The Logo Thread

[Dark Qiviut 22,393]

Logos.

 

The little emblem/symbol on almost every big company or corporation out there. Sometimes they stick. Sometimes they change.

 

Yet, no matter what happens, the purpose of a logo is this: to relay their brand personality with as little information as possible. This is what makes logo design such a difficult art form to master and why I love it so much. Piling in information after information can make the logo appear convoluted and messy. Simplicity is key when making a great logo. Millions of dollars are poured to make a logo or any kind of signature (the combination of elements to make one recognizable identity, such as the wordmark and its symbol/trademark). Color palette, type choice, angles, manipulation of concept, and signature position all MATTER when creating a fantastic logo.

 

This topic discusses logos, past, present, and future. Discuss logos you like, are neutral with, don't like, and be clear with your positioning why you're in favor with the logo or not. You can even announce changing of corporations' logos when they're announced and old logo prototypes.

 

I'll start it off by unveiling logos that I like a lot.

 

The FedEx logo. It replaced the old one in 1994, and needless to say, it is SO much better. Now, what makes this logo so good?

 

 

Take a look at the negative space between the "E" and "x." You'll see an arrow pointing to the right to indicate its dedication to progressive shipping.

 

 

This is the old logo for Northwest Airlines. At first glance, you think that this was a simple logo with a couple of symbols slapped on. Not true at ALL. What makes this logo spectacular are these:

 

 

1. The red outline represents the globe with the arrow pointing northwest.

2. You see the red oblique "N." That's all, isn't it? Nope, not at all.

3. Use the arrow and trace a thick line along the left and right sides. Connect the negative space around it with the "N." Once you connect it, you will notice a faint "W." Unfortunately, this logo was replaced not long ago.

 

 

Now it's your turn to discuss logos.

[Colon Leftbracket 971]

 

Of course everypony recognizes the greatness in this logo! (Totally not biased opinion... *Dishonest Applejack Face*)

[Swordfishtrombone 384]

This is quite more interesting than I would have thought. Personally I like the smooth contours of the Pepsi logo. It just screams hip and fresh.

Edited April 18, 2012 by Swordfishtrombone

[Ashbad 969]

 

I honestly find the logo to be awful to my tastes; very girly. However, before FiM was introduced as G4, it was very fitting, and I must give them kudos for making a logo appealing to Hasbro's main audience for the toy line/shows. In G4 they have upgraded it to this:

 

 

Which is magnitudes better, but the blast of pink and pastel purples is still somewhat too girly, considering the Brony fanbase they should be trying even harder to pull in. Toning down the saturation, maybe even moving to cooler colors on the hot/cold color spectrum would be a plus.

Edited April 18, 2012 by Ashbad

[Doctor XFizzle 8,669]

I LOVED (and still do to an extent) sports team logos. Some are really well done while others are destroyed by the horrible choice of colors.

 

My favorites (that are not Detroit lol): St. Louis Blues, Washington Capitals, Minnesota Wild, San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Blue Jays

[be my waifu 2,842]

I love you for making this thread. I've always had a fascination with logos as well... I end up drawing them in my notebooks when I'm bored in class

 

Most of my favorites have to do with transportation (not intentional, just seems to work out that way):

 

 

A simplistic representation of a rocket taking off. I will admit most of my liking for this one is due to nostalgia, my mom had an '89 Cutlass with this logo on the hood. It kinda reminds me of my childhood, but it's still a cool one nonetheless

 

 

Another airlines one... The crane is a very majestic bird, and it makes for a majestic logo... It also makes sense to have a bird represent an airline company

 

 

I see this one every day on my way to school, while passing under a train bridge... It just looks cool on the side of a train. The italicized font and the lines extending off of the "N" convey the idea of speed as well, which is good for a shipping company

 

I have a bunch more, but this post is big enough already

Edited April 18, 2012 by bluetrace

[Dark Qiviut 22,393]

Now, going to logo designers, one of my most favorites is Paul Rand. This late graphic designer's known for making hundreds of famous logos, such as the ABC channel, IBM, Westinghouse, Enron, and the old UPS logo.

 

Here are some of his examples:

An absolute genius in designing logos.

 

Now, speaking of logos, I'm presenting two of my favorite TV logos:

 

The NBC peacock. One of the most recognizable logos in the U.S. The second you see that symbol, you think of NBC. When I see it, I think of prestige, excellence, and pride. Like peacocks themselves, this logo is just absolutely beautiful.

 

There were several NBC logos prior. This one came out in 1986. The peacock's head is looking to the right to indicate looking forward into the future. The six colors represented NBC's six division then: News, Sports, Entertainment, Stations, Network and Productions.

 

In fact, here's their previous logo from 1979 to 1986:

The "N" to represent NBC, and the peacock's head much more visible with his head pointing left. The current one is more abstract and takes better advantage of the negative space compared to the earlier one.

