Among the diversity of the animal world, the monkey stands out especially. Indeed, on the evolutionary branch, she is closest to people, and it is easier to endow her image with human qualities. That is, through it, it is easy to convey the desired idea to consumers. And this means that such a character plays an important role in the concept of the visual identity of companies.
The monkey favorably decorates any symbolism, so it is often used not only by serious companies but also by TV channels, show programs, alcohol brands, game developers, and so on. And all because this image is conveniently presented both in a humorous way and in a business one. Customer focus, progress, security, development, care, joy, strength, cunning, good nature – everything can be expressed through him, regardless of the palette.
Let’s look at several logos of popular brands from different fields of activity and see who chose this character and why. Let’s see how design experts adapt it to the requirements of companies. And we will start with more complex forms and go to the simplest ones.
Tractor Monkeys
The humorous presentation of Tractor Monkeys chose a bright and extraordinary logo, just like herself. This comedy TV show aired on the Australian channel ABC1 in 2013 and had the format of an intellectual and entertaining game on the subject of social phenomena, various fads, and trends. It was hosted by Merrick Watts. The emblem consisted of two trapezoidal figures superimposed on each other. The bottom one was purple, the top one yellow. On top were vertical black rectangles with original letters. They made up the title of the TV show. Some glyphs were tall and thin; others were low and wide. The inscription was grouped into two lines without alignment along the edges. On the top right was the head of a monkey. She looked haughtily; her lips were closed in a sly grin. With all his appearance, the monkey demonstrated superiority.
Monkey Shoulder
Surprisingly, despite the presence of monkeys in the visual identity, this is not a Japanese brand but a Scottish one. The Monkey Shoulder logo was first used in 2005 when it was founded by the William Grant & Sons family. He quickly made it recognizable and turned it into world fame. So the unusual name and emblem with primates brought whiskey a significant share of success. The icon is divided into two parts. The first is an image of three monkeys, located one above the other. The drawing is made in silhouette, without specific features characteristic of these animals. The black pieces are placed diagonally. The tails are hook-shaped. The second part is textual, indicating the necessary information. The name is typed in stencil type and complemented by miniature serifs. The outlines of the letters are blurred. The inscription under the line, on the contrary, does not contain serifs. The glyphs there are one and a half times smaller than the first ones.
Super Monkey Ball
The Super Monkey Ball arcade video game got a funny and funny logo. The monkey depicted on it looks very cheerful. She has round, spiral ears, raised eyebrows in surprise, a stretched mouth in a smile, a miniature nose, and large black eyes. And on the head of a perky monkey, a high forelock is visible. The head of the animal is located in a diagonal oval to the left of the title of the Sega series. The text is divided into two: the top line consists of the word “Super,” and the bottom – is from “Monkey Ball.” The letter “O” is two-tone and resembles a miniature ball. The remaining glyphs are strict, geometric, and chopped, with a harmonious combination of corners and roundings.
Curious George
This is a media franchise based on the works of writer Margaret Rey. The book, first published in 2006, tells about the adventures of an inquisitive monkey. Therefore, the appropriate logo was chosen for Curious George: with the main character’s basic character trait and his nickname. They are combined very well. A cheerful monkey spreads her arms to the sides and tries to hug a yellow inscription on a red background. The letters imitate coherent handwriting and have a slight slope to the right. The “C” has a square serif. The rest are missing. The monkey is drawn in brown-beige tones: the body is dark, and the face and palms are light. At the same time, the animal is very kind, as evidenced by a wide smile. The ears are small and round, the eyes point down, and three strands of hair stick out from the head. The whole appearance of the primate suggests that this is a carefree and happy creature who wants to learn as much as possible about the world around him.
