View the latest logos added to the Logo Design History. http://www.logoorange.com/ en-us Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400 Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  This innovative and ground-breaking American company was the brain child of five successful business men in 1902. The men initially formed the "Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co." and, when mining showed little promise of offering them a return, they looked for further opportunities. After stumbling around looking for new products potential one of the owners coincidentally came about the idea of sandpaper. Other ingenious ideas by this company include Scotch tape and Post-it notes.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  Adidas - a name that stands for competence in all sectors of sport all over the world. Adidas was founded by Adolf (Adi) Dassler, who started producing shoes in the 1920s with the help of his brother Rudolf Dassler who later formed rival shoe company PUMA AG. Adi Dassler's aim was to provide every athlete with the best possible equipment. For this he followed three guiding principles: design the best shoe for the requirements of the sport, protect the athlete from injury, and make the product durable. Today, the Adidas brand product range extends from shoes, apparel and accessories for basketball, soccer, fitness and training to adventure, trail and golf. The company's clothing and shoe logo designs typically feature three parallel stripes, and this same motif is incorporated into Adidas's current official logo. For years the only symbol associated with Adidas was the trefoil (flower) logo design. The 3 leaves symbolize the Olympic spirit, linked to the three continental plates as well as the heritage and history of the brand. The "Trefoil" was adopted as the corporate logo design in 1972. In 1996, it was decided that the Trefoil corporate identity would only be used on heritage products. Examples of products featuring the Trefoil logo design include the Stan Smith, Rod Laver, A-15 Warm-Up, and Classic T-Shirt. In January 1996, the Three-Stripe brand mark became the worldwide Adidas corporate logo. This logo represents performance and the future of the Adidas branding identity. It has become synonymous with Adidas and its dedication to producing high-quality athletic products to help athletes perform better.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  Adobe's triangular abstract A is widely known today. In December 1982, Adobe Systems was formed by Chuck Geschke and John Warnock who were trying to start up a new company. The two forty-something men were confident in the software language they developed and its natural applications. The programing language became known as PostScript and featured several innovations. Communications between printer and PC no longer needed a hotchpotch of specialized application protocols and drivers but one software language only. Also the language could describe both graphics and text on one page. Graphic designer Marva Warnock designed the company's first identity. The stylization of the A is carried through all glyphs in a rather accomplished and aware way. The original logo also offers a glance of what the future logo would look like. The new stylized A logo sets an example of how a company extends and respects its own graphic history.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  AEG - When Peter Behrens (1868-1940) became the Artistic Director of the business in 1907, it heralded a new dawn of product devices and a new day in marketing and advertising. Within a very short space of time, Behrens began to formulate and implement a new standardised appearance for the branding that was associated with the products across a variety of media including letterheads, packaging, posters and folders. Further on in his career, Behrens also set out the style for a whole range of infrastructure and company assets, including but not limited to manufacturing and production facilities, sales showrooms, the residences of workers and also continued on with his commitment to branding across catalogues and product price lists amongst other things. During his employment with AEG right up until 1914, Behrens became a leader in branding and marketing industrial consumables for the mass market like never before. The sheer numbers of new and innovative products made it economical for the average person to purchase and for the company to produce at an economic and affordable price. In line with the constantly changing nature of the business, the initial hexagonal form of the logo design was also temporary and only lasted until 1908. ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  This logo is the official branding of the Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili, which is designed to directly represent the family coat of arms of the Visconti, one of the most influential and respected families out of Milan. ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  This is the Logo of the largest European insurance company, Alliance 0, which has been in business since 1890. This company uses its logo as a coat of arms. In 1923 the logo was developed into a graphical representation of the coat of arms, and later it was further designed into three simple lines which represented the birds in the same way.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400   Paul Rand 's 1965 redesign of the trademark for the American Broadcasting Company reduced the information to its simple essence while achieving a memorable and unique image. The continuing legacy of the Bauhaus and Herbert Bayer's universal alphabet informs this trademark, in which each letterform is reduced to its most elemental configuration.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  A year after water was found in 1852 under one of the vineyards in Neuenahr Ahrweiler in the Ahrtal, and a Mineral Water Spring was uncovered, the company began to promote and sell the water under the brand of the name of Italian bishop Apollinaris (of Raveanna in Italy). When the business set up a subsidiary in England in 1892, the business operations then began to move with a primary focus to Great Britain, and hence, this is where the new logo was developed. This logo represents the company's reputation and recognition for excellence and quality and in some senses acts as a quality seal. ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  Based on its company name, they selected an apple as its main form of branding. Initially, the logo depicted a small apple shape sitting under a tree with Apple Computer Co set into the frame of the picture. It is this apple that has continued to be used. The first logo design was perceived to be a bit too complex and hard to view, so Regis McKenna worked on the logo some years later and added a "bite mark" to symbolize the concept of seduction of the customers and the marketplace in general. Next, the monochrome version was replaced with the rainbow-colored logo as a reference to the Biblical story of Adam and Eve in which the apple represents the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. It brings to mind that people must pursue their dreams. While this was not initially a deliberate goal, it did encourage business and consumers to consider the Apple brand for the first time and was successful in generating increased profits. ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  It is believed that the use of the four rings logo is most likely to generate back to the date of Claus Detlof of Oertzen, who described the idea as being something related to Olympia and the Olympiad which fuses the coming together of groups. This is in line with the coming together of the four Audi companies - AUDI, DKW, Horch and Wanderer. ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  In 1862 Cuban wine merchant Facundo Bacardi, originating from Spain, acquired a distillery in Santiago de Cuba. This facility used the method developed by Bacardi for refining sugar and liquor into a white-colored, mild rum. Because there were a large number of bats living under the roof of the distillery, it was decided that it was appropriate to also show the bats on the brand of its white Bacardi Rum products. It's worth mentioning that fruit bats are a symbol of good luck in Cuba. ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  In 1892 in Berne in Switzerland, the company Alpursa was formed, to create and sell milk of the Bernese Alps. In 1931 the company renamed itself Allgaeuer Alpine Milk. Now, across the world, the label "Barenmarke" is used to market condensed milk which was first manufactured in 1912. The name was maintained as this until recently when it was changed to Nestle, and today the company that makes condensed milk products uses for its inspiration a coat of arms as created by the founder city Berne, in which it carries the bear as its coat of arms animal.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  BASF has always promoted themselves as "The Chemical Company." In this logo it uses two inverted square symbols that are designed to represent a key and a lock, which tells the customers that BASF will work with them to solve their problems. ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  This native New Yorker was educated and worked in his home city until 1950, when he moved to California. Two years later, he opened his own studio focusing on advertising films, trailers, posters and logos. He reinvented the movie title as an art form (The Man with a Golden Arm, Psycho, Vertigo, Cape Fear). Paul Rand's use of shape and asymmetrical ballance during the 1940s was an important inspiration for Bass. But while Rand's carefully orchestrated compositions used contrast of shape, color and texture, Bass frequently reduced the graphic design to a single dominant image, usually centered in the space. His mastery of elemental form was applied to corporate identity problems as his firm - Saul Bass and Associates, later renamed Saul Bass/Herb Yeager and Associates - produced iconic and often widely imitated trademarks. Bass believes that a trademark must be readily understood yet possess elements of metaphor and ambiguity that will attract the viewer again and again. Many Bass logo designs have become important cultural icons. His corporate work included the design of highly successful logos for United Airlines, ATandT, Minolta, Bell Telephone System, Quaker, United Way and Warner Communications.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  Batman represents one of the twentieth century's greatest mythic heroes. It started after the success of Superman that Bob Kane and his partner Bill Finger decided to create a hero whose goal was to purge the world of evil in dark, twisted, urban America. The Batman logo also referred to as the Batman Emblem, symbolically brings together all the fundamental attributes that make Batman remarkable. The original version of the logo was a simple black bat against the grey color of the batsuit. Variations of this design have been used since the character's first appearance until 25 years later. In 1964, Detective Comics #327 introduces the Bat-logo as a yellow ellipse behind the insignia against the grey color of the batsuit after Julius Schwartz decided that the symbol with the yellow oval would make Batman look more contemporary. Despite the periodical redesigns, this version remains the most commonly known representation of Batman throughout time. The reason for the yellow emblem is given by the hero himself in the Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller. Batman states that he wanted to have a yellow mark because it would serve as an easy target and that part of the costume was bullet resistant. By the late 1990s, Batman's suit becomes darker and the yellow ellipse disappears once again. Although the animated series Batman Beyond present a red bat against a black suit, today's Batman cartoons, movies video games and comics removed the yellow ellipse and helped return the character to his dark roots.