Amid the diversity of the animal world, the monkey stands out. After all, on the evolutionary tree, it is the closest to humans, and it is easier to project human qualities onto its image. That is, though, it is easy to convey the necessary idea to consumers. This means that such a character plays an important role in a company’s visual identity.
Monkey symbolism is widely used not only by serious companies but also by TV channels, show programs, alcohol brands, game developers, and more. This image works well in both humorous and business contexts. It can express customer focus, progress, safety, security, development, care, joy, strength, cunning, and good-naturedness- almost anything, regardless of the palette.
Let’s look at a few logos from popular brands across different fields and see who chose this character and why. Let’s see how design experts adapt it to the companies’ requirements. We’ll start with more complex forms and move on to the simplest ones.
Tractor Monkeys
Tractor Monkeys’ humorous presentation chose a bright, unconventional logo that matched its tone. This comedy TV show aired on Australia’s ABC1 in 2013 and featured an intellectual, entertaining game about social phenomena, fads, and trends. The show was hosted by Merrick Watts. The emblem consisted of two superimposed trapezoidal shapes. The bottom one was purple, and the top one was yellow. On top were vertical black rectangles with the original letters. They made up the name of the television program. Some glyphs were tall and thin, while others were low and wide. The lettering was grouped into two lines, with no alignment at the edges. At the top right was a monkey’s head. It looked haughty, its lips closed in a sly grin. In every way, the monkey demonstrated superiority.
Monkey Shoulder
Surprisingly, despite the monkeys in the visual style, this is not a Japanese brand but a Scottish one. The William Grant & Sons family first used the Monkey Shoulder logo in 2005. It quickly became recognizable and gained worldwide fame. So, the unusual name and primate-featuring emblem helped the whisky achieve significant success. The badge consists of two parts. The first is an image of three monkeys located one above the other. The drawing is a silhouette without the characteristic features of these animals. The black figures are arranged diagonally. The tails are shaped like hooks. The second part is textual and provides the necessary information. The name is typed in a stencil font and supplemented with miniature serifs. The letters’ contours are blurred. By contrast, the inscription below the line has no serifs. The glyphs are one and a half times smaller than in the first.
Super Monkey Ball
The arcade video game Super Monkey Ball has a funny and fun logo. The monkey depicted on it looks very cheerful. It has round, spiraled ears; raised eyebrows in surprise; a mouth stretched into a smile; a miniature nose; and big black eyes. A high forehead is visible on the head of the perky monkey. The animal’s head is located in the diagonal oval to the left of the Sega series name. The text is divided into two parts: the top line reads “Super,” and the bottom line reads “Monkey Ball.” The letter “O” is two-colored and resembles a miniature ball. The rest of the glyphs are strict, geometric, and crisp, with a harmonious combination of angles and rounded edges.
Curious George
This media franchise is based on the works of writer Margaret Ray. The book, first published in 2006, tells the adventures of an inquisitive monkey. Therefore, the Curious George logo was chosen to reflect the main character’s traits and nickname. They are very successfully combined. The cheerful monkey spreads his arms out to the sides and tries to hug the yellow inscription on the red background. The letters mimic cohesive handwriting and slant slightly to the right. The letter “C” has a square serif. The other letters are missing. The monkey is drawn in brown-beige colors: the body is dark, and the face and palms are light. At the same time, the animal looks very kind, as shown by its wide smile. The ears are small and round, the eyes are directed downward, and three strands of hair stick out of the head. The primate’s overall appearance suggests a carefree, happy creature, eager to learn as much as possible about the world around him.
Stoopid Monkey
The monkey’s image is also found in animation. One example is the former animation company Stoopid Monkey. It appeared in 2005 and, after operating for a few years, merged with Buddy Systems Studios. The result was a new organization called “Stoopid Buddy Stoodios”. Back in the days of Stoopid Monkey, the logo was cartoonish. It depicted a small brown-and-pink monkey: the head and paws were brown, and the snout and ears were pink. The mouth and nose were like thin arches. The eyes were oval and expressive, with a glint in the black pupils. A heart-shaped line outlined the top of the muzzle, giving the monkey a welcoming, friendly demeanor. Two strands of hair stuck out on the top of her head. With its front paws, the monkey held the letters “O” and “P.” Overall, the inscription was very original: an exclamation mark (!) replaced “I,” and the “E” had no vertical line connecting the three side strokes. The top word of the studio name was white with dark shadows; the bottom word was black with a yellow border.
Yellow Monkey Studios
Yellow Monkey Studios chose a modern, progressive, cool logo. In the logo, the monkey looks at others with an arrogant expression. It looks as if it only knows the right step and its consequences. And it suits it very well because the company creates video games. The primate’s head is painted in yellow (fur), beige (face), and gray (trim, ears, and facial elements). At the same time, the monkey doesn’t smile but smirks, as if challenging the opponent to a duel to test their capabilities. The brand name appears on the bottom left. The inscription is split into two lines and printed in lowercase. The letters in the word “Yellow” are white and circled in gray. The “Monkey” glyphs are gray on a white background. All the symbols are geometric, even strict, with no serifs.
Drunken Monkey
The Indian smoothie bar chain Drunken Monkey has chosen an unusual logo and name. After all, firstly, it is the name of one of the styles of oriental martial arts. Secondly, the monkey depicted on the emblem seems cute and kind. What’s the point of all this? Marketing shock to buyers. The dissonance between what is expected and what is seen generates a huge interest in the service. Regardless, the badge looks progressive. It is done in a primitivist manner: sloppy lines and simple images. There is nothing on it but the standard name and a carelessly drawn monkey. The animal is sitting. It has a disproportionately large head and a small body. The ears are also very large, and the long tail is bent at the end. The cheeks are drawn in pink. Everything else is black: eyes, nose, mouth, fur. The letter “R” in the inscription is tiny and stands out from the rest of the letters. The font is uppercase, geometric, and chopped.
Nick Jr.
Nick Jr. chose a children’ s-style logo for its visual identity because it aligns with its programming. The logo features two monkeys that emphasize parental care, help, and support. The animals are stylized and drawn without indicating external features. The large silhouette denotes an adult, the small one a child. The first figure is yellow, with the white inscription “Nick” on its chest, and the second is blue, with the inscription “Jr.” on its chest. They have long forelimbs, which they use to lean on the ground.
Both legs and arms have a similar structure. The head is covered in lush fur, with its outline visible on the sides. The text is set in a smooth font and arranged diagonally, with a leftward slant. The letters are smooth and sans-serif, with a harmonious mix of rounded and angular forms.
Monkey Monk
For visual recognizability, Monkey Monk uses a non-standard logo, which is quite justified. After all, this is an extreme sports park in Chennai, India. Many suspended paths, climbing devices, and other features let everyone feel like a real monkey. Such outdoor activities develop coordination and make a person stronger, more agile, and more enduring. All this is emphasized in the emblem, which consists of a single element: a warrior monkey. It wears a Buddhist monk’s robes, holds a long stick, and is frozen in a fighting stance, with its left leg stretched to the side. The anthropomorphic animal is in good physical shape, appearing athletic and trim. Its hair is slicked up in a high hairstyle, and its facial hair appears as sideburns. Sunglasses cover the eyes, as shown by the light glare on the lenses.
Mailchimp
The popular e-commerce platform Mailchimp has used the monkey logo since it was founded in 2001. The animal is very good-natured: it smiles genuinely and winks with its right eye. He is wearing a cap, the kind messengers and couriers usually wear. This suggests the service will help you get any goods you want. The chimpanzee’s head is a black-and-white caricature. Underneath it is the online platform’s name. It is set in a rounded sans-serif font.