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- For other uses, see Logo (other meanings).
A logotype, commonly known as a logo, is the graphic element of a trademark or brand, which is set in a special typeface/font, or arranged in a particular, but legible, way. The shape, color, typeface, etc. should be distinctly different from others in a similar market.
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Overview
A logo is a tangible form used to represent any given article.
In recent times the term 'logo' has been used to describe signs, emblems, coats of arms, symbols and even flags. In this article several examples of 'true' logotypes are displayed, which may generally be contrasted with emblems, or marks which include non-textual graphics of some kind. Emblems with non-textual content are distinct from true logotypes.
The uniqueness of a logotype is of utmost importance to avoid confusion in the marketplace among clients, suppliers, users, affiliates, and the general public. To the extent that a logotype achieves this objective, it may function as a trademark, and may be used to uniquely identify businesses, organizations, events, products or services. Once a logotype is designed, one of the most effective means for protecting it is through registration as a trademark, so that no unauthorised third parties can use it, or interfere with the owner's use of it. If rights in relation to a logotype are correctly established and enforced, it can become a valuable intellectual property asset.
A common misconception holds that a logotype is merely a graphic symbol or sign. This is, however, not the way it is defined by graphic designers and by advertising professionals. A logotype consists of either a name or a name and a sign. The images at right show examples of the two kinds of logotypes, so as a single emblem.
While large corporations spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to update and implement their logos, many small businesses will turn to local graphic designers to do a corporate logo.
Brand slogans
Sometimes a slogan is included in the logotype. If the slogan appears always in the logotype, and in the same graphic shape, it can be considered as part of the logotype. In this case it is a brand slogan also called a claim, a tagline or an endline in the advertising industry. The main purpose of it is to support the identity of the brand together with the logotype. The difference between a slogan and a brand slogan is that brand slogan remains the same for a long time to build up the brands image while different slogans link to each product or advertising campaign.
Examples:
- U.S. Army: The Power of One.
- iPod nano: 1,000 songs. Impossibly small.
- Amazon.com: And you're done.
- BRAVIA: The next step in the evolution of TV.
- Charles Schwab: On the side of the investor.
History
The origin of logotypes goes back to the 19th century, when industrial manufacture of products became important. The new industrial procedures allowed a much higher output then that of the former handmade products. The new products were distributed in large geographical areas, even nationwide. New competitors appeared from time to time, and the offer of products of a same kind increased notably. At that time, a significant part of the population was still illiterate. The industrial leaders became soon aware that the public would not easily differentiate their product from the same product of their competitors. More and more manufacturers began therefore to include a symbol, sign, or emblem on their products, labels and packages, so that all the buyers could easily recognize the product they wanted.
The manufacturers later began to add the name of the company or of the product to their sign. The name being shaped often in a specific way by each manufacturer, these combined logotypes, which for the first time included sign and name, became extremely popular. During many decades, when a new logo was being designed, owners, advertising professionals, and graphic designers always attempted to create a sign or emblem which, together with the name of the company, product, or service, would appear as a logotype.
Logos today
Today there are so many corporations, products, services, agencies and other entities using a sign or emblem as logotype that many have realized that only a few of the thousands of signs people are faced with are recognized without a name. The consequence is the notion that it makes less sense to use a sign as a logotype, even together with the name, if people will not duly identify it. Therefore, the trend in the recent years has been to use both logos and names, and to emphasize the design of the name instead of the logotype, making it unique by its letters, color, and additional graphic elements. Examples of well-designed logos and logotypes are available in competitive design annuals.
Emblems will sometimes will grow in popularity, especially across areas with differing alphabets; for instance, a name in the Arabic language would be of little help in most European markets. A sign or emblem would keep the general proprietary nature of the product in both markets. In non-profit areas, the Red Cross is an example of an extremely well known emblem which does not need a name to go with, though in Muslim countries it is the Red Crescent.
Logo design
Logo design is commonly believed to be one of the most important areas in graphic design, thus making it the most difficult to perfect. The logo, or brand, is not just an image, it is the embodiment of an organization. Because logos are meant to represent companies and foster recognition by consumers it is counterproductive to redesign logos often.
