Which brand has the best logo and why?

Design

October 18, 2010 by Big Orange Slide

27 Comments

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27 Comments on "Which brand has the best logo and why?"

Dave
October 18, 2010 @ 9:41 am

Montreal Expos.
Ian Mackenzie
October 18, 2010 @ 9:47 am

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation logo is pretty great:

http://greengosolutions.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/cbc1.jpg

It’s out-dated, overcomplicated, and conceptually bewildering – which should kill it, but somehow makes it endearing instead.
Sara Vinten
October 18, 2010 @ 10:06 am

CN FTW!

The CN logo illustrates what the company is about—connectedness—in a clean and concise way. It’s completely bilingual, standing for “Canadien national” in french as well as “Canadian National” in english. Most importantly, it’s stood the test of time, and still to this day does not appear outdated, even though the logo was created 50 years ago.
Leilah
October 18, 2010 @ 10:11 am

Fedex may be obvious, but I’ll always love it.

It’s impactful and instantly recognizable from a distance. Each division of the company has slight colour differentiation which keeps things cohesive.

And, if you’ve had the subliminal arrows pointed out to you once, you’ll never miss them up close again. It has an identity and a message rolled into one, simple, strong package. Which is shipped – presumably overnight.
Dondy Razon
October 18, 2010 @ 10:14 am

the gap

i think social media brainwashed me to say that! undo is now the best redesign practice.
Stuart Thursby
October 18, 2010 @ 11:05 am

+1 for CN, FedEx + CBC

I’m also partial to the new Girl Scouts logo as well, as much because it’s indicative of how to smartly refresh a brand created by an icon (Saul Bass, if I’m not mistaken…) without destroying everything in the process
Brook Johnston
October 18, 2010 @ 12:08 pm

Under Armour. Simple and such a strong status symbol. Perfectly conveys their rah rah sports attitude.
Liam Mooney
October 18, 2010 @ 12:38 pm

McDonalds.

A few reasons.

1. Its simplicity.

2. Its consistency & continuity over time.

3. Colour choice. Red and gold are synonymous with power and boldness. Not to mention the colour red actually makes people hungry.

4. The logo is now ubiquitous.

5. It represents American culture, the expansion of the global economy and capitalist mode of production. It is synonymous with ideas like efficiency, consistency and depending on the person, deliciousness.

6. It transcends time and space. You can live in Bangkok, Taiwan, Kiev, Athens, or Toronto and know what the “Golden Arches” are and what you can expect from it.
Steve
October 18, 2010 @ 1:21 pm

The Water Creative logo is sweet — http://www.watercreative.com

Taxi also has a nice logo — http://www.taxi.ca
Steve
October 18, 2010 @ 1:25 pm

Apple – hands down
Das_Brut
October 18, 2010 @ 1:51 pm

I have never been able to quite get past the strikingly bold and down right mind bending Consolidated Skateboards logo

http://skate.ly/library/img/logos/small/consolidated-skateboards.png

Hardly up there with the golden arches, but still my favourite.
Mark Daye
October 18, 2010 @ 1:52 pm

Coke. Why? Because it was the first one I thought of when you asked this question.
John
October 18, 2010 @ 2:19 pm

Nike or Satrbucks…
John
October 18, 2010 @ 2:19 pm

and by Satrbucks… I obviously meant Starbucks.
Tanvi Swar
October 18, 2010 @ 2:36 pm

Sun Systems
Bob G.
October 18, 2010 @ 2:47 pm

The more interesting question may be “Which logo has the best brand and why?”

Brands grow to give logos far more meaning than than the original design could ever deliver on its own.

Few of us love the logos of brands we despise.
simon billing
October 18, 2010 @ 2:47 pm

The Bass (beer) red triangle – because it’s the first ever registered trademark. Been around almost 300 years – that’s consistency.
Curtis Westman
October 18, 2010 @ 3:01 pm

The Guinness Harp. It’s opulent gold on a black background, and it reflects a touch of levity in a dark, heavy beer.

If the question had to do with the best logo launch, though, I’d say Telus. In 1996, when they launched their current logo, they did so with such gusto that the campaign even included an appearance in an X-Files episode. The logo itself isn’t particularly fantastic, but it’s stood the test of time perhaps in part because of its foray into pop culture.

Maybe people would have liked the Gap logo more if it was on an episode of Glee. People still watch that show, right?
Rebecca
October 18, 2010 @ 5:03 pm

fcuk (french connection united kingdom)…because they kept it simple and used the brand name to their full advantage.

I still sometimes do a double take when I see it on a t-shirt..
Chris Eyerman
October 18, 2010 @ 5:06 pm

I tend to agree with Bob. These conversations are always rife with blurred lines between logos and brands. A logo can be used to make a brand recognizable, but not effective. Would you consider the Nike, McDonalds or Apple or logos well-crafted or meaningful in their own right? Would Nike be as recognizable with a completely different logo? Or is it because of the brand? In order to have an effective logo, a consumer has to come in contact with the brand in a larger context.

Rand said it best:

“It is only by association with a product, a service, a business, or a corporation that a logo takes on any real meaning. It derives its meaning and usefulness from the quality of that which it symbolizes. If a company is second rate, the logo will eventually be perceived as second rate. It is foolhardy to believe that a logo will do its job immediately, before an audience has been properly conditioned.”

Great brands with well-crafted logos:
-Audi
-UPS (Rand version)
-Jordan Brand
-AT&T (Saul Bass version)
-IBM
-FedEx
etc.

If we’re talking specifically about artistically flawless, meticulously designed logos, any volume of Los Logos has countless examples.

Think this deserves a follow-up tomorrow with Bob’s question. :D
Thom Antonio
October 18, 2010 @ 5:20 pm

Ahh yes, Bob G. You have asked the appropriate question at the appropriate time. Two many people get mesmerized by the ‘brogo’ and think they are one and the same.

Let’s see what tomorrow turns up.
Thom Antonio
October 18, 2010 @ 5:20 pm

That would be ‘Too many people’ btw.
Nick F
October 18, 2010 @ 8:38 pm

Hong Kong tourism logo. It’s a dragon that’s actually made up of the Chinese characters for “Hong Kong”. Very crafty subliminal strategy incorporating Hong Kong into the powerful imagery of a dragon.
Vlad Dascalu
October 19, 2010 @ 4:13 pm

STARBUCKS – embodies the culture without the corporate feel
Advergirling
October 20, 2010 @ 1:57 pm

I love Bench’s logo, it’s simple, it’s clean. The logo looks really good on their clothes.
Ravi D
October 20, 2010 @ 5:16 pm

The union jack…although not a corporate logo, its a pretty solid design that has stood the test of time and probably will still be popular if the UK economy totally tanks.
Simon
October 27, 2010 @ 6:53 pm

I just wanted to throw some good ones out there that might not have been mentioned

The Olympics, Mercedes, Mitsubishi … because they are steeped in design tradition, dating back in history

others like MasterCard, BBC, Apple, Microsoft, IBM and VW are instantly recognizable too

Nike, Adidas, Pepsi, Coca-Cola, MacDonalds … no explanation needed, deeply embedded into our consciousness

here is a link to test yourself
http://studiografiko.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/logoblinkcom-the-brand-alphabet.gif