Car logo rip-offs Sep 11 2012
Some examples of car company logo rip-offs, mostly from China.
And really, who wouldn't want a BYD instead of a BMW?
kottke.org posts about logos
New logo for Microsoft Aug 23 2012
After using the same logo for the past 25 years, Microsoft introduces a new logo that echoes their Windows brand.
The Microsoft brand is about much more than logos or product names. We are lucky to play a role in the lives of more than a billion people every day. The ways people experience our products are our most important "brand impressions". That's why the new Microsoft logo takes its inspiration from our product design principles while drawing upon the heritage of our brand values, fonts and colors.
(via df)
The naughty 2012 Olympics logo Jul 12 2012
With the Olympics about two weeks away, consider this a final you-can't-unsee-it reminder that the 2012 London Olympics logo looks like Lisa Simpson performing oral sex.
It's not as bad as some of the others on this list (oh, that Mon-Sat logo), but it's still exceptionally unforgettable. Enjoy the wall-to-wall Olympic coverage for the next two weeks!
Railroad company logos Mar 30 2012
A beautiful collection of railroad company logos that show the evolution of logo design from 1845 to 2000.
What a five-year-old thinks about famous logos Jan 31 2012
Designer Adam Ladd asked his five-year-old daughter for her impressions of several well-known logos. This is great:
(via stellar)
Hand-lettered department store logos Oct 14 2011
A lovely collection of hand-lettered American department store logos from the late 19th and early 20th century.
40th anniversary of Nike's swoosh Aug 18 2011
Steven Heller writes about the 40th anniversary of Nike's iconic swoosh, one of the best logos ever designed.
The origin of the mark goes like this: Knight wanted to differentiate BRS's custom product from the ones they were importing from Onituska in Japan: "...so Knight turned to a graphic design student he met at Portland State University two years earlier." One day in 1969, the student, Carolyn Davidson, was approached by Knight and offered $2 per hour "to make charts and graphics" for his business. For the next two years Davidson managed the design work on BRS. "Then one day Phil asked me if I wanted to work on a shoe stripe," Davidson recalled. The only advice she received was to "Make the stripe supportive of the shoe." Davidson came up with half a dozen options. None of the options "captivated anyone" so it came down to "which was the least awful."
(via megadeluxe)
Fake + logo = Fauxgo Aug 09 2011
Fauxgo is a site that collects fictional logos from movies and TV shows.
Massive collection of TV channel logos Jun 02 2011
These are just a few of the 9000+ TV channel logos collected here.
(thx, tanner)
Paris in logos Apr 20 2011
Logo Tourist is a project by Risto-Jussi Isopahkala that depicts cityscapes and famous Parisian landmarks made up of famous logos. Here's the Arc de Triumph (sponsored by Pepsi and Adidas):
See also Logorama.
Hebrew logo translations Apr 28 2010
IANAHRSYMMV**, but here are some well-known English language logos redesigned and translated into Hebrew language logos. Nice student work from a class taught by Oded Ezer.
** I am a not a Hebrew reader so your mileage may vary.
Circle and a bird Apr 28 2010
Many many airlines use a bird in a circle for their logos. (via quips)
Logorama Feb 27 2010
One of the films up for the Best Animated Short Oscar is called Logorama. It's a Pulp Fiction-inspired ditty composed almost entirely of inventively used corporate logos. A screenshot is instructive in illustrating what I'm talking about:
This is a nearly perfect outsiders view of the US. Watch the whole thing here.
Logo nicknames Jun 25 2009
Deep in the conservative bowels of corporations and brand identity firms, they've got cute little nicknames for logos. The GE logo is The Meatball, the AT&T logo is The Death Star, and the Warner logo is Two and a Half Hot Dogs. (via quips)
Porn or not? Jun 01 2009
Q: Copy from the NY Times about a logo or a description of some kind of weird Star Trek-themed pornography?
Bouncy new blue "ee" twins seem to laugh under a colorful spray.
A: Surprisingly, the Times (slide #4).
Google's Very Hungry Caterpillar Mar 20 2009
The Very Hungry Caterpillar was one of my favorite books when I was a kid and I've loved reading it to Ollie over the past few months. So of course, Google's logo today is aces.