 

The CBS eye. Standing for eye-catching TV, it hasn't changed much over the years. Its signature's altered (the typography going from inside the eye to on its side to altering the type to a sans serif), but the logo has stayed the same. It celebrated its 60th anniversary not long ago.

[FLARE 952]

Interesting thread, we learn about things like this in commerce class.

 

We learned a little bit about this logo, as far as I can remember this logo was used because our eyes follow the curvy lines subconsciously. when having a large stack of cans of pepsi in say a store all the logos seem to join up and make you notice it a bit more... This logo has since been changed.

 

I didn't realize someone else mentioned this...

This is quite more interesting than I would have thought. Personally I like the smooth contours of the Pepsi logo. It just screams hip and fresh.

 

Edited April 18, 2012 by Flare^99999999999

[Jemboi 127]

I thought this was about the LGBT network LOGO. Oops. *steps out of topic*

Edited April 18, 2012 by Jemboi

[Whiteshade 1,426]

[I used to be a stranger 7,993]

The same man who invented these

Royal Dutch Shell and Exxon Mobil

also designed this

A pencil sharpener that would change the face of the 1940s

and this

The Pennsylvania Rail Road T1 class locomotive exterior casing.

Raymond Loewy was a genius.

[Arylett Charnoa 4,919]

 

I honestly find the logo to be awful to my tastes; very girly. However, before FiM was introduced as G4, it was very fitting, and I must give them kudos for making a logo appealing to Hasbro's main audience for the toy line/shows. In G4 they have upgraded it to this:

 

 

Which is magnitudes better, but the blast of pink and pastel purples is still somewhat too girly, considering the Brony fanbase they should be trying even harder to pull in. Toning down the saturation, maybe even moving to cooler colors on the hot/cold color spectrum would be a plus.

 

I think that the G3 logo is ironically LESS girly. It has a more reddish shade of pink and lacks a rainbow and the hearts in the letters p and o. Kind of get the impression you're saying this due to a bias for G4. I kind of prefer the older logo, actually. Although I'd like it if it were more sleek.

 

Whilst G4 has a nice logo too, it blatantly and even more flippantly in your face screams GIRL FRANCHISE. Which does its job. I mean, it's MLP, no matter whether or not bronies are around. And its main focus will always been little girls. So to that length, I guess it was a good job even if it is excessively garish. It shouldn't be changed as long as MLP is for little girls, which is still is.

 

 

As for logos, I can't really think of any others. The logo of these forums, seen above, is nice and faithful to the show's logo. So that's cool.

 

As well, I've tried designing my own logo by making my own font. Here it is:

 

[Flow 1,625]

I like Continental Airlines, I've always rode on their plane when I was younger, it was nice that when United merged with them, they kept Continental's logo

Edited April 18, 2012 by Narutardedscum

[Typhoid Libby 1,265]

Inquisition Badge from 40k.
Best Logo/Icon ever.
Simple, and sure to sent fear running down on spine of every heretic, xenos and mutant. Something to give even demons a pause.

[Dark Qiviut 22,393]

Interesting thread, we learn about things like this in commerce class.

 

We learned a little bit about this logo, as far as I can remember this logo was used because our eyes follow the curvy lines subconsciously. when having a large stack of cans of pepsi in say a store all the logos seem to join up and make you notice it a bit more... This logo has since been changed.

 

That's correct. The old Pepsi globe represented unity around the world. It's since changed, which I'll explain in a bit.

 

In 2008, with the help of a powerhouse company called Arnell, Pepsi-Co. underwent a six-month-long rebranding on most of its products, their most well-known being Pepsi, Mountain Dew, and Tropicana. (However, Tropicana is more of a rebranding of the packaging compared to Pepsi and Mountain Dew, so I won't post the before-and-after here.) It was super-expensive, costing well over $100 million U.S. The changes of the logos.

 

Pepsi

Before

 

After

Pepsi's previous logo is a yin-and-yang-like globe that represents unity between the company and the consumer. In 2009, a smile replaces the globe, and its font is sleeker and more casual to replace the fierce CAPS.

 

Another is Mountain Dew.

Before:

 

Initial rebranding concept. Concentrate on the "Mtn. Dew" on the right.

The finalized concept:

The previous Mountain Dew logo was wavy to give that sense of adrenaline and action. The rebranding concept's intention was to revive the calmer "Mountain" sensation from logos past. However, that was rejected in favor of the last one. This logo's upward slanted typography gives off that adrenaline and perseverance that athletes try to achieve; Mountain Dew is targeted towards athletes.

 

My thoughts regarding both.

 

Pepsi: The current version works for several reasons.

• The smile means "joy." Pepsi's indication of refreshment results in happy thoughts and (supposedly) brand loyalty, according to Pepsi's trademark.
• The thinner typeface is more modernized and fits the current generation of casual marketing. However, it doesn't forget its history: Look at the bar of the "e"; you'll see the wiggle from the globe.
• The logo and typeface are more balanced. The previous version had the wordmark and trademark competing for supremacy. Pepsi and Arnell clearly want the trademark to be the dominant focal point.

