Many people associate kangaroos with Australia, but they are not only found there. They can also be seen in other countries, such as Indonesia and New Zealand. But it is in Australia where they are considered the main national symbol. Kangaroos can not retreat and always move only forward, so they represent determination, perseverance, confidence in their abilities, and the will to win.
And these marsupials are also very strong. They have powerful legs and a tail, on which they lean in a state of rest. Their main diet is plant food, so the animals are considered agricultural pests. You can see kangaroo loggerhead kangaroos not as often as some popular predators. And even then, almost all of them belong to Australian organizations. In this selection, we will consider several emblems with animalistic motifs. They are united by one common image, but the style everywhere is different – from cartoonish to futuristic. First on the list are brands that have nothing to do with Australia. They are few in number, but each is well known in their region.
UMKC Kangaroos
Walt Disney once personally drew the logo for UMKC Kangaroos, but that original version is long gone. The modern symbol looks completely different: the designers decided to show not the enormous speed of the animal but its physical strength, so they depicted it as powerful and muscular. And the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s intercollegiate teams are now called differently: the Kansas City Roos. They were renamed in 2019 when it became clear that the shortened version of “Roos” had caught on both inside and outside of the athletic program.
The current logo came out the same year after the rebranding. It depicts a very serious and formidable kangaroo who has his hand in front of him with a clenched fist, and the other hand is drawn back as if preparing to strike. Yes, exactly the hand, because the artists made the animal anthropomorphic and even dressed it in a sweater with a monogram of the letters “KC.” Below, in a small sans-serif font, is the phrase “UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI.” Below it is the name of the city, divided into two lines and consisting of large bold letters with a personalized design. The logo is in a blue and gold palette, as these are the official colors of the institution.
Akron Zips
There is another university in the United States with a sports program whose mascot is a kangaroo. This is the University of Akron in the state of Ohio. Its Akron Zips teams used to have an emblem with the image of a marsupial. The drawing was very sketchy as the artists did not go into detail and used a combination of blue, dark gold, and white spots. The emblem showed only the head of the kangaroo with the upper back. A protruding line replaced the horizontal stroke in the letter “A,” which was in the background. The designers made the side strokes of the letter “A” very wide and decorated them with tiny triangular serifs. For more contrast, the letter was white, and the base of the kangaroo was dark blue. They were united by a common gold border. Blue and gold are the official colors of the University of Akron.
Deliveroo
For the British company Deliveroo, the logo is a way to visualize the concept of fast food delivery. After all, the kangaroo depicted on it fits perfectly with the brand’s idea. As far as we know, these animals are very agile: they move quickly and can cover large distances in a short period of time. Therefore, the designers presented one cartoon kangaroo in the form of a courier with a bag in his front paws. It is located on the background of a light turquoise circle, and at the bottom, the name of the online service is written in capital letters, for which the developers used a black grotesque with rounded corners.
Qantas
Qantas is the first brand in the review that is directly related to Australia. It is the largest air carrier on the continent, deriving its name from the phrase “Queensland And Northern Territory Aerial Services.” It also has a nickname, The Flying Kangaroo, derived from its emblem of Australia’s national animal. In the past, the kangaroo in the painting actually flew because the artists added wings to it. But even after the wings disappeared, the silhouette continued to look light and airy, which was achieved thanks to the relief lines. Thus, the Qantas logo is still associated with flight.
Obviously, the red triangle in shape imitates the tail of the airplane. But recognizing a kangaroo in a white figure with two long spurs is quite difficult, especially after the 2016 redesign. In the previous emblem, at least the front paws and neck were visible. By the way, here is this clearer version that was used before 2016. It was complemented by the gray “QANTAS” inscription, consisting of bold cursive letters with rounded ends.
Australian Government
The Australian Government logo contains the official symbol of the state, the Commonwealth coat of arms. It includes many small elements, including the two main inhabitants of the continent – kangaroos and emus. These are endemic to the local fauna, meaning they are virtually impossible to find anywhere else. In addition, both animals are known for not being able to walk backward. Thus, the designers wanted to show that the country is only moving forward towards a better future. The kangaroo and emu are supported on different sides by the coat of arms, within which the signs of each of the six states of Australia are depicted. These same states are represented by a six-pointed gold Star of Federation above a yellow and blue band. The emblem is decorated with intertwined golden acacia branches and is complemented by a ribbon bearing the name of the country.
Australian Air Lines
Australia’s national treasure was once symbolized by another local company – Australian AirLines. It operated for five years (until 2006) and provided economy-class passenger transportation services. The Australian AirLines logo also contained an image of a kangaroo, like the aforementioned Qantas, which is rather strange, given the lack of connection between a land animal and flying in the air. But the designers felt that the kangaroo moves quickly by jumping up, and that’s enough to make it the “face” of the airline. The marsupial animal looks indistinct: it looks like a black blob with lines stretched in different directions, which mark the head, paws, and a long tail bent upwards. The silhouette is surrounded by a wide red outline, and behind it stretches a trail of small red circles. Obviously, these dots symbolize rapid movement.
Australia National Brand
Australia Nation Brand is the youngest on this list. It was created in 2022 to represent the country internationally, increase its competitiveness in the global market of goods and services, and popularize tourist attractions. For Australia National Brand, the emblem was chosen back in 2020, but it had to be changed because it resembled the COVID-19 virus under a microscope. The authorities recognized that the emblem was very similar to the image of the coronavirus, so it was decided to change it without increasing the budget allocated for the development of the project.
The new symbol was the result of fruitful cooperation between National Brand Advisory and Indigenous Balarinji. The logo now shows a golden kangaroo made up of thin, broken stripes and dots. And at the bottom, the word “AUSTRALIA” is written in dark green. You could say it’s a modern reinterpretation of the iconic green and gold Australia-made logo.
KangaROOS
At KangaROOS, the logo reflects the name exactly. Firstly, there is a corresponding lettering. Secondly, in the upper right corner, there is a picture of the animal that inspired the brand’s developers. It is logical that the manufacturer of sports shoes, clothing, and accessories chose the kangaroo as a symbol. After all, this inhabitant of Australia has a well-developed musculature; besides, it can fight and move quickly. However, in fact, the name KangaROOS appeared after the founder of the company created training shoes with pockets to store the key to the locker and change money. The marsupial animal on the emblem is easy to guess in the black silhouette, as the designers made sure to make it proportional. The lettering is in the same black letters using bold sans-serif font.