When it comes to perfecting your brand, learning from the best is definitely something every business owner should learn to do.
Copying is different from learning. What should really be done is look at the core of what makes a business logo so successful and how you might be able to apply that concept with your brand.
The thing about learning from great brands is that they have actually spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on brilliant designers to come up with the concept of their design itself.
If you are able to pinpoint certain points that the company implies perfectly, you might just be able to save yourself from going through what they had to do as well.
Why is a logo important in branding?
Although the company’s performance and the company logo’s performance are two different things and do not always go hand in hand, a logo works as a representation of that success.
Think of it this way, let’s say there was a knight who had an iconic phoenix shield which he took whenever he jousted.
A logo is not a brand—it’s only a symbol for a brand. A brand is much more than a logo
Marty Neumeier
Let’s say the knight became extremely successful and one attribute to his fame was his phoenix shield.
Since there was an iconic physical design that accompanied the knight’s success, his trademark, the knight’s popularity grew even more. Some could even argue that the phoenix shield is what contributed to his legend.
When it comes to designs, the company is not just known by its name but also by its logo.
If the logo is able to cement itself on the minds of the target market, this would automatically improve the company’s popularity and retention in the minds of the consumer as well.
Sometimes, the logos even surpass the company and this is also not a good thing.
Since expectations are high because of a high quality logo, the target market will only be disappointed if the company is unable to deliver on what the logo seemingly promises.
There are a lot of different logos to learn from but it might be more important to learn from just the top 10 famous logos.
Target
Originally, the logo had three white as well as three red rings with the company name itself boldly displayed across.
The logo also went through a number of other experiments until the company realized that the famous literal “target” is actually enough to represent them.
The logo easily stands out due to its eye-catching strong red and white circles until it makes a bulls-eye.
The negative spaces or white rings actually create a certain image of trust and strength. Circles are also used to show community, friendship, and even endurance.
Aside from all of this, red also shows passion, importance, and catches attention.
White, on the other hand, shows purity, virtue, health, and of course, cleanliness.
The logo shows the consumers that they are strong but they are also pure, passionate but also clean, important but also virtuous.
What to learn from the Target logo:
Use of negative space
Negative space does not just have to be meaningless.
Due to the target’s negative spaces becoming half of the target and in perfect ratio, it shows the reliable side of the target as well.
Apple
The first logo of Apple was actually really different from what it looked after it was redesigned.
Apple started out being heavy on details, very novel-like in design, and in no way represented a computer company.
Apple reportedly spent $100,000 just to get its logo redesigned and although this might seem like too much, the popularity of the Apple icon today shows how effective that decision actually was.
Apple has actually evolved its logos until it can perfectly fit and become the center of their products.
Although some companies try to make their logo the center of their devices, Apple, due to the really simple and strong logo that it has, is very effective when it simply sits on the other Apple products.
When people check out the iPhone, one thing they always look for aside from the cameras is the iconic Apple logo embedded on the back.
Due to the positioning, perfection, and how the logo was designed to fit on the Apple products, it has become something that has boosted the positive consumer perception about the company.
What to learn from the Apple logo:
Don’t be afraid to be simple
Being simple doesn’t mean you are behind in the market.
Perfection in logos is not found in how complicated the logo is but rather how effective it is at representing the brand.
The original Google logo was created back in 1998 with just a standard font.
One thing very iconic about Google is how consistent it is with its Google icon and how it is able to adapt to the new generation while still sticking towards its roots.
Aside from the simplicity of Google, the way the company makes use of fonts in order to improve its logo rather than go through a complete redesign says a lot.
Since Google uses the word Google as their logo, the colors and fonts used are very important.
Although the Google logo is slightly tweaked, it does not change the logo at all but rather comes out as a new version of the original logo.
Basically, the market can look at the Google logo change as an upgrading process.
What to learn from the Google logo:
If you get it right, tweak don’t change
If you get the perfect logo right the first time, keep it! There might not be any need to change the logo and this is perfectly fine.
It is important, however, that the logo is able to adapt to the standards of today.
FedEx
The original FedEx logo which was used back in 1973 looked like an overly logistical logo and was in no way appealing to the users themselves.
Over the years, they have learned how to make their color scheme friendlier to the end-users themselves.
The sharp and strong edges show how the logo represents speed, movement, and of course, precision. This is something very important in the logistics industry.
The challenge when it comes to design in the logistic industry is how to make the logo attractive without making it boring.
By slightly changing the color tone of their logos, they are able to provide a more relatable and organic brand while showing their consumers that they are still strong and reliable.
What to learn from the FedEx logo:
Balancing reliability and relatability
Some companies want their logos to be too strong and too reliable.
