Logo

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Not to be confused with Loggo, or the LGBT-targeted television channel, Logo (TV
channel). For other uses, see Logo (disambiguation)

Three famous logos: an abstract mark (Chase Bank by Chermayeff & Geismar), a logotype (IBM
by Paul Rand), and a pictorial mark (Girl Scouts of the USA by Saul Bass).
Logo of The Logo (TV channel)

A logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations

and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition. Logos are either purely
graphic (symbols/icons) or are composed of the name of the organization (a logotype or
wordmark). An example of an abstract mark is the blue octagon representing Chase Bank, while
an example of a representational mark is the "everyman" icon of PBS. Examples of well-known
logotypes (wordmarks) are the striped IBM design, Mobil written in blue with a red "o" and
CocaCola written in flowing red script.

In the days of hot metal typesetting, a logotype was a uniquely set and arranged typeface or
colophon. At the level of mass communication or simply in the high street a company's logo is
today often synonymous with its trademark or brand.[1]

Contents
[hide]

 1 History
 2 Logos today
 3 Logo design
 4 Logo designers
o 4.1 Dynamic logos
o 4.2 Internet Compatible Logos
 5 Examples
o 5.1 Corporations, businesses and products
o 5.2 Sports
o 5.3 Baseball
o 5.4 Football
o 5.5 Logos in subvertising
o Case study
o adiddas

[edit] History
Early trademark of the Chiswick Press

Numerous inventions and techniques have contributed to the contemporary logo, including
cylinder seals (c.2300 BCE), coins (c.600 BCE),[2][3] trans-cultural diffusion of logographic
languages, coats of arms,[4] watermarks,[5] silver hallmarks and the development of printing
technology.

As the industrial revolution converted western societies from agrarian to industrial in the 18th
and 19th centuries, photography and lithography contributed to the boom of an advertising
industry that integrated typography and imagery together on the page.[6] Simultaneously,
typography itself was undergoing a revolution of form and expression that expanded beyond the
modest, serif typefaces used in books, to bold, ornamental typefaces used on broadsheet posters.
[7]

The arts were expanding in purpose—from expression and decoration of an artistic, storytelling
nature, to a differentiation of brands and products that the growing middle classes were
consuming. Consultancies and trades-groups in the commercial arts were growing and
organizing; by 1890 the US had 700 lithographic printing firms employing more than 8,000
people.[8] Artistic credit tended to be assigned to the lithographic company, as opposed to the
individual artists.

A coin from early 6th century BC Lydia bearing the head of a roaring lion with sun rays
Innovators in the visual arts and lithographic process—such as French printing firm Rouchon in
the 1840s, Joseph Morse of New York in the 1850s, Frederick Walker of England in the 1870s,
and Jules Chéret of France in the 1870s—developed an illustrative style that went beyond tonal,
representational art to figurative imagery with sections of bright, flat colors.[8] Playful children’s
books, authoritative newspapers, and conversational periodicals developed their own visual and
editorial styles for unique, expanding audiences. As printing costs decreased, literacy rates
increased, and visual styles changed, the Victorian decorative arts lead to an expansion of
typographic styles and methods of representing businesses.[9]

The Arts and Crafts Movement of late-19th century, partially in response to the excesses of
Victorian typography, aimed to restore an honest sense of craftsmanship to the mass-produced
goods of the era.[10] A renewal of interest in craftsmanship and quality also provided the artists
and companies with a greater interest in credit, leading to the creation of unique logos and marks.

By the 1950s, Modernism had shed its roots as an avant-garde artistic movement in Europe to
become an international, commercialized movement with adherents in the United States and
elsewhere. The visual simplicity and conceptual clarity that were the hallmarks of Modernism as
an artistic movement formed a powerful toolset for a new generation of graphic designers whose
logos embodied Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s dictum, "Less is more." Modernist-inspired logos
proved successful in the era of mass visual communication ushered in by television,
improvements in printing technology, and digital innovations.

[edit] Logos today

Ancient in origin but today instantly recognizable: the logos of the Red Cross and the Red
Crescent

The current era of logo design began in the 1950s. A paradigmatic contemporary logo is the
Chase Bank logo, designed in 1960 by Chermayeff & Geismar, considered pioneers of
Modernist graphic design in the United States. The Chase logo was “the first truly abstract
logo”[11] of the contemporary era. As would happen with many subsequent corporate logos, mass
media advertising was used to link the logo with the bank in the public mind, while its simple,
distinctive form, free of specific cultural or other connotations, was well suited to represent a
complex, multinational corporation.[12]
Today there are many corporations, products, brands, services, agencies and other entities using
an ideogram (sign, icon) or an emblem (symbol) or a combination of sign and emblem as a logo.
As a result, only a few of the thousands of ideograms people see are recognized without a name.
It is sensible to use an ideogram as a logo, even with the name, if people will not duly identify it.
Currently, the usage of both images (ideograms) and the company name (logotype) to emphasize
the name instead of the supporting graphic portion and making it unique, by it non-formulaic
construction via the desiginal use of its letters, colors and any additional graphic elements.