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  Lester Beall helped launch the modern movement in American design during the late 1920s and early 1930s. During the last two decades of his career, Beal did pioneering corporate identity programs for many corporations, including Martin Marietta, Connecticut General Life Insurance, and International Paper Company. Beall contributed to the development of the corporate identity manual, a firm's book of guidelines and standards for implementing its program. Beall's manuals specifically prescribed the permissible uses and forbidden abuses of the trademark. If a plant manager in a small town retained a sign painter to paint the logo design on a sign, for example, the corporate design manual specified the exact proportions and placement.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  This company has now become the Brewing company (InterBev) originally was owned by Heinrich Beck in 1873. The logo itself depicts a key, which entitles the holder of the beer to be welcome to the City of Bremen. Although there is a folk lore joke that says that this design is interpreted as "Hamburg is the gate to the world - but only Bremen has the key to it."]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  The logo used by BMW is representative and derived from the Bavarian engine components that first made up the company structure in 1917. It is also in the Bavarian national colors of black, white and blue. The black ring and the internal and external enclosing rings were used to represent the previous company "Bayerische Flugzeug-Werke (BFW)". BMW resulted from this business. While many think that the propeller was in fact designed to represent a rotary propeller which was developed in 1929, in actuality this interpretation is only promoted for marketing purposes and has no factual basis. The more recent iterations of the BMW logo talk little of the propeller and more about the vehicle itself in an outdoor environment, as is outlined by Publicity and Advertising Manager Wilhelm Farrenkopf in the BMW work magazine in 1942, where he talked about the shining disk, shades of the engines, two silver divides and bright blue gleams that represent the sky. ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  This company's logo was designed in 1918 by the then companies Technical Director, Robert Bosch. It was designed to depict a magnetic ignition key.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400   The Burger King Company was established by David Edgerton and James McLamore who launched their first restaurant called Insta Burger King on December 4, 1954 in Miami, Florida, USA. During 1989, it was re-branded as Burger King and became internationally known. The original BK corporate logo also referred to as the "Bun Halves" was established in 1969 and lasted till early 1990s. It was a simple logo having the name "Burger King" in red letters sandwiched between two bun halves. In 1994, Burger King modernized its first logo by using a smoother font with rounded edges. By 1999, the company again updated the logo that is a stylized version of the "bun halves" logo. The new logo featuring a blue swirl gives the Burger King logo a circular appearance making it look more contemporary. ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  This logo has changed significantly several times since its inception in 1913, when the tobacco company was first opened and operated by Richard Joshua Reynold. Reynold had previous experience in the industry as he had worked for some years on a tobacco farm owned by his father in Virginia between 1874 and 1895. As a lover and smoker of tobacco, and owner of the business, Reynold transported goods between two local towns, one of which regularly hosted a roaming circus Barum and Bailey. Hence the Camel logo was born, from Reynolds' love of the circus in the nearby town. ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  The Columbia Broadcasting system of New York City moved to the forefront of corporate identity design as a result of two vital assets: CBS president Frank Stanton, who understood art and design and their potential in corporate affairs, and William Golden (1911-1959). As CBS art director for almost two decades, Golden brought uncompromising visual standards and keen insight into the communications process. He designed one of the most successful trademarks of the twentieth century for CBS. When the pictographic CBS eye first appeared as an on-air logo on 16 November 1951, it was superimposed over a cloud-filled sky and projected an almost surreal sense of an eye in the sky. The efectiveness of the CBS logo design demonstrated to the larger management community that a contemporary graphic mark could compete successfully with traditional illustrative or alphabetic trademarks.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  Intel uses the split design logo to show the convergence between information and technology. The two wings the designer used suggest a link between technology and lifestyle and the progression toward the future. The designer's use of the color Magenta for the lower of the two wings balances the out against the bright contrast of the contemporary Intel blue, offering high energy visual stimulation for the viewer. In this logo you can also see Intel's use of the "hanging e," which was used in the original iteration of their logo and is carried over today as an embodiment of their overall commitment to their original corporate philosophies. ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  The house of Chanel was founded by Gabrielle Bonheur "Coco" Chanel in 1910. Coco Chanel was one of the most significant fashion designers of all times. She revolutionizes women's wear and set new standards for the contemporary style. Coco got into fashion opening up a small shop which first sold ladies hats. Soon Coco and her house conquered not only Paris but the rest of the fashion world. The corporate name Chanel became an icon of elegance and from then on, the Chanel logo became synonymous to elegance, wealth, and elitism as well as a standard for international fashion. The Chanel logo design was designed in 1925 by Coco Chanel herself and remained unchanged ever since. It turned out to be one of the most recognizable symbols in the fashion world with its overlapping double 'C' - one facing forward and the other facing backward. Chanel's logo is frequently seen in perfumes, purses, shoes, and jewelry.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  Chermayeff and Geismar Associates moved to the forefronts of the corporate identification movement in 1960 with a comprehensive visual image program for The Chase Manhattan Bank of New York. Chase Manhattan's new logo design was composed of four geometric wedges rotating around a central square to form an external octagon. It was an abstract form unto itself, free from alphabetic, pictographic or figurative connotations. Although it does have general overtones of security or protection because the four elements confine the square, this trademark demonstrated that a completely abstract form could successfully function as a visual identifier for a large organization. A distinctive sans serif typefacewas designed for use with the logo design. The selection of an expanded letter grew out of Chermayeff and Geismar's study of the client's design and communication needs. Urban signage, for instance, is often seen by pedestrians at extreme angles, but an extended letterform retains its character recognition even when viewed under these conditions. The uncommon presence of the expanded sans serif form in the Chase Manhattan corporate design system launched a fashion for this kind of letterform during the first half of the 1960s. Consistency and uniformity in the application of both logo and letterform enabled redundancy, in a sense, to become a third identifying element. The Chase Manhattan corporate identification system became a prototype for the genre. It led many corporate managers to seriously evaluate their corporate image and the need for an effective and unique visual identifier. The rapid recognition value gained by the Chase Manhattan mark indicated that a successfull logo could, in effect, become an additional character in the inventory of symbolic forms that every person carries mentally. Tom Geismar observed that a symbol must be memorable and have ''some barb to it that will make it stick in your mind.'' At the same time, it must be ''attractive, pleasant and appropriate. The challenge is to combine all those things into something simple''.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  The logo of this iconic American company shows us two downward angles in a clipped and parallel manner. They originate directly from the name of the company Chevron, which means "angles" in terms of rank and badge rank, as one of the interpretations. ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  The Chiquita Banana Company, also sometimes referred to colloquially as the "banana republic," dates back to the year 1870, when Captain Lorenzo Dow Baker transported a historically large batch of bananas from Jamaica to Massachusetts on his sailing boat. When those bananas arrived, they were spoilt and inedible, and he then committed to send another batch but this time of green bananas, so that by the time they arrived they would be suitable and perfect for eating. In 1885, in partnership with the then undertaker Andrew Woodbury, Preston set up the Boston Fruits company and then 1899 the United Fruits Company. This current day logo resurfaced in 1963 from the talents of a commercial artist. Initially it was derived from sketches of a half woman, half banana and was referred to as a Chiquita meaning "tiny or small girl" in Spanish. ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  Chupa Chups was the first candy designed with children in mind. Back in 1958 Enric Bernat Fontlladosa launched the Chupa Chups hoping to create a more practical lollipop for kids. After the end of the Francisco Franco dictatorship the company's founder managed to make his sweets known worldwide. An innovative company as Chupa Chups needed an effective logo to represent it. Most people are quite surprised to find out that the Chupa Chups distinctive daisy logo was designed in 1969 by the famous surrealist Salvador Dali . It's all 100% fact. After Bernat introduced his idea of a more universal logo, Dali needed an hour only to draft on a newspaper what would become the basis for today's Chupa Chups logo. It actually makes sense. Salvador Dali throughout his later life-time would lend his image to a variety of commercial interests, using himself as a brand. He was the ultimate self publicist, trait which led Breton to nickname him "Avida Dollars" when talking about Dali's later output. The Chupa Chups logo can currently be found on all kinds of lollipops and related items , and the company maintains its focus on creating new, exciting products.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  The logo of the specialised chemistry section of Ciba depicts a pixilated and multicolored butterfly. This butterfly was used as a symbol for Ciba's transformation into the future of growth and expansion. The multiple colors used in the depiction of the butterfly are used to represent the many divisions that make up the company. ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  In 1984 Len Bosack and Sandy Lerner, two computer science professionals based out of Stanford University, created the Cisco corporation. Cisco is currently ranked in the top few of the specialist routing and switching companies in the world and they have permeated technology sales across the globe. The Cisco logo is in keeping with the companies original formation, San Francisco - and close the Golden gate Bridge, which is also known as the "gate to the Pacific," in hope that this springs success eternal.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  The company logo of the 1919-initiated company, by founder Andre Citroen, the French automaker, depicts two gear wheels as herring-bone teeth.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  One of the worlds most recognised logos, the Coca-Cola brand dates back to 1886, where initially it sold very well in Atlanta Georgia because the city was the subject of local alcohol prohibition at the time. The signature used in the logo was sketched by their Publicity Director at the time, Franc Robinson.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  Container Corporation became an early advocate of systematic corporate identity in the 1960s. A new corporate logo had been developed by the design staff under design director Ralph Eckerstrom. A flat image becomes an isometrical optical illusion, signifying packaging while provoking visual interest.The corporate initials were packaged in a rectangle with two corners shaved at a forty-five -degree angle to imply an isometric box. Eckerstrom stated the requirements of a corporate identification program:''As a function of management, design must be an integrated part of overall company operation and directly related to the company's business and sales activities. It must have continuity as a creative force. It must reflect total corporate character. Unless it meets these requirements, the company image it seeks to create will never coalesce into a unified whole, but will remain a mosaic of unrelated fragments''. John Massey (b.1931 who joined Container Corporation in 1957, became the director of design in 1964. Under his direction, corporate design and the International Typographic Style merged. Visual identification and systems design in general - and design in Chicago in particular-were broadly influenced. Massey adopted Helvetica as the corporate typeface, and developed standardized grids for all signage and publications. A strong advocate of design consistency and unity, Massey used thematic and visual continuity in such diverse communications materials as the anual report to stockholders and trade advertising as early as 1961. In 1965, Container Corporation established the Center for Advanced Research in Design, an independent design studio that worked on advanced and experimental projects and received commissions from other organizations.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  In the early 1990's, BSN Gervais Danone renamed the French company Danone and changed its logo to reflect its plans for global expansion. The logo itself is centered around the strong historical basis of "Danone" the place, and the central values of the company including purity and naturalness. The logo depicts in its center a young boy looking up at a star in the sky. This young figure is actually a representation of Daniel, who was the son of Isaac Carasso, who originally founded the Danone Corporation. ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  DC Comics is a division of Warner Brothers Entertainment and an American comic book. The initials "DC" stood originally for the company's title Detective Comics, and later became the official name. The first DC Comics logo was introduced in 1940. The small logo read simply, "A DC Publication". The November 1941 DC titles brought out a new version, which was the first DC logo to have a white background. By November 1949, the circular logo was updated to comprise the company's formal name - National Comics Publications. DC Comics decided to retire the circular emblem in October 1970 in favor of a simple "DC" in a rectangle with the star of the book or the name of the title. The initials "DC" appeared in a block-like typeface that would remain through later logo revisions. However, in 2005 the publisher of Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman decided to replace the old, flat, four-star bullet logo that has been on the covers of DC Comics since the mid-1970's. The new logo - "DC" letters against a Saturn-like ring in a dimensional rendering, with a single star - obsolesces the longstanding, Milton Glaser-designed icon. The move was considered "part face lift and part marketing strategy." The first comic book with the new symbol came out in stores on May 25, 2005.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  One of the most widely used and accepted skin care brands in the world, Unilever first developed its products to aid military personnel in the 1950s. At that time the Navy needed soap and other detergents to assist with cleansing from the agents' inconstant sea water and sand exposure, which usually hardened and dried out the skin. When the soap became more popular, the company decided in 1957 to turn it into a commercially available product, and began to sell it under the brand of Dove. The Dove was used to represent a pigeon or peace pigeon in honor and memory of its original purpose for which it was first manufactured.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  This pharmacy was the dream of young pharmacist Dr. August Oetker in 1891, who worked long into the night to find cures for people for a variety of ailments. Thanks to his ongoing and committed research, he discovered how baking powder in sped up the process of baking and cooking breads and other delicious goods. By placing just a small amount in a bag, he realized he could use the baking powder to speed up baking, and with ongoing testing he realized success after success. The head depicted in the logo is used to highlight the marketing phrase that was initially used in the consumer marketing for the baking powder: "a bright head is one that uses Dr. Oetker's baking powder." The red-white silhouette is a depiction of the daughter of a commercial artist, and has remained on the packaging for the products until today. This logo is representative of the high quality that is found in the baking powder product since its original creation all those years ago.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  The name on the Erdal logo comes from the location of the manufacturing plant, based in Erthalstrasse. The second part of the company's name comes from the Latin word "rex," The logo here depicts a frog king and a bright shining star, based on the company's intention to never forget from where it has come.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  In May 1974, the Graphics Improvement Program, under the direction of Jerome Perlmutter, set forth to improve the quality of visual communications and the ability of governmental agencies to communicate effectively to citizens. The prototype federal graphics standard corporate system was designed by John Massey for the Department of Labor. The logo design is composed of two interlocking letter L's, forming a diamond configuration around a star. By striping the L forms, Massey expressed the American flag's stars and stripes .]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  The original Federal Express corporate logo was designed by Richard Runyan in 1973. The new FedEx logo is one of the most recognizable logos due to the company's presence all over the world. The logo was created in 1994 by Lindon Leader, as Senior Design Director at Landor Associates, San Francisco. The same year it was ranked by Rolling Stone Magazine as one of the 8 best logos of the past thirty-five years. Along side Apple, Coca-Cola, Nike, IBM, Starbucks, McDonald's and Playboy. FedEx is a syllabic abbreviation of the company's original name: Federal Express. At first glance the FedEx corporate logo appears to be plain and simple, however there is a detail that once seen changes the perception about it: a right-pointing arrow located in the negative space between the E and x. While the arrow becomes quite obvious when pointed out, most people do not observe it. The arrow has been seldom pointed to as a soft form of subliminal advertising. The arrow symbolizes forward movement and thinking. ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  This company is the manufacturer of fine quality chocolate and pralines. The company has used the signature of Princess Feodora, who was the sister of the last German empress, as its branding and in its logo since 1910. The key reason for using this insignia was a charity meeting with the Princess Feodora, who was able to then sample the fine wares of the company. The princess was so impressed with the product that she permitted the company to sell its wares under her name. The coat of arms found in the upper left hand corner depicts the family coats of arms from the founding family of the business - the Mayer family. ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  Ferrari is an Italian car manufacturer involved in the Formula One World Championship. The company was founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929. The famous symbol of Ferrari is a black prancing horse on yellow background, usually with the letters S F for Scuderia Ferrari. The jumping black horse is known as "Rampante Cavallo." The horse on the emblem honors an Italian flying ace named Francesco Baracca, who lost his life in World War I. The vibrant black silhouette of the Ferrari horse also represents the popular belief that a horse on the top of a car would always guide its driver to victory. Another assumption suggests Baracca copied the jumping horse design from a shot down German pilot who had the emblem of the city of Stuttgart on his plane. This horse theme comes from the origins of the city's name Stutengarten, an ancient form of the modern German word Gestut, which translates into English as stud farm and into Italian as scuderia. Ferrari has used the Cavallino Rampante on official company stationery since 1929, while the yellow background was added to honor Modena - as yellow is the city's historic color. ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  The FIAT name is an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino (Italian Car Factory of Turin), founded in 1899. As the company began, a special poster was created to celebrate the event. At the top left of the poster, the artist includes a small parchment containing the company name. This very elaborate design becomes the first logo. After several redesigns, the FIAT logo was simplified, becoming circular, with the name in red on a white background. The stylized laurel garland around the outside is intended to celebrate FIAT's victorious participation in the first competitive motor races. Starting in 1968, the corporate logo featuring four blue rhombuses was adopted, but at the end of the 20th the company decides to return to old style logo. So, in 2006 a new FIAT logo was launched, seen for the first time on the Bravo, and set to be used on all future FIAT vehicles. Fiat explains the return to the old style by saying that the new logo is "designed to convey ongoing change, a sign of the past re-written in a modern key, which is particularly representative of Fiat today, a brand which is focused towards the challenges of the future, but also proud of its historical identity". The new FIAT logo is designed to sum up the mission of an Italian company that for over one hundred years has been building good-looking cars that are accessible and capable of guaranteeing the best quality of everyday life. ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  The Ford oval trademark is one of the best-known corporate symbols in the world. There have been a bunch of different logos Ford has used to market the brand. Today, we all recognize it as the Blue Oval, but it wasn't always that way. At the very beginning Henry Ford's engineering assistant developed a fairly complicated, black and white design. In time it evolved in a much simplistic oval design, still remaining black and white. The blue oval appeared around 1928 and through the years it had been modernized into a centennial version that was revealed in 2003 in honor of Ford's 100-year anniversary. Since 1976, the blue oval has been used as an identification badge on all Ford vehicles as a powerful symbol, recognized in the world as an icon of the company that gives great products. Through the years Ford logo proved to be a very valuable asset. 2006 was one of the worst years of Ford Motor Co and the blue oval logo was one of the company's assets used as collateral in a $ 25.5 billion financing deal to provide money for recovery plan.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  This logo is used across the world to showcase the quality products made by this global T-shirt and casual shirt manufacturer. This logo was first used in 1893 at a world famous and highly publicized exhibition in Chicago. Prior to this, the logo was in a basic form and only consisted of the central red apple that we see today. The original ideas for the business and the logo came from a farmer named Rufus Skeel, who hailed from the Hudson Valley. The local shopkeeper had a young and very talented daughter who lovingly painted pictures of red apples. The pictures sold so well that her father continued to sell the pictures to people from all around the world and used this image on his own label. The original owners of the "Fruit of the Loom," business also sought permission to use the apple in their label for their own products and the red apple has never looked back.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  It took Charles Nelson Goodyear five years to convert india-rubber into permanent elastic rubber. But his expensive and unsuccessful attempts at making this work only served to upset Goodyear's wife. In secret one day, Goodyear missed the burning rubber with sulphur and white lead in the furnace. The glowing heat suddenly began to transform the sticky moldable mass into a vulcanized rubber. Based on the Roman God of the Fire - Goodyear - the creator therefore called his invention "Vulcanus." While the invention was successful, it did not make him rich. After years of struggling to make ends meet, the business collapsed in 1860, and Goodyear ended up in prison, leaving debts of more than $200,000 to his family. Some 38 hours later, the Goodyear Tire and Rubber company formed and its two founding fathers, Frank Augustus and Charles Seiberling, worked tirelessly in honor of the great invention. Firstly, the company produced horse hoof pads and then moved into bicycle wheels until 1900, when they also begin to manufacture tires for cars. The logo that is used these days dates back to a statue that was found in the stately home of the Seiberling family. The statue depicted the Greek God Hermes (known by most Romans as "Mercury"), who was synonymous with what Goodyear stood for, according to Seiberling. In 1900 the company decided to develop a logo to brand its operations, and as a result they developed a wingfoot picture that would sit within the Goodyear name. That logo is virtually the same as the logo that is used today.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  Google is known as a strong leader of the web-search industry. Its goal is to provide relevant information and groundbreaking products to its customers. It all started in 1996 as a research project by two Stanford University's students, Sergey Brin and Larry Page. The Google logo has had many different versions since its renaming from BackRub. The current official logo design of Google Inc. represents the name "Google" in logotype based on the Catull typeface and was created by Ruth Kedar. Its almost amateurish simplicity may correspond to the simplicity of the search engine. Every once in a while, the company uses various features of the logo which compliment and refer to birthdays of illustrious personalities like Leonardo Di Vinci, Albert Einstein, Edward Munch; holidays like 4th of July, Christmas, Mother's Day and specific events such as The Olympics, World Cup etc. These special modification have become known as Google Doodles and were first created by the fondaters of the company in 1999. The doodles are currently designed by Dennis Hwang who has created over 150 doodles since the year 2000.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  Harley Davidson is not only a name, but a legend. It evokes images of long highways through classic American landscape, the roar of an engine sounding like a thunder clap and the polish of chrome doing its best to imitate lightning. The history of the Harley-Davidson motorcycle began in Milwaukee in 1902, when a 21-year-old William S. Harley created a design for a one-cylinder motorcycle. A year later, in 1903, he partnered up with 20-year-old Arthur Davidson to assemble the first Harley-Davidson Motorcycle. Harley-Davidson motorcycles are distinctive in design, attract loyal customers, and hold their resale value very well compared to other vehicles. A well maintained Harley might never drop in value at all. The Harley-Davidson logo commonly referred as the "Bar and Shield" logo, was created in 1910. It became famous also because the company made a profitable side business by licensing the logo (about USD 41 million income in 2004). Interestingly, each Harley-Davidson dealership has its own shop logo with a design that says something about that dealership and sets it apart every other dealership in the world. ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  This logo is representative of the end of the year 1999, after the merger of Rhone Poulenc in Aventis and now, more recently, after the later merger with Sanofi, to become the Sanofi Aventis company. The first Logo (not shown here) depicts a lion laying down, holding in its right paw a coat of arms with the initials MLB, which stands for "Masters Lucius and Bruening" - the original owners and founders of the company. In 1947 the company introduced a more circular icon (not shown here) that depicts a tower and a bridge. This logo was designed to show that the company was steeped in history. It was created by famous designer Peter Behrens for the most part, with some consultation from others involved with the business. In 1951, the logo was revisited again and, while retaining the logo in its purest form, the tower was relocated to the left side of the image (shown here) and the bridge inclined upwards to the right of the circle. A further alteration occurred in 1960, as it was felt that a simple, thin round circle did not highlight the logo enough, and so at this time the surrounding box was added. The final and most recent change came in 1997, when the logo became far more abstract with a simple blue typeface of the name of the business, followed by a single blue square in the upper right corner of the logo. It was felt that this logo was far more representative of the bold and confident statements that the company wanted to make in relating to quality standards, innovation, progression and growth, as opposed to the unconventional and often misleading image projected in the previous iterations. ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  Hummer is the brand of sport utility vehicles (H2, H3, SUVs) and large off-road vehicles (H1), manufactured and sold by AM General Corporation - also referred to as General Motors since 1999. Hummers were originally manufactured for military use. These huge 4x4s have come to spend as much time in the limelight as in the battlefield, soon becoming the ultimate off-roaders. In 1992, AM General started out selling a civilian version of the M998 Hum-Vee or HMMWV vehicle under the brand name "Hummer". The first two Hummer models are heavy, large vehicles with complex drivelines and large engines. The H3, is smaller and geared more towards people who want an economical SUV. Hummer dealerships are built around a huge "H" that serves as supergraphic visible from highways. The best Hummer logo was that of Horch. Its H was formed to suggest the gateway of a castle or city -- an image of sturdy tradition. General Motors has been very effective in licensing the Hummer. A large number of companies have licensed the Hummer trademarks for use on flashlights, colognes, bicycles, coats, shoes, skateboards, hats,laptops, jewelry, clothing, CD players and other items.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  The Hyundai Motor Company is a South Korean company fabricating automobiles. Their vehicles are available in many countries around the globe. In 2003 HMC was the world's seventh largest car manufacturer and South Korea's largest car manufacturer. The founder of the company is Chung Ju-yung, who established the Hyundai Motor Co.in 1947. HMC was founded later in 1967. The company began to manufacture models with its own technology in 1988. Hyundai cars are often perceived as unreliable, undrivable and low-end cars, due to their build quality. Hyundai Motor Group, began investing heavily in the manufacturing, design, quality and long-run research of its cars starting in 1998, in an attempt to establish itself as a reliable brand. Hyundai is now one of the top 100 most valuable brands worldwide. The Hyundai logo appears to be an oval shaped H (symbolizing the company itself). The ellipse outline indicates the company's global expansion and the stylized, slanted 'H' is symbolic of two people (customer and company) shaking hands. The colour of the logo is called HMC Blue. Other colours also used for the Hyunday logo include HMC Gold, HMC Silver, HMC Dark Gray and HMC Light Gray.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  born 26. 6. 1929 in New York. 1955'74: editor and co-art director of the "Push Pin Graphic" magazine ( with Reynold Ruffins and Seymour Chwast). During the 1960s, Glaser created images of flat shapes formed by thin, black ink contour lines with color added by adhesive color films. His minimal drawing style echoed the iconography of comic books or the dynamic of contemporary Pop Art. His approach to sign and symbol is seen in the 1968 ''One Print One Painting''exhibition poster.1974: founder and president of Milton Glaser Inc., New York. The work produced at this studio encompasses a wide range of design disciplines. He re-designs numerous magazines, such as "Paris Match", "L'Express" and "Esquire". Much of his work has become internationally famous,like his Bob Dylan poster for CBS Records (1966) or the "I love New York" logo design for the New York State Department of Commerce (1973).]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  Paul Rand's trademark for International Business Machines (1956) was developed from an infrequently used typeface called City Medium, designed by Georg Tromp in 1930. This is a geometrically constructed slab-serif typeface designed along similar lines as the geometric sans serif styles. Redesigned into the IBM corporate logo, a powerful and unique alphabet image emerged, for the slab serifs and square negative spaces in the B lent a unity and uniqueness. In the 1970s, Rand updated the logo by stripping it to unify the three forms and evoke scan lines on video terminals. Wliot Noyes, IBM's consulting design director during the late 1950s wrote that the IBM design program sought ''to express the extremely advanced and up-to-date nature of its products. To this end we are not looking for a theme but for a consistency of design quality which will in effect become a kind of a theme, but a very flexible one''.