The Most Iconic Logos of All Time

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One of the most important aspects for a brand to become and remain a success is its logo. It’s a classic example of how design and art can come together to define a brand’s identity. A logo is more than just a small design. It allows people to relate emotionally to the product or company.

Consumers attach feelings to logos and consequently start building a relationship with the brand. This is probably why there is usually a lot of opposition towards any old logo being changed by a company. It’s almost like these consumers are losing a loved one.

A lot of logos also have nostalgia associated with them so when you change or get rid of a logo, you are almost taking away someone’s childhood. A good logo is to the outside world what good SEO is to the digital world. It’s all about recall value and ranking high among the other competitors as you can find out here. Sometimes logos undergo evolution to reflect the ever-changing times like for example the Coca Cola logo which may be different from its original avatar but still retains much of its character. Here are a few more logos that best define their company.

Nike

Nike’s Swoosh is an iconic logo that is also the most recognised abstract logo of all time. First unveiled in 1971, the logo was designed by Carolyn Davidson who was just a young designer at that time and was paid a princely sum of $35 for it. However, to make up for it, the company owners decided to give her some equity shares when they went public a few years later. The Swoosh is a tribute to the Greek Goddess Nike who’s believed to have wings that would help her fly over battlefields.

Apple

Everyone knows what the Apple logo looks like. It’s an apple with a bite taken off. But did you know that the first Apple logo was very different from this. It was a sketch of Newton sitting under the tree before the apple fell. This looked more like a painting than a minimalist sketch and Steve Jobs decided that it won’t do and got the designer Rob Janoff to do something about it. Rob’s first version of the new logo was an apple with rainbow stripes. This has evolved over the years as described here and has become one of the most familiar logos of all time.

FedEx

The FedEx logo is a work of creative genius. The typography used to write FedEx is cleverly tweaked to convey the brand’s core use. Look closely at the E and X in the logo and you will see an arrow wedged between the alphabets. This logo came out in 1994 and stands as one of the most clever logos ever designed.

There are many other logos that best define a company’s ethos and survive like the IBM logo or the BMW logo (which refers to its history of making aeroplane engines). These logos make one realise that design and art are so crucial in conveying a brand or a company’s philosophy to the masses and that while it may look very simple, there is a lot of thought that goes behind making a simple logo.