Ideograms (icons, signs, emblems) may be more effective than a written name (logotype),
especially for logos being translated into many alphabets; for instance, a name in the Arabic
language would be of little help in most European markets. An ideogram would keep the general
proprietary nature of the product in both markets. In non-profit areas, the Red Cross (which goes
by Red Crescent in Muslim countries) is an example of an extremely well known emblem which
does not need an accompanying name. Branding aims to facilitate cross-language marketing. The
Coca-Cola logo can be identified in any language because of the standard color and the well
known "ribbon wave" design.

Some countries have logos, e.g. Argentina, Spain, Italy, Turkey and The Islands of The
Bahamas, that identify them in marketing their country solely for tourism purposes. Such logos
often are used by countries whose tourism sector makes up a large portion of their economy.

[edit] Logo design

Logo for a fictitious company: note narrow color range and simple design

Logo design is an important area of graphic design, and one of the most difficult to perfect. The
logo (ideogram), is the image embodying an organization. Because logos are meant to represent
companies' brands or corporate identities and foster their immediate customer recognition, it is
counterproductive to frequently redesign logos.

Color is considered important to brand recognition, but it should not be an integral component to
the logo design, which could conflict with its functionality. Some colors are formed/associated
with certain emotions that the designer wants to convey. For instance loud primary colors, such
as red, are meant to attract the attention of drivers on highways are appropriate for companies
that require such attention. In the United States red, white, and blue are often used in logos for
companies that want to project patriotic feelings. Green is often associated with the health and
hygiene sector, and light blue or silver is often used to reflect diet foods. For other brands, more
subdued tones and lower saturation can communicate reliability, quality, relaxation, or other
traits.

[edit] Logo designers

The logo design profession has substantially increased in numbers over the years since the rise of
the Modernist movement in the United States in the 1950s.[13] Three designers are widely[14]
considered the pioneers of that movement and of logo and corporate identity design: The first is
Chermayeff & Geismar,[15] which is the firm responsible for a large number of iconic logos, such
as Chase Bank (1964), Mobil Oil (1965), NBC (1984), PBS (1986), National Geographic(2003)
and others. Due to the simplicity and boldness of their designs, many of their earlier logos are
still in use today. The firm recently designed logos for the Library of Congress and the fashion
brand Armani Exchange. Another pioneer of corporate identity design is Paul Rand,[16] who was
one of the originators of the Swiss Style of graphic design. He designed many posters and
corporate identities, including the logos for IBM, UPS, and ABC. Rand died in 1996. The third
pioneer of corporate identity design is Saul Bass.[17] Bass was responsible for several
recognizable logos in North America, including both the Bell Telephone logo (1969) and
successor AT&T globe (1983). Other well-known designs were Continental Airlines (1968),
Dixie (1969), and United Way (1972). Later, he would produce logos for a number of Japanese
companies as well. He died in 1996.

[edit] Dynamic logos

In 1898 the French tire manufacturer Michelin introduced the Michelin Man, a cartoon figure
presented in many different contexts, such as eating, drinking and playing sports.

By the early 21st century, large corporations such as MTV, Google, Morton Salt and Saks Fifth
Avenue had adopted dynamic logos that change over time from setting to setting.[18]

Internet Compatible Logos

A company that use logotypes (wordmarks) may desire a logo that matches the firm's Internet
Address. For short logotypes consisting of two or three characters, multiple companies are found
to employ the same letters. A "CA" logo, for example, is used by the French Bank Credit
Agricole, the Dutch Clothing Retailer C&A and the US Software Corporation CA Technologies,
but only one can have the internet domain name CA.com.

Examples
Corporations, businesses and products
Coca-Cola logo

Due to the design, the color, the shape, and eventually additional elements of the logotype, each
one can easily be differentiated from other logotypes. For example, a box of Kellogg's cereals
will be easily recognized in a supermarket's shelf from a certain distance, due to its unique
typography and distinctive red coloring. The same will be true when one is at the airport looking
for the booth of the Hertz Rent-A-Car company.

