From The Blog

Discover the secrets behind the world’s most famous logos. Part 1

Written By: Ryan Marter

You see these logos all the time, but did you know some are hiding secret symbols, clever references, and mind-blowing design tricks? Logos are more than just symbols - they’re full of hidden meanings, brand stories, and even a few surprises!
I’ve been a designer for years, and these sneaky details still amaze me. Since I’m not alone in my logo love, I put together this ever-growing collection of facts about the world’s most iconic logos, updated weekly for more surprises. Buckle up - this collection will change the way you look at logos!

Adidas has three Logos.

The first one is the & Adidas Three Stripes, which is used on all their sport wear, and is probably the most recognisable out of the three. The second one is called the & Adidas Originals, which is used on their premium lifestyle and fashion products. The third one is called the & Adidas Neo, not as well known as the others, but is used on their standard lifestyle products.

There is a bear hidden in the Toblerone Logo.

The Toblerone chocolate makers are based in Bern, Switzerland. Bern is known as the “City of Bears” and has a bear on their coat of arms. The area is also home to the Matterhorn Mountain. This is a great example of incorporating a company’s roots and origins into their logo.

Stella Artois has been using the same Logo since 1366? This makes it the world’s oldest Logo!

The origins of Stella Artois can be traced back to 1366, when it was known as Brouwerij Artois. The company was renamed Stella Artois in 1708, and despite numerous shifts in management over the centuries, the logo has remained.

The design of their logo reflects the beer's origin from the city of Den Hoorn, Belgium. Den Horn is also Dutch for "The Horn". The now-defunct brewery lives on as the horn is proudly displayed on the top of the logo. The fancy frame around the name is representative of the style of the Flemish architecture found within the city.

Twinings Tea holds the record for the world's second oldest Logo still in use.

Twinings Tea has been using the same lion crest logo for over 230 years. Even more remarkable is the fact that the company is still family run, passing down 10 generations, and occupying the same location in London’s strand since its founding.

Twinings is now recognised globally and currently distributes its tea to more than 100 countries worldwide.

The QuikSilver Logo is a stylised version of the famous “Great Wave” woodblock print.

The Australian clothing company QuikSilver specialises in surfwear, and wanted to showcase this in their logo, deciding to depict the world’s most famous wave. The logo consists of a large wave with a mountain on a red background, a direct reference to Hokusai’s famous woodcut “The Great Wave off Kanagawa”.

The Roxy Logo consists of two Quiksilver Logos rotated to form a heart.

Quiksilver is an Australian clothing company, and currently the world’s largest manufacturers of surfwear and boardsport related equipment. Roxy, which was established in 1990, is an offshoot brand of Quiksilver, who sell clothing and accessories geared towards women. It’s logo was created by combining two Quiksilver logos, turning them on their sides and forming a heart.

There is a cyclist hidden in the Tour de France Logo.

At first glimpse, the Tour de France logo looks like it is made out of handwritten text, but on closer inspection, the logo contains a hidden cyclist, shaped by the letter R riding a bike, which wheel is made out of the O.

There is also a second subliminal message in hidden within the logo – a yellow circle which is intended to represent that the races only take place during the summer.

The Bluetooth Logo is made up of two old Scandinavian letters for H and B.

Bluetooth was created by Swedish company Ericsson in 1994, and is named after the Scandinavian king, Herald Bluetooth of Denmark. The logo is a combination of two old Scandinavian letters of H (Hagall) and B (Berkanan) which resembles the initials of the king’s name. These were then merged to form the logo.

Twitter’s original Logo only cost them $15.

They bought the logo of iStock from a logo designer called Simon Oxley, who only received $6 after iStock took its cut! Although the Twitter logo has recently undergone a makeover, it is still based on the iconic blue bird. Fun fact, the bird even has a name – Larry Bird.

Nike only spent $35 on their famous Swoosh Logo.

Nike has one of the world’s most recognisable logos, but it only cost them $35! Co-founder Phil Knight, commissioned Carolyn Davidson, a graphic design student who was studying at his university in Portland. He wasn’t happy with the design at the time, but decided to use it anyway. Years later, Nike rewarded Carolyn with a ring embedded with diamonds in the shape of the Nike logo for her creative efforts!

On the other end of the scale is BP, who spent over $211,000,000 on the re-design of their Logo.

BP had been using their previous shield inspired logo for over 70 years, and in 2010 decided to replace it with their “Helios” logo. The only element that was kept from the previous logo was the green and yellow colour scheme, to symbolise their strategy of green growth.

The world’s most expensive Logo belongs to Symantec.

Symantec is an American software company, and global leader in cyber security. Symantec spent over a billion dollars on its logo redesign and re-brand campaign. The cost was mainly down to establishing a foothold after buying out their competitor VeriSign. They wanted the Symantec tick to be as recognisable as Nikes tick. Many have come to realise that the re-brand failed to spotlight the company, as the firm is now struggling to reposition itself in the market

The Cadbury’s Logo is based on the signature of William Cadbury.

The Cadbury script logo, based on the signature of William Cadbury, appeared first on their transport fleet in 1921. It was quite fussy to start with and has been simplified over the years. It wasn’t until 1952 that it was used across all their major chocolate brands.

About the Author
Ryan Marter works as a lead graphic designer for Multiple Graphic Design. He has years of experience in helping out small and start-up business develop their brand. Get in touch with him on info@multiplegraphicdesign.com

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