What they fail to think of is that the logo also has to be relatable as well and something that is easy and exciting in the eyes of the consumer.
LG
The original LG back logo and slogan “Life’s Good” was able to work back in the day but as the times changed, so did the logo change with it.
In 2011, the logo was given a glossy, almost 3D-like effect which is being used by the company today.
There are a lot of things that first time viewers can see when looking at the LG logo.
Finding a happy face? A wink? Well, it’s made for consumers to see a somewhat abstract design to stimulate their imagination and make them look more organic.
Although not everybody would think that the LG logo looks strong, one thing people can agree on is that the LG logo is unique and eye-catching.
One thing that the logo also does well is it lets its viewers try to figure out what the logo really is therefore thinking of it longer.
What to learn from the LG logo:
Sometimes it’s good to let the audience figure out
LG leaves room for imagination to play out allowing the audience to think for themselves what the LG logo really is.
The more people try to figure out, the more they are thinking about the company itself.
Toyota
The company actually started out with a different name “Toyoda” but then changed it to “Toyota” following a public competition it held to design a new logo.
The new design was then a visual perfection that included every single letter of the company.
Aside from the red word “Toyota” the symbol in the logo has a very different approach.
The logo itself solidifies the company with its symbol containing every letter of the company.
This could represent how the company is able to compact the full range of what consumers are expecting in their automobiles.
When it comes to the automobile industry, sturdiness and durability is proven throughout the years and isn’t really something that new cars can just claim for themselves.
Automobile owners still want to make sure that the car they are buying is worth it and this is the type of audience that Toyota targets.
What to learn from the Toyota logo:
Solidifying the company logo
Although trying to appeal to the target audience is important.
Representation of the company is also equally important.
Although you don’t have to follow in the literal footsteps of Toyota, making a logo that literally represents what your brand aims to put out is also a very important lesson to learn.
Mercedes-Benz
While a lot of companies have tried to change their logos over time to the point where their current logo is unrecognizable in comparison to their original logo, what about a logo that has been able to stand the test of time?
The over century-old company logo was able to not only stand the test of time but also keep and grow its position in the market.
The logos classic silver shows security, dependability, professionalism, and even conventionality all with great value and even a little bit of luxury.
The simple but also very powerful logo was able to last through the ages creating an image recognized in the market.
What to learn from the Mercedes-Benz logo:
The value of timeless designs
The Mercedes-Benz logo was able to withstand the test of time due to the way it was designed.
Aside from the simplicity of the logo, the sheer elegance of the design similar to that of a star but not quite is an icon hard to forget.
Shell
While the company logo always used to be a literal Shell, it has made sure to evolve in relevance to the designs of today.
Keeping the logo relevant is very important when it comes to branding since an outdated logo will just make the company look old.
Instead of trying to change the designs, the company decided to enhance it.
Although it still retains a shell, it has made it look more modern, strong, but still retains its organic feel.
The company has even removed the “Shell” text in order to focus on the symbol itself.
One very important thing that Shell does is play with color psychology.
The company makes use of Yellow and Red to match the Spanish flag but also shows a bold presence in the business world.
Despite the strong colors, the company makes use of smooth edges easing out the harshness of the logo.
What to learn from the Shell logo:
Even out the logo
There is a way to even out the logo allowing it to be both strong and aggressive but also not too harsh that it makes an irritating impression.
Coca-Cola
The Coca-Cola logo story has been one of trial and error.
The company has been evolving over time trying out a lot of different logos throughout the years until it had finally come up with the perfect curves, the perfect font, the perfect style for the coca-cola logo.
Coca-Cola makes sure that their logo goes really well with their other marketing campaigns which they put huge focus on.
Advertising has always been their strong-suit and their logo is just part of it.
What to learn from the Coca-Cola logo:
Original and classy
It’s possible to stay original while staying classy at the same time.
Coca-Cola does this perfectly by not going off board and also not lacking at all.
Nike
For those that don’t know how the logo started, basically, a graphic design student known as Carolyn Davidson designed and sold the logo to Nike co-founder Phil Knight for just $35 back in 1971!
While the graphic designer greatly undercharged for the design, Nike’s Phil Knight saw the solid potential of the “Swoosh!”
The iconic symbol has always remained in fashion since as the mere form itself is enough for Nike to play around with.
The shape of the check is the centerpiece of most of Nike’s fashion products playing around with the shape usually as the center of the design itself.
Quite seemingly, the Nike logo, a check, also embodies what the company wants to communicate with its audience.
Yes! Right! Just do it!
The logo is able to incorporate the company’s slogan through the design itself.
What to learn from the Nike logo:
Communicate with your logo
The reason why the Nike logo is so effective is that it is flexible enough to be used as both the center of whatever new designs and as a representation of the company.
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