Some well-known logos include Apple Inc.'s apple with a bite missing, which started out as a
rainbow of color, and has been reduced to a single color without any loss of recognition. Coca-
Cola's script is known worldwide, but is best associated with the color red; its main competitor,
Pepsi has taken the color blue, although they have abandoned their script logo. IBM, also known
as "Big Blue" has simplified their logo over the years, and their name. What started as
International Business Machines is now just "IBM" and the color blue has been a signature in
their unifying campaign as they have moved to become an IT services company.

There are some other logos that must be mentioned when evaluating what the mark means to the
consumer. Automotive brands can be summed up simply with their corporate logo—from the
Chevrolet "Bow Tie" mark to the roundel marks of Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and BMW, to
the interlocking "RR" of Rolls-Royce—each has stood for a brand and clearly differentiated the
product line.

Other logos that are recognized globally: the Nike "Swoosh" and the Adidas "Three stripes" are
two well-known brands that are defined by their corporate logo. When Phil Knight started Nike,
he was hoping to find a mark as recognizable as the Adidas stripes, which also provided
reinforcement to the shoe. He hired a young student (Carolyn Davidson) to design his logo,
paying her $35 for what has become one of the best known marks in the world (she was later
compensated again by the company).[19]

Another logo of global renown is that of Playboy Enterprises. Playboy magazine claims it once
received a letter at its Chicago, Illinois offices with its distinctive "bunny" logo as the only
identifying mark, appearing where the mailing address normally appears.

Corporate identities are often developed by large firms who specialize in this type of work.
However, Paul Rand is considered the father of corporate identity and his work has been seminal
in launching this field. Some famous examples of his work were the UPS package with a string
(replaced in March 2003), IBM and NeXT Computer.

An interesting case is the refinement of the FedEx logo, where the brand consultants convinced
the company to shorten their corporate name and logo from "Federal Express" to the popular
abbreviation "Fed Ex". Besides creating a shorter brand name, they reduced the amount of color
used on vehicles (planes, trucks) and saved hundreds of thousands of dollars in paint costs. Also,
the right-pointing arrow in the new logo hints at motion.

Logo of Facebook Inc.

Starting about 4 years ago, certain companies, especially online technology companies, began to
adopt a common look and feel. Many people refer to that standard as "web 2.0", but there is no
official "web 2.0" standard. Web 2.0 logos often use small chunks of large type, with bright and
cheery colors. Although there are literally hundreds of fonts used by web 2.0 companies, the
logos are generally dominated by soft, rounded san serif fonts such as VAG Rounded
(Crowdspring) and Helvetica Rounded (Skype). There are, however, numerous exceptions, as
some web 2.0 companies have used classic fonts (Trade, News Gothic, Frutiger, Helvetica),
while others have chosen to differentiate completely, using fonts like Klavika (Facebook).

[edit] Sports

The Cap logo of the New York Yankees.

[edit] Baseball

See: Baseball uniforms#Graphics and logos and Major League Baseball#MLB uniforms (image
of baseball-cap logos of the 30 MLB franchises)

[edit] Football

This section is empty. You can help by adding to it.

[edit] Logos in subvertising

See also: Culture jamming and Guerrilla communication

The wide recognition received by the most famous logos provides the brand's critics with the
possibility of meme-hacking, a process also known as subvertising, turning the marketing
message carried by the logo (either in its pristine form, or subtly altered) into a vehicle for an
alternative message, frequently highly critical to the brand in question. An example is the
AdBusters' corporate flag, a U.S. flag with the stars replaced by major corporate logos.

Virtually all distinctive design elements related to brands or logos can be subject to subvertising.
Two groups known for subverting established logos and brands are ®™ark and AdBusters.

