Virgin Logo PNG
Virgin’s unusual logo symbolizes the conglomerate’s desire to go against the grain across all business areas, from air travel to the music industry. At the same time, the designed emblem underscores the seriousness and reliability of a brand that aims to deliver high-quality products and services.
Virgin began with Richard Branson, born in Surrey in 1950. After failed teenage ventures with Christmas trees and budgerigars, he launched Student magazine in January 1968, an alternative youth publication covering music, education, and the Vietnam War. It sold 50,000 copies, and Branson left school at 17 to run the business.
In 1970, as magazine revenue weakened, Branson and childhood friend Nik Powell began selling records by mail under the Virgin name. A new UK law allowed discounted record sales, but the 1971 postal strike damaged the model. Branson responded by opening a shop on Oxford Street in London, with sofas, headphones, and in-store listening. Its format contrasted with HMV and drew young buyers.
In 1972, store profits funded The Manor, a recording studio in Oxfordshire. Virgin Records signed 19-year-old Mike Oldfield, whose 1973 album Tubular Bells became a global hit after its theme appeared in The Exorcist. In 1977, Branson signed the Sex Pistols after EMI and A&M Records dropped them. The label later signed Human League, Culture Club, Genesis, and the Rolling Stones. By 1981, Virgin was the world’s largest independent record company.
In 1984, Virgin Atlantic launched operations with one leased Boeing 747 on the London-New York route, competing with British Airways by offering service changes in economy and business class. After British Airways’ “dirty tricks” campaign, a 1993 court case awarded Virgin £610,000. Branson took Virgin public in 1986, bought it back in 1988, and sold Virgin Records to Thorn EMI in 1992 for £510 million to support the airline. Virgin Rail followed in 1997, Branson was knighted in 1999, and Virgin Galactic launched in 2004, with Branson flying on VSS Unity in July 2021.
Meaning and History
Despite its diversity, the company’s logo is relatively consistent. It radically changed once. After that, only minor adjustments were made. The image clearly conveys the Virgin Group’s values and spirit.
Because the Virgin Group comprises many companies specializing in different types of products and services, it needed a universal logo. It is associated with nothing beyond the British conglomerate itself. Nevertheless, this sign appeared when the Virgin brand was a music store. The red lettering, created in the 1970s, drew attention with a large “V.” According to Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson, it is a stylized check mark, a symbol of approval. It was based on a word scrawled on a napkin.
What is Virgin?
A large private UK conglomerate. Owns 100% of the shares in 40 companies involved in music, travel, communications, industry, sports, banking, etc.
1973 – 1978
According to the founder, business is fun and creative. This is what sets his approach apart from other companies. Not surprisingly, the founder entrusted a visionary with developing the first visual sign. Roger Dean created the original label, which later became known as Gemini. It was created for the record company Virgin Records, which opened in 1972.
Two young girls sit unclothed with their arms around their knees. They are turned in different directions, and their bodies are superimposed, one on top of the other (a prototype of Siamese fusion), so that only their heads, legs, and small sections of their arms are visible. Their seat is the sign of infinity (the symbol of the Ashvins, the equestrian twins in Indian mythology). Beneath the sign, the label’s name is carved from the top of the heart, as if born from it.
Branson chose the name on the advice of an acquaintance, a nod to his youth and inexperience in the business. He began publishing a magazine at 15 and opened a record store at 19. His first office was a dorm room, and his phone was a street vending machine. The logo depicted the name as two virgins. They were born of love, from the depths of the heart, to live forever.
You can see that the picture is not a different personality but a mirror image of the same sitter. Branson is a keen natural, as later revealed in the emergence of various work directions.
The heyday of the hippie movement inspired the composition and the values Richard adhered to. Hippies were into mysticism, vegetarianism, and meditation. They preached love and freedom.
So the naked girl, long hair, close body contact, and the heart fit this style. Plus, a touch of mysticism aligned with the psychedelic musical direction. According to the records, the label was set in a fantasy world. Outlandish trees and a dragon guard a hill where maidens sit.
1978 – 2006
The firm signed with the Sex Pistols. Their leader, John Lydon, opposed using what he considered a hippie symbol on the band’s records. The search began for a new logo that would represent the band’s essence and fit well with the company’s other clients.
Promising graphic artist Ray Kyte was brought in to create a logo, and he suggested the well-known logo (they say he wrote it on a napkin). Subsequently, the mark was used for other clients and all areas of Virgin’s business.
The word, handwritten and underlined with a single line, was just that. The lettering soars steeply, conveying the Sex Pistols’ recklessness and reflecting the company’s values. It conveys a commitment to providing the best service, the latest technology, and everything admirable.
The second end of the V reaches for the sky. It shows the Virgin’s desire to conquer new peaks, both figuratively and literally (the company purchased aircraft, created balloons, and developed blimps). It reminds me of the raised-hand gesture you see at rock concerts. The V also resembles the victory symbol hippies used
The font blurring was added to the logo in the nineties. Someone spray-painted the word on a wooden board, and it looked very original. The lettering looked like individually sprayed blotches. The management liked the version and started using it. The board still hangs in the executive director’s office.
2006 – today
The Start agency updated the logo font. This was necessary for clearer visibility on large objects (such as brand airplanes) and to match the new digital technology.
The new logo has clearer letters and a smoother look. The elements are evenly spaced. At the same time, the lettering, its positioning, and the underline remain the same.
The emblem is jokingly called NASA.
Font and Colors
The Virgin emblem is monochrome. Red represents energy, love of life, and primacy. Demonstrates the conglomerate’s drive through life. Psychologists note the color is bold, playful, and emotional. It immediately attracts attention. All these characteristics fit the conglomerate and its founder.
The font resembles Proxima Soft ExtraCond Bold Italic.