However, there's one thing about the current Pepsi logo that doesn't work: the smile itself. It represents joy, but it doesn't fully connect the past of unity between the company and loyal consumer. It keeps the colors, but if you change them and leave it grayscale and black and white, it won't scream "Pepsi." A great logo must look great in both color AND black-and-white. That's what made the old globe so successful: it represented unity better, and the smile is having a difficult time replicating that same message, hence the "supposedly" earlier.

 

Mountain Dew: The current logo has its advantages, too, over its predecessor:

• The extreme incline. The first logo has that wavy flow, but it doesn't represent that "mountain" incline. The inclined, italic typography includes that outline that represents climbing, as if climbing up a mountain towards reaching the top.
• The typography itself is very extreme, and Mountain Dew's target audience is the young, up-and-coming extreme athlete.
• The serif typography. The serifs are a lot like peaks: they can be jagged. Simultaneously, the serifs are very subtle, retaining the more modernized look.
• Lesser use of letters to fit packaging more universally. "Mtn." is a common abbreviation of "Mountain," and the word back then had a bit if a tough time fitting onto smaller media like cans. The "Mtn." allows that breathing room.

If you ask me, its current logo is the best one since its version that lasted from 1976 to the mid-1990s. Clean, dynamic, and powerful.

 

What are your thoughts regarding the before-and-after of both the Pepsi and Mountain Dew logos?

[Dany Heatley 160]

My username is Dany Heatley, so this logo is quite fitting

I only recently realized that this is not just a picture of a forest or the "wild", but the whole thing is also a bear head... I have failed to see this for years lol

 

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the Hartford Whalers logo is also a really cool logo, and has a lot of meaning in it dispite its simplicity

 

pretty badass

[Dark Qiviut 22,393]

My username is Dany Heatley, so this logo is quite fitting

I only recently realized that this is not just a picture of a forest or the "wild", but the whole thing is also a bear head... I have failed to see this for years lol

Your name really IS fitting.

 

For some time, it took me a while to get it, too. But the Minnesota Wild logo is really good. The green and red may be on opposite sides on the color wheel, but it works.

 

The green is a forest green, and with the evergreen trees, it easily represents the forest. The sky and the sun indicate the sunset and the Minnesota Wild waking up to play their game. The bear is a wild animal, hence the team's nickname. Moreover, take a close look at the bear's mouth; there's a windy road tapering into the forest.

 

Lastly, the callout to Minnesota's first hockey team: the North Stars. In 1992, the Minnesota North Stars relocated to Dallas to become the Dallas Stars. The star representing the bear's eye is a callback to the original franchise.

 

the Hartford Whalers logo is also a really cool logo, and has a lot of meaning in it dispite its simplicity

 

pretty badass

 

Prior to the Whalers's relocation to North Carolina, the Hartford Whalers had this ingenious logo, possibly the best one throughout the NHL at the time. The gray "H" and outline create both the tail of the whale and the "W." Simple, but very clever.

 

Now one other logo that I really consider to be very good.

The Quebec Nordiques igloo. The igloo, with its entrance, creates a hidden "n" with the hockey stick and puck representing hockey. The red, white, and blue are a call to Quebec City's French Canadian ties.

[Aureity 3,055]

I dunno why, I just like this one a lot.

[QueenChrysalis 176]

the logo i like are tippmann sports just pure epic

the blue jays old logo and cunucks old logo

[MVC NVMXD JVRXD 2,406]

The old tool logo:

These guys got me into metal.

 

Phish's, cuz lets face it. They are awesome.

And the slayer logo.

[PeachPalette 1,000]

Reese's, Ford, Dr. Pepper, Detroit Red Wings, HP, Def Leppard logo

 

Just some.

[NewCalamity 3,454]

The Iron Cross. (Eisernes Kreuz)

 

 

 

This beautiful emblem symbolizing courage, strength, duty, loyalty and honour. All things knightly and brave!

 

Originating from Prussia and the German Empire, everyone knows this icon.

 

Sadly many people these days see this emblem and think of fat, outlaw biker gangs.

[Akemi Homura 7,680]

 

Represents loyalty, commitment, teamwork, determination, and discipline.

 

 

Represents determination, grit, loyalty, and collective pride.

[Dark Qiviut 22,393]

Represents loyalty, commitment, teamwork, determination, and discipline.

 

 

Represents determination, grit, loyalty, and collective pride.

 

There's one more reason: the Irish heritage in Boston. The Celtics's color is an Irish-like green, its mascot a leprechaun, and the three-leaf clover as its secondary trademark because Boston has a rich Irish history. Edited April 19, 2012 by Dark Qiviut

[Akemi Homura 7,680]

There's one more reason: the Irish heritage in Boston. The Celtics's color is an Irish-like green, its mascot a leprechaun, and the three-leaf clover as its secondary trademark because Boston has a rich Irish history.

 

Oh, snap. How could I forget.