information
adidas – the story of a logo
The 3-Stripes mark is without doubt the quintessential adidas symbol. It was created
by the adidas company founder, Adi Dassler, and first used on footwear in 1949.
Dassler created a symbol that could be immediately recognized when his footwear
was used in athletic competition and associated with adidas. He emphasized the
association with the slogan “The Brand with the 3 Stripes”. The 3-Stripes were first
used on apparel in 1967. The 3-Stripes now enjoy worldwide recognition as an adidas
symbol.
In the late 60s adidas expanded into the leisure and apparel sector, and this prompted
Käthe and Adi Dassler to seek a new, additional identification mark for the adidas
brand. In August 1971, the Trefoil was born, out of more than 100 ideas. Inspired by
the 3-Stripes, it is a geometric execution with a triple intersection, symbolizing the
diversity of the adidas brand. This symbol was first used on adidas products in 1972,
and later became the company’s corporate symbol. Today it plays the important role
of representing the adidas Originals collection.
In 1997, adidas decided to introduce an integrated corporate design, choosing as the
core element a new and yet familiar logo: the 3 bars. It was designed in 1990 by the
then Creative Director Peter Moore, and initially used on the Equipment range of
performance products. It is inspired by the 3-Stripes as they appear on footwear. The
information
shape formed by the bars also represents a mountain, indicating the challenge to be
faced and the goals to be achieved.
In August 1998, following the merger of adidas and Salomon, the then named adidas-
Salomon AG introduced a new corporate logo. The logo unites the values of the brands
of the Group, incorporating the typical colours of the two previous groups: blue for
adidas, red for Salomon. The logo shows three shapes coming together to form a
larger shape, namely a diamond. The space between the shapes forms another shape,
that of a person with arms raised in victory and celebration. This logo appeared on all
corporate documents of the then named adidas-Salomon AG, but not on products.
In July 2002, adidas-Salomon AG presented a revolutionary new business strategy for
the adidas brand, aimed at expanding its customer base and driving top-line growth.
The new structure marked a fundamental shift from the traditional “Footwear” and
“Apparel” structure, introducing a new three-divisional approach with the “Sport
Performance”, “Sport Heritage” and “Sport Style” divisions.
The products in the adidas Sport Performance division are developed for the sports
performance market but have design appeal, encouraging consumers to wear the
products both on and off the court or playing field.
The adidas Sport Heritage division contains adidas Originals products. Originals
products seek to extend the adidas brand’s unique and authentic heritage to the
lifestyle market. Design and functionality are already strong aspects of the two
existing adidas divisions and are continued with an even stronger focus in the new
Sport Style division.
information
adidas Sport Style - the future in sportswear designed by Yohji Yamamoto is an
exclusive collection, consisting of men’s and women’s footwear, apparel and
accessories. It combines the mission of the sports brand with the vision of style to
develop an unexpected and radical appeal. Yohji Yamamoto: “For me, this is an
interesting and exciting new project on many levels. And, I always wanted my clothes
to be accessible to… and desired by… a greater number of people, and I feel that it will
be possible for me to achieve this through this new line.”
In 2007, the Sport Heritage and Sport Style divisions merged into a single Sport Style
division. The logos of the two divisions remain visible on the respective collections.
The corporate logo changed after the divestiture of Salomon in October 2005. The new
logo of the adidas Group was launched in April 2006. The adidas Group logo is the
umbrella under which all Group-owned brands stand. It brings adidas back to its roots
by using the familiar adidas wordmark as a visual identity to the business community,
strengthening image and impression.
From a design perspective, the new logo is simple, clear, confident and shows
leadership. It will support future business growth and is flexible enough to anticipate
any unforeseen changes.
At the same time the adidas brand received a new logo to incorporate the divisions
Sport Performance and Sport Style.
information
The following chart shows all the brands gathered under the roof of the adidas Group:
information
The other brands of the adidas Group also have a long history of logos themselves:
Reebok
Reebok officially joined the adidas Group on January 31 st, 2006.
The original Reebok logo shows the Union Jack, representing the brand’s
beginnings in Bolton, England in 1895.
The logo was modified to represent the Reebok Classic Collection, a collection of
products characterized by the brand’s past.
In the late 80s, Reebok introduced a second icon, known as the vector. This icon
was introduced to represent a new era of “performance” product. The design
comes from cues on the product – known as the “side stripe – cross check”.
There have been modifications and iterations of the Reebok Performance Logo over
the years. The vector has been Reebok’s iconic symbol of Sport Performance.
information
To achieve a greater connection to the youth market, in 2001 Reebok introduced a
new tier of product – known as Rbk. The success of this branding influenced
Reebok to look at its overall branding scheme and determine that the future of the
brand would best be represented by this new logo.
At the 50th anniversary of the brand name in 2008, Reebok returned its brand
identity from Rbk to Reebok. While Rbk captured a moment in time for the brand,
Reebok is timeless and reflects the company’s heritage. The new design entails a
new font that is modern, yet simple, and incorporates the face of the brand.
information
TaylorMade-adidas Golf
TaylorMade-adidas Golf officially joined the adidas Group in 1997.
The first Taylor Made logo was implemented in 1979. It shows the script “Taylor”
and “Made” off to the side.
The TaylorMade "T" logo made its debut in the mid 1980s.
The updated copper “T” logo was used starting around late 1998.

The current TaylorMade logo was implemented in September 2000.