A good logo:
- is unique, and not subject to confusion with other logos among customers
- is functional and can be used in many different contexts while retaining its integrity
- should remain effective reproduced small or large
- can work in "full-color", but also in two color presentation (black and white), spot color, or halftone.
- may be able to maintain it's integrity printed on various fabrics or materials (where the shape of the product may distort the logo)
- abides by basic design principles of space, color, form, consistency, and clarity
- represents the brand/company appropriately
Color is important to the brand recognition, but should not be an integral component to the logo design, which would conflict with its functionality. Loud colors, such as red, that are meant to attract the attention of drivers on freeways are appropriate for companies that require such attention.
For other brands, more subdued tones and lower saturation can communicate dependability, quality, relaxation, etc.
Color is also useful for linking certain types of products with a brand. Warm colors (red, orange, yellow) are linked to hot food and thus can be seen integrated into many fast food logos. Conversely, cool colors (blue, purple) are associated with lightness and weightlessness, thus many diet products have a light blue integrated into the logo.
When designing (or commissioning) a logo, practices to encourage are:
- use few colors, or try to limit colors to spot colors (a term used in the printing industry)
- avoid gradients (colors that transition from dark to light/light to dark) as a distinguishing feature
- produce alternatives for different contexts
- design using vector graphics, so the logo can be resized without loss of fidelity (Adobe Illustrator is one of the main programs for this type of design work; open source programs like Inkscape are emerging as excellent free alternatives)
- be aware of design or copyright infringements
- include guidelines on the position on a page and white space around the logo for consistent application across a variety of media (a.k.a. brand standard manual)
- do not use a specific choice of third-party font or clip-art as a distinguishing feature
- do not use the face of a (living) person
- avoid photography or complex imagery as it reduces the instant recognition a logo demands
- avoid culturally sensitive imagery, such as religious icons or national flags, unless the brand is commited to being associated with any and all connotations such imagery may evoke
There are essentially three kinds of logos:
- Combination (icon plus text )
- Logotype/Wordmark/Lettermark (text or abbreviated text)
- Icon (symbol / brandmark)
Examples
The following table shows the names of six well-known companies in the same typeface in all cases. In these examples, recognizing the companies entails reading the name.
Kellogg's |
Hyatt |
Bankers Trust |
Pfizer |
Lancôme |
Hertz |
In the next table, the name of these companies is shown in their specific design, their logotype. 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 it's unique typography and distinctive red coloring. The same will be true when one is looking at the airport for the booth of the Hertz Rent-A-Car company. The logotype will be recognized from afar because of its shape and its yellow color.
Kelloggs logotype  |
Hyatt logotype  |
Banker's Trust logotype  |
Pfizer logotype  |
Lancome logotype  |
Hertz logotype  |
Other well-known examples are: Apple Computer, Inc.'s apple with a bite out of it 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 the world over, 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 circle marks of VW, Mercedes 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 (Caroline 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).
Corporate identities today 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 (updated in March 2003) IBM, Goodwill Industries 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 much stronger, shorter brand name, they reduced the amount of color used on vehicles (planes, trucks) and saved hundreds of thousands of dollars in paint costs. Note also, the right pointing arrow in the new logo is a subliminal hint of motion.
Logos in subvertising
This section is a The wide recognition the most famous logos receive 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. Perhaps the best known example of a logo "hijacked" this way is the Swooshtika. Another example is the Adbusters' corporate flag, a U.S. flag with the white stars replaced with major corporate logos.
Virtually all distinctive design elements related to brands or logos can become subjects to subvertising.
The best-known organizations subverting established logos and brands are RTmark and AdBusters.
See also Culture jamming, Guerrilla communication.
See also
- Sound logo
- Brand
- Monogram, a motif made by overlapping or combining two or more letters or other graphemes to form one symbol.
External links
- Logo Design Services Directory - List of logo design companies.
- What Makes A Great Logo - Article, plus commentary on various logos.
- Brandmarker - The art group monochrom attempted to evaluate the actual power of commercial brands by making people draw famous logos from memory.
- Government of Canada survey - A case study on how the Canadian Government logotypes have affected popular perception of the Canadian federal government.
- Platinum Design - Logo design explained.