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  The Lester Beall International Paper Company logo design, 1960. Initials, tree, and upward arrow combine in a mark whose fundamental simplicity - an isometric triangle in a circle - assures a timeless harmony. In discussing his logo for one of the largest paper manufacturers in the world, Beall wrote, ''Our assignment was to provide management with a strong mark that could be readily adapted to an immense variety of applications. This ranged from its bold use on the barks of trees to its intricate involvement in repeat patterns, carton designs, labels, trucks. In addition to its functional strength, the new mark is a powerful force in stimulating and integrating divisional and corporate identity with positive psychological effects on human relations''. The International Paper Company logo design was controversial in the design community when it first appeared: The letters I and P are distorted to make a tree symbol, and critics questioned whether letterforms should be altered to this extreme. The continuing viability of this mark since its inception indicates that Beall's critics were overly cautious.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  The important movement towards developing a ''world language without words'' began in the 1920s, continued into the 1940s, and still has important influences today. The Isotype concept involves the use of elementary pictographs to convey information. The originator of this effort was Vienna sociologist Otto Neurath. As a child, Neurath marveled at the way ideas and factual information could be conveyed by visual means. Neurath felt that the social and economic changes following World War l demanded clear communication to assist public understanding of important social issues relating to housing, health, and economics. A system of elementary pictographs to present complex data, particularly statistical data, was developed. Initially, the pictographs were individually drawn or cut from paper. After woodcut artist Gerd Arntz joined the group in 1928, he designed most of the pictographs.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  The logo for this popular and well known alcoholic beverage dates back to the days of noble gentlemen, hunters and, later, holy Hubertus, and is based upon the legend of Hubertus as written by Father Diethard H. Klein. This legendary tale talks about the hunters warnings to not hunt in the forest and the meadows and the fate that he suffers when he meets with the animal. The animal turns and faces him and hunter sees before him a cross placed above the antlers, with the animal offering the hunter forgiveness so that it may be set free. ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  This brand represents the fine quality manufacture of cars PAG that were created and operated by the two founding co-owners Bill Walmsley and William Lyons in the historic and famous English seaside resort of Blackpool, where many cars were initially made to showcase in motorcycle side car parades for friends and family. In 1922 the company created the Swallow Sidecar Company, which manufactured side cars and other small vehicles. Then in 1931, they began to install engines and chassis into sporty type bodies and called these vehicles S.S. which was an abbreviation for "Standard Swallow." Following on from this in the 1930s, they then began to build engines and chassis. The professional "Jaguar" logo design was seen for the very first time in 1935 and was used on the first new style of sedan that was produced at the time - known as the S.S. 100 Jaguar. The SS abbreviation has continued in the naming of the Jaguars through to recent times, as the use of the Jaguar image. ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  The first production Jeep made its original debut in 1941 for military duty. Jeep vehicles have later on built their reputation as the world's benchmark for off-road versatility and capability for military and civilian vehicles. The current Jeep logo is a representation of the front of the vehicle. The logo comprises two circles representing the vertical bars and headlights symbolizing the grille in the front of the Wrangler, the icon of the Jeep brand. The closest resemblance to a logo came out in 1963 in the center of Wagoneer and Gladiator steering and hubcaps wheels. This logo comprised a circle with two red quarters, two gold quarters, and the word "Jeep" across the middle. The origin of the term "jeep" remains a mystery. Popular opinion deems that Jeep comes from "GP" which stands for General Purpose; another theory holds that the origin is a reference to a character from Popeye. An interesting thing about the Jeep logo is that it never appears on the car itself. The vehicle just has the "Jeep" name on it. The logo design is mainly used for marketing and advertising purposes. ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  At 15 years of age, a young and enthusiastic John Walker began to blend whisky of a fine quality in the front of his mother's shop in a small town called Kilmarnock. He continued this for some time and when he eventually passed away in 1857 this whisky was the most well-known whisky in the west of Scotland. His son Alexander protected the whisky until 1867 and moved to also protect the name of "old Highland Whisky". Further to this, his brother George introduced the "talk label" and "Black label" products and searched for appropriate logos that would match the high quality of the products. George met over lunch with Cartoonist Tom Browne, and the two men created the concept of the walking man, Walker then added in the branding sentence "Founded 1820 - Still Going Strong." It is believed that this sketch is based on a caricature of John Walker although that has been the subject of some contention in the media. Nevertheless, the professional design developed by Browne was so well accepted by Alexander and George that they added in the phrases "Johnny Walker - Keep on Walking". Iterations of this theme continue to be used today. ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  This company is the most famous clock maker based in Germany, as a result of its world class innovations in clock manufacturing and time keeping. In 1861, Von Erhard, Franz Xaver and Hansin Schramberg in Scharzwald began production for clock parts. The parts side of the business proceeded to grow so rapidly and so successfully that the brother then decided to commence production of clocks of a superior quality and class. They began this production in 1866 under the branding of "Junghans." Some 25 years later, that brother created the logo which we see to the left, which depicts a time gear wheel and the name of the company. This logo has virtually stood unchanged for all this time.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  In the early 1950's in Salt Lake City, USA, Pete Harman opened a fast food restaurant. In 1952 Harman met Sanders in Chicago. At the time, Sanders, a versatile and experienced cook, was working out of a successful restaurant in Corbin, Kentucky. During his time there, Harman visited this restaurant on a daily basis and sampled Sander's cooked chicken coated in a special mixture of herbs and spices. He loved the chicken and its coating so much that he proposed to Sanders that they work together to build the cooked chicken business. Once customers had tasted this special coating, then the business grew. It became known as "Kentucky Fried Chicken" and as a result of its popularity, franchise stores began to sprout up all over the country. The "Kentucky Fried Chicken" brand was changed to the abbreviation KFC from the early 1990s so as to move away from the fatty connotation of the word fried. The logo itself as shown to the left depicts the creator of KFC - Sanders himself. KFC has kept a remarkably consistent visual identity - maintaining the defining elements of Colonel Sanders' image while adapting to the visual shifts of the fast food industry. The new KFC brand will be followed by a 65,000 square foot logo in the Area 51 dessert - that can be seen from space - code-named the "Face from Space" and consisting of 14,000 white, 6,000 red, 12,000 eggshell, 28,000 black and 5,000 beige tiles. The new KFC logo was designed by San Francisco-based Tesser. The drawing has dynamism, depth and dimension, without resorting to shading, showing that a well-conceived set of shapes can communicate more directly and boldly than any amount of shading will ever do. The new brand conveys the efforts that KFC has made over the last couple of years to animate the brand with energetic and fresh ads and position it to compete against Crispin-led Burger King and McDonald's. This is a corporate logo design that works well across web, TV, print and environmental contexts and most of all, is appropriate for its audience, market and visual context.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  This logo depicts a crocodile and heralds back to the days of Rene Lacoste, who won the 1925 and 1928 Wimbledon tournaments. At the time of these tournaments, the tennis players still were required to play their games wearing full white shirts with standing collars. This was not a very comfortable proposition for players and as a result, this company began producing a new shirt and collar product made from Polyester, which was a lot softer and far more flexible when moving, running and stretching. "The American press nicknamed me 'the Crocodile' after a bet that I made with the Captain of the French Davis Cup team. He had promised me a crocodile-skin suitcase if I won a match that was important for our team. The American public stuck to this nickname, which highlighted my tenacity on the tennis courts, never giving up my prey! So my friend Robert George drew me a crocodile which was embroidered on the blazer that I wore on the courts." -Rene Lacoste The crocodile is issued on shirts and on the marketing for the business still today. ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  This logo represents the coat of arms of the Russian car manufacturer AutoVAZ, the largest in Russia and Eastern Europe and better known to the world as LADA. The company was set up in 1966 in collaboration with Fiat, which is a successful automobile production company including manufacturing Volgas. The company headquarters is in Togliattigrad, town named after an Italian communist and built in 1960s around the factory. The Lada was envisaged as a "people's car" so, the lightweight Fiat 124 was adapted to survive the hazardous Russian driving conditions. Although the Lada models are often thought as 'rough' cars, lacking in most accessories expected in modern cars, they were very successful because of their affordability. Nowadays the Russian factory struggles to survive the tight competition in international automobile industry. Centuries ago, LADA was the name of a small, fast sail boat typical for the river Volga, which were also the favorite boats of river pirates who used them to rob commercial ships. At the same time "lada" in Russian means Lovely, little darling. The little ship in the logo is used to depict the strength and the power of adapting to the rough Russian conditions while the presence of the word lada symbolizes the producer wish of being a popular car.