Stoopid Monkey
The image of a monkey in identity is also found in the animation sphere. One example is the former animation company Stoopid Monkey. She appeared in 2005 and, after working for several years, merged with Buddy Systems Studios. The result was a new organization, the Stoopid Buddy Stoodios. Back in the days of Stoopid Monkey, the logo was cartoonish. On it was a small brown-pink monkey: head and paws were painted brown, face and ears were pink. The mouth and nose looked like thin arches. The eyes were oval and expressive, with a gleam in the black pupils. At the top, the face was outlined with a heart-shaped line, which added to the monkey’s affability and friendliness. Two strands of hair stuck up at the top of her head. The monkey held the letters “O” and “P” with its front paws. In general, the inscription was very original: an exclamation mark (!) was used instead of “I,” and the “E” did not have a vertical line connecting the three side strokes. The top word of the studio’s 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. On her emblem, the monkey looks at others with an arrogant look. And she looks squinted – as if only she knows the only right step and its consequences. And it suits her very well since the company is engaged in creating video games. The head of the primate is colored in yellow (fur), beige (face), and gray (edging, ears, and facial elements). In this case, the monkey does not smile but smirks as if challenging him to a duel to test the opponent’s capabilities. On the left and below is the brand name. The inscription is divided into two lines and printed in lower case. The letters in the word “Yellow” are white and outlined in gray. The glyphs used for “Monkey” are gray and set on a white background. All symbols are geometric, even strict, without serifs.
Drunken Monkey
The Indian network of smoothie bars Drunken Monkey chose an unusual logo and name. After all, firstly, this is the name of one of the styles of oriental martial arts. Secondly, the monkey depicted on the emblem seems sweet and kind. Why all this? To the marketing shock of customers. The dissonance between the expected and the seen gives rise to a huge interest in the service. Despite everything, the icon looks progressive. It is made in the manner of primitivism: careless lines and simple images. It has nothing but the standard name and a sloppily 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. Rosy cheeks are painted on the face in pink. Everything else is black: eyes, nose, mouth, fur. The “R” in the inscription is miniature and stands out from the rest of the letters. The font is uppercase, geometric, and chopped.
Nick Jr.
For its visual image, Nick Jr. chose the logo in a children’s style because it shows programs for kids. Its emblem features two monkeys that underline the idea of parental care, help, and support. Animals are stylized and drawn without the specification of external features. A large silhouette denotes an adult; a small silhouette denotes a child. The first figure is yellow with “Nick” written on its chest in white; the second is blue with the inscription “Jr.”. Both monkeys are depicted sitting in the full face – facing the viewer. They have long forelimbs with which they rest on the ground.
Moreover, both the legs and arms are similar in structure. Lush hair is guessed on the head because its outlines are visible on the sides. The text is printed in a smooth font and is located diagonally, slanting to the left. The letters are even, without serifs, with a harmonious combination of rounding and corners.
Monkey Monk
For its visual recognition, Monkey Monk uses a non-standard logo, which is quite justified. After all, this is an extreme sports park in Chennai, India. There are many hanging paths, climbing devices, and everything that makes everyone feel like a real monkey. Such activity in the fresh air develops coordination and makes a person stronger, more skillful, and more resilient. All this is emphasized in the emblem, which consists of a single element – a monkey warrior. She is dressed like a Buddhist monk, holds a long stick in her hand, and froze in a fighting stance, stretching her left leg to the side. The anthropomorphic animal is in good physical shape because it looks athletic and fit. The hair is combed up and styled in a high hairstyle, and the hair on the face is perceived as sideburns. The eyes are covered by sunglasses, as evidenced by light reflections on the dark surface of the lenses.
Mailchimp
The popular e-commerce platform Mailchimp has been using the monkey logo since its inception in 2001. The animal presented on it is very good-natured: it sincerely smiles and winks its right eye. On his head, he wears a cap; the kind used to be worn by messengers and couriers. This hints that the service will help you get any product of interest. Chimpanzee head black and white, cartoon. Below it is the name of the online platform. It is in a rounded sans-serif font.
