughter of the founder of the company – Melinda-Lou Thomas. For many years of existence (the first restaurant appeared in the late 60s of the last century), the emblem has not been significantly changed. The adjustments were minor, so the face of a cheerful girl still flaunts on the logo almost in its original form. The colorful badge consists of a black ring containing a smiling child. 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 draws attention. In this case, it is jagged, made in a black and blue palette, but earlier its shape was completely different and had undergone several changes. Under the portrait, the name of the chain of fast food restaurants is indicated in an italic handwritten font. The line is placed obliquely and goes up. Letters without serifs are non-standard: they seem to be written fluently by hand with a marker on a piece of paper.
Schwarzkopf
The name of this brand is translated as “black head”; therefore, in the Schwarzkopf identity, the logo contains exactly its image. It is suitable for him thematically because the company is engaged in producing products for the care of the scalp and hair, being a cosmetic division of the Henkel Group from Germany. The man’s head is in profile and turned to the left. The design of the drawing is close to the portraits on classical medallions: it has the same line of the face, smoothly passing into the neck. This age-old sophistication is essential for a skincare brand to show the continuation of tradition. The dark drawing is placed on a white background. The name of the company is also in black. It is set in an elegant font with miniature extensions at the ends, which end with sharp serifs.
Pringles
The American chip maker is very popular. Therefore, after the change of ownership of Pringles, the logo remained the same because 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. Product packaging is adorned with an impromptu face of a mustachioed man. He also has arched eyebrows, black dot eyes, and a red bow tie. The name is located under the abstract head. It is diagonal, bright yellow, with a black stroke. Above the “i” is a miniature chip. Sans serif font, bold and lowercase.
OBEY
OBEY’s youth clothing brand has a logo designed by its founder, contemporary artist Frank Shepard Fairey. For the image on his sticker, he chose André René Roussimoff, a French actor and wrestler who is better known under the pseudonym André, the Giant. His face has become an integral part of the brand logo. It is drawn with black paint on a white background and seems to be in a negative space. The eyes, mouth, temples, nose, and folds near it are dark; the rest is white. Below it is a red rectangle with the company’s name in grotesque upper case. All elements are taken in a double rectangular frame.
KFC
The KFC logo is one of the most recognizable among the visual identity signs of fast food chains. As in the previous case, it depicts the face of the company’s founder. This is Harland Sanders. It is drawn with a black contour line and smiles at visitors from the center between two red rectangles. Geometric figures are vertical, and the emblem itself has the shape of a plastic cup; that is, it is trapezoidal. The name of the brand is written in the same frame. It is black, italic, and capitalized.
Starbucks
The Starbucks coffee shop chose a very unusual logo, not typical for fast food outlets. However, this did not stop her from becoming a popular franchise because customers perfectly remember the white entity depicted in the green circle. A mermaid is drawn on the emblem, and they, as a rule, are associated with the water element. Her head is adorned with flowing hair and a crown with a five-pointed star. The face is friendly and smiling.
Whistling Straits
This is a luxury resort from the USA, located in Wisconsin. Its visual identity is that of a fictional character’s face, drawn in thin dark blue strokes and tinted in flesh color. The Whistling Straits luxury recreation center chose the logo based on mythology. The fact is that the God of the Wind is represented on it; therefore, the lines are flowing, curly, and “moving.” In some places, they look like a leafy ornaments. The designers did their best to match the symbol with the resort’s name.
Goodwill
Telenet
Playmobil
Alibaba