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  This well recognized logo that today belongs to the Volkswagen organization was created by Ferrucio Lamborghini. The very first iterations of Lamborghini products began in the form of tractors, burners, heaters and air conditioning systems in 1959. The first cars were produced and sold in 1963. The bull is used in this logo to depict the strength of the company and the vehicles. This logo is still used in this form today. ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  In 1932 Ole Kirk Christiansen, a joiner and carpenter from Denmark establishes The LEGO Group. His innovative business would later on develop into a global enterprise, largely known as one of the world's most respected toy companies. The family-owned Company is controlled today by Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, a grandson of the founder. In 1932, Ole Kirk's shop started manufacturing wooden toys, ironing boards, stepladders, piggy banks, and cars. By 1934, the company decided to adopt the name LEGO, formed from the Danish phrase "LEg Godt" ("play well"). In 1962, the first LEGO products were introduced in the U.S in sets of bricks. By 1966, LEGO kits would guide young hard hats in snapping together different kinds of trucks, buildings, ships, and planes. In 1973, a new LEGO logo replaces the former various logotypes to symbolize the expectations that people have of the company. In 1987 the brick logo is presented. A new logo is developed in April 1998. The new LEGO logo unifies all the company's products under one banner.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  This logo was first used in 1952 by the owner of the business, English racing driver Colin Chapman, who formed the automobile engineering company. The word lotus was used to depict the passion and fervor with which the company was developed and run. Thier logo has continued to be used in the format since that time. ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  The impetus of the International Typographic Style and the visual identity movement joined together during the 1960's with the development of highly systematic design programs planned to combine complex and diverse parts into a unified whole. The 1962 Lufthansa German Airlines identification system, conceived and produced at the Ulm Institute of Design, is a prototype. The principles of the International Typographic Style were extended into a corporate identity program addressing all visual communication needs of a large corporation. This program was designed by Otl Aicher in collaboration with Thomas Gonda (1926-1988), Fritz Querengasser and Nick Roericht. The working premise was that an extensive organization could achieve a uniform, and thus significant corporate image by systematic arrangement and use of constant elements. A flying crane image in use since the 1930s was retained but enclosed in a circle and used in a manner subordinate to the name Lufthansa in a consistent letterspacing arrangement. The air-freight service combined the crane icon with an isometric package and bold lines to create an arrow configuration. Standardization reduced paper formats to an economical number. Grid systems and detailed typographic specifications were worked out to take into account every visual communications need, from foodservice packaging to timetables and aircraft identification. A blue and yellow color scheme was applied throughout. Uniforms, packaging, the character of photographs to be used in ads and posters, aircraft interiors and exteriors were all addressed by this massive system. The Lufthansa corporate identity program became an international prototype for the closed identity system with every detail and specification addressed for absolute uniformity.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  This logo was created in 2003 for the erotic chain Beate Uhse - Mae B. . In line with this, the logo depicts the Ying Yang symbol, which represents the softness and tenderness of the female and the hardness and toughness of the male. Because they are joined together in bold strong colors, the logo serves to illustrate the two sexes coming together in unity and passion. ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  This logo was first used in 1914 in Bologna and was created by the Societa Anonima Officine Alfieri Maserati, a key part of the Fiat organization. The representation of this logo is the image of the rose, which is located in the hometown of the founding family - the Maserati family. ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  McDonalds is the largest and best-known chain of fast-food restaurants in the world. With more than 23,000 restaurants in over 100 countries, their global market potential is enormous. The golden arches of the McDonalds "M" are one of the strongest and most recognizable logos of our day. The simplicity of this M and the traditional red and yellow colors used, have become the most famous business traits in the world. Normally the word "McDonalds" sits next to the "M" or the "M" is used on its own. The Golden Arches logo was created by Jim Schindler in 1962 to look like new arch shaped signs on the sides of the restaurants. He merged the two golden arches together to form the famous 'M' now recognized all over the world. This logo is not just an "M" for McDonalds. They called the logo Golden arches firstly, to input the idea that owning one McDonalds franchise is like having a gold mine. Secondly, the arches symbolize a place to hide under, to escape. The protection of the "golden arches" is where one should have their "break". Along with Coca-Cola and Nike logos, McDonalds logo have been seen more broadly as a symbol of capitalism or globalization, since they are the most famous American corporation to go global on a grand scale. ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  The King of Poland commissioned pharmacist assistant and gold maker Johann Friedrich Boettger to create and maintain a secret manufacturing process for porcelain in order to avoid purchasing expensive china and porcelain from China and placing white gold on it. He worked on this with physicist and mathematician Ehrenfried Walter von Tschirnhaus. Three years later they established porcelain manufacturer Meissen. In line with this, in 1722 manufacturing supervisor Johann Melchior recommended that the "crossed swords," be used as a mark for the porcelain but also a branding logo so the King would realize the porcelain was authentic. ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  This logo uses the symbol of points that head out in three different directions, which is used to represent the concept of Gottfied Daimler, which manufactures a range of transport movers that work effectively across air, water and land. The color silver is very typical of the Mercedes Benz brand and dates back to its involvement in the very first Grand Prix, which ran at Nuerburgring in 1934. When one of the cars exceeded its eligible weight for the race in the pre-race checks, the officials spent the night polishing off the paint so that the car was back to its raw silver color. The following day as the car ran around the track it shone a beautiful silver color and was termed the "silver arrow." ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  This company, one of the world's most well known tire manufacturers, was first created in 1832 by Nicolas Edouard Daubree and his cousin. Initially, the company manufactured two agricultural pieces of equipment, starting in 1840, but then as a result of the creation of permanent rubber by Charles Goodyear in 1839, the company began to move into the manufacture of a range of other products including drive belts, seals and conveyors. When the two founders passed away, the two brothers Andre and Edouard Michelin took over the company and renamed it "Michelin" in 1889. In 1891 they expanded operations to include air-filled bicycle tires and in 1895 broke new ground by introducing similar air-filled rubber tires for cars. The concept of the tire man was an inspiration of Edourd when he saw a pile of stacked tires which looked like the shape of a human. In line with the changes in the industry where tires have changed and evolved over time, so too are the tires of varying sizes on the tire man. Initially the tire man consisted of 11 elements, but now he only exists in four elements and is widely used on posters, television commercials and signage. ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  Founded in 1975, Microsoft Inc. is known worldwide for inventing and providing products such as Office, Xbox, Windows, etc. Its logo has been designed to symbolize the company's pursuits within advanced technology. The Microsoft logo is the ultimate example of "style meets simplicity". The logo perfectly evinces the company's mission of offering high quality products to its customers with its simple typeface and potent slogan. Both the Microsoft logo and the company have become synonymous with innovative ideas and latest computer technologies. The 2nd version of the Microsoft logo was fea fanciful lettered O in it. The current official Microsoft logo created by Scott Baker has been adopted in 1987. Designed in Helvetica italic typeface, the new logo had a slash between the o and s and featured the slogan " Where do you want to go today?" Microsoft logo as of 2006 changed its tagline below the main corporate name into "Your potential. Our passion." In spite of the major critical transformations the Microsoft logo has suffered over the decades, its main message has remained largely unaffected. ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  The first logo you see was developed in the 1950's. However it was not very successful because the owners soon realized that they were competing with a proliferation of red and yellow logos in gas stations across the country. As such they decided to change their logo so that it would be more prominent against a sea of standard style logos. The new logo was first used in 1989, developed by designer Hartmut C Andresen. In this new design he used an M to represent a sun dial in a similar vein to that of the comic style logo that was used in the era of superheroes like Superman and Batman. The combination of magenta and violet was used because they offer the feeling of strength and trust (similarly purple is used by the church to symbolize strength and trust.) The new logo worked very successfully and converted into a sales increase of more than 30% with a gross income of 3.5 billion DM. In 1997 and 1998 the company was taken over and the logo is no longer seen around the world. ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  The logo for this successful worldwide Japanese automobile manufacturer is made up of three points that symbolize responsibility/trust, probity/integrity/ethics and communication/openness. The logo is based on the merger of two age-old Japanese dynasties who used a coat of arms with three similar diamond patterns. In addition the name Mitsubishi also translates to "three Rhomden" and in line with its link to the dynasties, means "three diamonds". ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  One of the Chermayeff and Geismar's most far-reaching corporate design programs was for Mobil Oil, a multinational corporation operating in over a hundred countries. The trademark, executed in an elemental geometric sans serif typeface, is the ultimate in simplicity. The word ''Mobil'' is executed in five vertical strokes, the angle of the ''M'', and two circles. The name became the trademark, with the round, red ''O" separating this word from the visual presentation of other words. This emphasis on the circle is projected as a visual theme throughout the identification program and in the design of Mobil gas stations.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  This company, owned by three businessmen, Claus Johannes Voss, Christian Lausen and William Dziambor, in 1910, created the name after inspiration from the "Montblanc" mountain, which is the largest European mountain in France. They then developed a logo in 1913 and used a small circle-based design to depict the snow-covered tip of the mountain and the fine quality of the pens they manufacture.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  Specialist pharmacist Heinrich Nestle was born in 1814 in Frankfurt and moved to Switzerland in 1843, where he proceeded to open his own pharmacy and sell a variety of products, including everything from drugs to fertilizer to mustard. Because the official language of Geneva was French, he changed his name to Henri Nestle. In 1867, Nestle sold milk products for mothers and then in 1904 began to manufacture and sell milk chocolate. The bird family that is used in the Logo dates back to the Nestle family coat of arms and symbolizes the meaning of the Nestle name "small nest". ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  Nike was founded by Phil Knight in the 60s, but at that time he called it "Blue Ribbon Sports". The name Nike and its trademark swoosh design were brought about later, in 1971. Drawing from Greek mythology, Knight named his company Nike, after the goddess of victory. Thus, the Nike name provided the company with a strong association and image, especially appropriate for a sports gear company, which positions itself in the market as a leader of sport footwear and uses the greatest athletes and the record of their achievements in its advertising. The swoosh logo was originally developed by a graphic designer, Carolyn Davidson in 1971. She was one of 35 people who made suggestions as to what logo to use for the organization. The owners met and agreed on Davidson's design, taking into account her conceptual thinking about the wings of the Greek goddess Nike According to Davidson, Knight asked for a design that suggested movement- originally disliking the swoosh she submitted, but as Knight had deadlines to meet, he ended up using it saying "I don't love it, but it will grow on me". As the time passed, the Swoosh logo has become synonymous with the company. Together with Just Do It slogan, the Swoosh logo perfectly expresses the essence of the Nike brand and its philosophy. They show people the way to the determination, needed for reaching a desired mark in their sporting activities. It expresses well a high ambition and a will for victory, which the Nike Company made a part of its brand image and corporate culture. ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  This well known and highly regarded product emerged out of Germany in 1911. The name itself derived from the Latin terms "nivis" and "snow." Similarly, to maintain a look of freshness and cleanliness, the designers used the color blue. When the blue was introduced in 1925 this was also a socially acceptable color as it had no links to political parties.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  The world renowned artist Shepard Fairey is a contemporary illustrator/designer who emerged from the skating scene. He is mostly known for creating the "André the Giant Has a Posse" street campaign which later on developed semantically and stylistically into the Obey Giant Movement. The concept of the campaign was to create an "experiment in phenomenology". Shepard Fairey created an iconic image of the wrestler's face to complement the iconic branding OBEY. Fairey used the "OBEY" slogan as a direct homage brought to the slogans found in John Carpenter's cult classic film, They Live. The OBEY movement attempts to stimulate curiosity and bring people to question their relationship with the environment. The Obey Giant campaign calls on its followers to plaster the public surfaces of public places with cryptic posters and stickers bearing the OBEY GIANT logo. OBEY Giant has become widely known through murals, stencil, and large posters, spreading over public spaces from street sign backs and abandoned building faces to commercial spaces such as bus stop posters and billboards. Today, the popular Obey Giant logo design continues to be reproduced on a wide variety of products ranging from home accessories and decor to clothing, substantially extending the impact of the OBEY campaign through iconology based on an allegiance to media and popular culture.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  The clock maker Omega that now is owned by the Swatch Group was created in 1848 by Louis Brandt. The idea for the name Omega was created by banker Henri Riekel, who declared the watches as the "the last stage of perfection" in line with the letter Omega, the last letter in the Greek Alphabet. ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  TThis well known and hugely popular Sherry was developed in the southwest of Spain. It was then transported by English-based wine merchant Thomas Osborne in 1772, who is also one of today's largest manufacturers of sherry and brandy. This well known logo symbolizes the concept of a black bull standing in the same patriotic manner as the Statue of Liberty.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  Around 1893, Caleb Bradham, a young pharmacist from New Bern, North Carolina, began experimenting with different soft drink mixtures. Like many pharmacists of those days, he served his customers refreshing drinks created by him. His most popular beverage was something he called "Brad's drink" made of carbonated water, sugar, vanilla, rare oils, pepsin and cola nuts. In 1898, Caleb bought the trade name "Pepsi Cola" for $100 from a competitor that had gone broke. At the same time Bradham's neighbor, an artist designed the first Pepsi logo. The instant popularity of this new drink led Bradham to devote all of his energy to developing Pepsi-Cola into a full-grown business. During decades Pepsi had its ups and downs but is now one of the world's most famous brands, much like its rival Coca-Cola. In time, the Pepsi logo went through redesigning and modifications, now being the three-dimensional globe against an ice blue background the word Pepsi in the foreground. Pepsi has always been one of the most heavily advertised carbonated drinks, so much so that the Pepsi logo is marked in the minds of people across the globe and it no longer needs to be accompanied by its name. The symbol says it all. ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  This company was acquired by mechanical engineer Gerard Philips in 1891. The company produced coal thread lamps. In 1895 Gerard's brother Anton also joined the business and took over the focus of commercial operations, while Gerard took a more technical focus. The two brothers worked long hours to see the business transform into Europe's biggest lamp manufacturer, particularly as the lighting and electronics industry grew and evolved. The Philips Logo itself offers three wave lines and four stars which work together to symbolize the use of radio tubes and electricity. The logo was used in its first iteration in 1925 and was altered to a more circular look in 1938 with a bolder all caps name. ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  This popular gentleman's magazine has been running since 1953, when it was first introduced by Hugh Hefner. The logo depicts the image of a hare because it has a funny and sexual connotation, and looks a bit playful with the bowtie. Hugh believed that the hare in the tuxedo was charming and amusing. By 1959 the brand was already so well known that when letters were sent with incorrect address to the Playboy business they were successfully directed to the correct location. ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  This logo is the branding for the famous high quality sports car manufacturer Porsche. In 1952, as Ferry Porsche, the chief designer Komanda was commissioned to sketch a Porsche coat of arms that could be used as the logo. He incorporated a Stuttgart Coat of Arms animal and other elements from the local area into the first iteration. Upon registration, the logo was endorsed and then implemented on the bonnets of all vehicles from 1957 onwards.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  The kangaroo image on this logo was first used in 1920 for this Australian Airline when it was inspired by the use of the kangaroo on the Australian penny coin. The kangaroo was used in later iterations of the airline including when it was called TAA and Australian Airlines. The kangaroo was first used on the airlines aircraft on the "belly" of the plane. The kangaroo symbol was first depicted by Sydney designer Gert Sellheim, and then in 1984 the logo was revised by Tony Dunn. In 1995 the logo was revisited again in celebration of the 75th anniversary celebrations.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  This worldwide Energy drink has a logo that is derived straight from the name of the English product name "red bull." The idea for the name and logo came from inspiration that the owner Dietrich Mateschitz received during a Thailand holiday, when he tried a sweet beverage called "Krating Daeng" or "red bull."]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  The logo of this world famous car manufacturer depicts a mythological bird which is also used on the official coat of arms of the Count von Skane and was used as the symbol for the Swedish province Skane, where the SAAB company was formed.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  This product is a popular and well regarded disinfectant by Schuelke and Mayr that began in 1889 to fight against the bacteria of Cholera. The logo was initially developed in 1913 by combining the first syllable of Latin word "sanus" meaning "health and welfare" with the first three letters. The image of the Greek goddess Hygieia is also used to represent health and well-being. ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  This company was founded by Marcus Samuel in 1897 to facilitate transportation. It was named the "Shell Transport and Trading Company Ltd." In 1904 the company had adopted a logo that depicted the image of a scallop. It is a refreshed iteration of this scallop that has been in use since 1971 as sketched by American industrial designer Raymond Loewy. ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  The first trademark using the SONY logo enclosed in a square box was registered in 1955. From that moment on, the logotype went through a sequence of changes. By 1960, Sony started to develop its brand identity abroad and the logo was exposed in neon in Hong Kong and New York, where it competed with well-established and famous foreign companies. Sony was the first Japanese company to post such a sign in an upmarket area of Hong Kong. Designer Yasuo Kuroki modified the logo which was quickly displayed in advertisings for Sony's miniature televisions. Later on, a design policy and corporate identity were established by a committee. A number of modifications were considered until the company decided on the current logo design. This version was introduced in 1973 and is still used today despite several proposals for introducing a new logo. In 1982, Sony launched a slogan and an additional logotype to improve the overall corporate identity. Morita thought that a catchy, brief description might be needed to complement the "S mark" logo. Soon after, the slogan 'It's a Sony!' was introduced. This catchy tandem quickly became known worldwide as a unique Sony feature.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  This popular vacation spot has merged together with the national tourism body to pursue tourism dollars from around the world. This logo is designed to highlight the value of the region, which is why it is such a strong, sharp-edged and high-contrast image. The new logo is designed to radiate the passion, energy and inviting nature of the location, in particular the panorama reflects its ability to offer much to its visitors. The choice of colors is fascinating, including the use of blue to represent the freshness of the milk and the winter, the use of green representing the apples, meadows and forests, the use of red representing bacon and the wine and yellow representing sun which shines more than 300 days of the year. ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  The worldwide coffee phenomenon that is Starbucks first began in 1971 when the founders opened their inaugural store. Now there are more than 7,500 stores across the globe under the brand of Starbucks Coffee Houses, serving more than 22 million guests annually. The world famous logo represents the environment with which the company was established in the lakes area of Seattle, Washington. In addition, the logo depicting the lady and the water dates back to the old sailor tradition of transporting coffee and the coffee trade. ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  This is the logo of the very first German savings bank, formed in 1778 in Hamburg. Soon after this first branch opened, additional branches were also opened in further establishments in Oldenburg, Kiel, Altona and Baden-Wuerttemberg. The logo was initially put into use in 1925 and first depicted a face. The eyes were used to form the letters of D and G. In 1948, a new logo was developed as a result of the work of an experienced poster artist Lois Gaigg, where he used the S symbol for the first time. This S symbol has been further used in the most recent iteration by designer Otl Aicher. It is considered that popular opinion is that the newer logo looks like an upside down question mark.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  The world famous Stussy logo is highly connected with the 80's generation of new wave beach culture. By 1980, a Californian cult surfboard shaper named Shawn Stussy decided to apply his scribbled signature logo on t-shirts that he traded along with his boards. Soon after, the clothing line extended and its modern and raw esthetic developed into an international streetwear label. Being influenced by the ideas of fashion and culture that emerged along with the changes that were made in the music scene, Stussy managed to win success. His clothing was inspired by skaters, DJ's, musicians and artists with similar tastes. Stussy exists today as a brand with worldwide independence and respect and continues to be a leader in beach culture.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  The story of the world famous Superman logo carries overtones of history, science and arts. Jerry Siegel was the man who came with the idea of Superman and than showed the story to his friend Shuster, an aspiring artist. The symbol "S" which was used to create the logo has a lot of meaning within the bounds of American culture. "S" stands for Superman, Stopping Crime, Saving Lives, Super-Aid, but it also represents the symbol of Superman's family house on Krypton. It is important to pay more attention on to the elements of the logo, which are often ignored. The two colors of the logo bear a deep meaning. Red and yellow are the colors of RAO ( the sun-god of Krypton) and SOL refers to sunlight. On the cover of Superman 4, April 1940 the Superman logo has a black background. However, in June 1940 the studio decides to change the logo into a larger 5 sided pentagon, easier to draw and color. This new version is first drawn by Wayne Boring. Paul Cassidy would later create a new design using a larger S, tightly slammed against the shield border. Today, in spite of all the changes the logo has suffered throughout time, its fundamental details remain mostly unchanged. ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  This internationally renowned brand was created in 1949 by Carl Tchilling Hiryan, who initially sent a parcel of roasted coffee beans through the post to a customer. Following on from quick success, between 1995 through to now, the business has more than 850 sales branches where coffee products are offered for sale. The logo and business name is abbreviated from "Tchilling Hiryan" and the word "bean" - making the word "Tchibo." ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  Texaco is an American oil retail brand that provides quality gasoline and is a leader in the market in performance. Texaco is known today as one of the most iconic brands around the globe. The company's original five-pointed star logo design was created in 1903. The first trademarked logo, designed in 1909, featured a red star (a reference to the lone star of Texas), leading to the advertising jingles "You can trust your car to the man who wears the star", and a green T which all over the world, means superior quality. The Star Symbol and Texaco Logotype are Texaco's major retail brand identifiers. The trademarked logo design was created by Romeo Miglietta who based his design on the colors that embellished the Italian flag. The Texaco logo was updated in 1913 and a 42-inch double-faced sign was introduced. In 1963, with the launching of the company's first corporate identification system, the circle was replaced by a hexagon. The company introduced the streamlined star symbol in 1981 along with the new System 2000 stations. Texaco updated its corporate identity in 2000, after deciding that the star symbol no longer needed the wording Texaco below it.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  This company was first created in 1930 by John Clarence "Doc" Karcher and Eugene McDermott. It was created to serve as a geographical service that used Seismology. Over time, the focus of the company moved to the production of transistors and other instruments, which is why the company became Texas Instruments in 1951. The logo depicts the outline of the State of Texas, and an outline of the initials of the company's name. ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  This innovative and ground-breaking American company was the brain child of five successful business men in 1902. The men initially formed the "Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co." and, when mining showed little promise of offering them a return, they looked for further opportunities. After stumbling around looking for new products potential one of the owners coincidentally came about the idea of sandpaper. Other ingenious ideas by this company include Scotch tape and Post-it notes.Some say that 'simple is smart.' That's been one of the keys to the success of the 3M logo. 3M Red is a bold, vibrant color that makes the logo recognizable and unforgettable. Trough the time the 3M logo has gained awareness and familiarity in every corner of the world; it has become a symbol for innovative, trustworthy products and services. But it wasn't always that simple. The three "M"s come from the "Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company." Through the first 50 years of the company's life, logos transformed rapidly. The first appeared in 1906. Its design was complex: The company's full name and its headquarters (Duluth, Minn.) surrounded a diamond containing the term "3M Co." After this version the logo went through many changes in some cases, the oval being completely abandoned for a plain stand- alone 3M. An important phase in 3M logo evolution began in the 60's when the company hired Gerald Stahl and Associates, a New York design firm, to create a definitive logo that would connect the corporation and all its business units under a single sign. The result was a boxy, 3M with a distinctly industrial look. Things changed in the 70's as the company's focus were no longer the industrial abrasives and tapes but products for commercial and consumer markets. The result was the new 3M logo 'simple and smart': red 3 and M touching one another. The new, vibrant logo caught on like wildfire.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  The current day logo of ThyssenKrupp represents the merger of the two steel dynasties of the families Krupp and Thyssen. During 1811, the two partners built a factory for casting steel of English quality. They worked together and independently, including in 1871 when Thyssen left the business, in order to produce strap iron work. After many years and turbulent times including the Second World War, both companies continued to work together. A new logo was introduced in 1920 and was based on a circle, polygon and letter combinations. From the initial letter a "subtle T" was developed to combine with the traditional characters of the two businesses that had merged. Discussions of the managers in 1976 saw the introduction of a new logo that contained the Rhine steel elbow that you see now. This was designed to be used as a uniform symbol for the entire business and was deemed to be the "yellow signature." As the business progressed, the "yellow signature" was replaced "by the blue signature" but the colors of blue and yellow were selected as the corporate colors for the business. Introduced in 1875, the three rings represent the time that Alfred Krupps invented the forged and rolled railway wheel tire, which was patented and trade marked in 1853 in Prussia. The manufacture involved three layers positioned on top of each other. The law around trademark protection in 1874 gave Krupp the permission to develop its own logo at which time a selection of drafts were made. Hence this three ring character in a pyramid shape is interpreted as wheel tires of railway wheels and was first used in 1875. 1994 saw the end of the logo in its original form, and at that point a more modern version using black rings came into play. This new logo is not intended to replace but instead combine all of the previous facets of the logo in all its iterations. All employees of the company were recently asked to make suggestions for the development of the logo and more than 5,000 suggestions were supplied. This gave the company a strong indication of the level of commitment from its workforce. ]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  The Toyota logo, like the company, is widely recognized for its originality and simplicity. It has become a symbol of pioneering automotive and non-automotive products and services. The Toyota logo bears a meaningful visual identity with strong visual impact. It symbolizes the energetic transition of the company from a family business to the expansion of a worldwide company. In 1936, when Toyoda Automatic Loom Works Ltd. was launching its first passenger car, it needed a new trademark to celebrate the launch. For that purpose, a competition was held to establish a logo that would promote the company's vehicles. The design requirement of the company was to create something that will express 'the feeling of speed'. Thus, the winning logo resulted in the change of the name from 'Toyoda' to 'Toyota'. This was as the Japanese lettering of 'Toyota' gave the logo a smooth look and was also chosen because in the Japanese word 'Toyota' (eight) was considered to bring luck and prosperity. Although no longer used on products, the original Toyota logo is still used as the company's emblem. The current Toyota logo consists of three ovals: two perpendicular center ovals making a stylized "T" for Toyota and one around them symbolizing the global expansion of Toyota's technology and unlimited potential for the future.]]> Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:33 -0400  This well known brand dates back to the year 1923, when Christian Trumpf and two of his business partners opened