Now do Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs!
Exploring logo designs with Mathematica Feb 27 2009
This post on the Wolfram blog about using Mathematica to play around with logo designs provides a tantalzing glimpse into how useful the program could be as a graphic design tool.
Take a logo as simple as the Mercedes-Benz star. Just three points framed by a circle, its geometry is easily described in a few lines of Mathematica code, with some obvious parameters controlling the number of points on the star, the sharpness of the star's points, the thickness of the outer circle, and the orientation of the star.
Paging Joshua Davis. (via waxy)
Redesigning the Super Bowl logo Jan 28 2009
Some designers take a crack at redesigning the most recent Super Bowl logo. Most are completely impractical, but I thought Aaron Draplin's had a nice throwback style.
Worst/best logos of 2008 Dec 22 2008
Brand New runs down the best and worst new logos of 2008. Some of the bad ones are downright awful...the WGN one is crazy bad.
Designing the Obama logo Dec 11 2008
Great two-part video interview with Sol Sender about designing the logo for the Obama campaign. Includes some early design sketches and other designs that made it to the final phase. (via quips)
The Obama "O" designer Nov 24 2008
Steven Heller spoke with the designer Sol Sender about his iconic Obama "O" logo.
Well, the "O" was the identity for the Obama '08 campaign and the campaign is over. That doesn't mean that the mark will be forgotten; I think the memorabilia from this campaign will have a long shelf life and will stand as a visible symbol of pride for people who supported the candidate and for those who see it as a representation of a watershed moment for our country. As far as having another life, I can't say. Perhaps the 2012 campaign will hark back to it in some way.
Sender's web site has a bit more info on the development of the Obama brand.
New Pepsi logo Oct 28 2008
What do I think about the new Pepsi logo? Eh. Companies spend way too much time, effort, and money building up feelings about logos -- like decades and billions of dollars -- and then they just go and change it all. Of course the new logo and colors are similar to the old ones and it's variations on a theme but the new designs feel like someone's idea of what packaging is going to look like 10 years from now, an approach that never seems to work out well (see Back to the Future II). Coca-Cola had such success refreshing their brand with a simple take on their classic look and logo, why can't Pepsi do the same with this classic look?
Branded ecstasy pills Oct 23 2008
Photos of 99 different ecstasy pills with logos on them, including those with McDonald's, Mercedes, MTV, Harry Potter, and Apple logos.
A.G. Low Construction logo Jul 18 2008
The logo for A.G. Low Construction is the best one I've seen in awhile.
Nice work by design student Rebecca Low, who I'm assuming is related to the A.G. Low in question. (via monoscope)
Exxon logo sketches Jun 16 2008
Raymond Loewy is well-known as an industrial designer but he was also responsible for some of the world's most iconic logos. Pictured below are several sketches that Loewy did for the new Exxon logo:
Big business moved more slowly back then; the sketches were done by Loewy in 1966 but the name change and new logo didn't go into effect until 1972. Loewy was also responsible for several other logos: Shell, Hoover, BP, Nabisco, Canada Dry, and U.S. Mail.
US presidential candidate logos May 13 2008
A list of all the US presidential election logos from 1960-2008. That's a whole lot of red and blue. I particularly liked 1988's Dick "Chrysler" Gephardt and Paul Simon's Top Gun homage. (via quips)
If you can ignore the stupid one-logo-per-page Mar 13 2008
If you can ignore the stupid one-logo-per-page interface, check out the 25 best band logos.
Clever smugglers have been using trucks adorned Jan 25 2008
Clever smugglers have been using trucks adorned with FedEx, Wal-Mart, and other familiar logos in order to spirit drugs, money, and illegal aliens across the US/Mexican border.
In another case, a truck painted with DirecTV and other markings was pulled over in a routine traffic stop in Mississippi and discovered to be carrying 786 pounds of cocaine. Police said they became suspicious because the truck carried the markings or DirecTV and several of its rivals. An 800 number on the truck's rear to report bad driving referred callers to an adult sex chat line.
A taxonomy of animals that are mascots Jan 09 2008
A taxonomy of animals that are mascots or logos of companies.
Logo trends for 2007. (via airbag) Dec 27 2007
Logo trends for 2007. (via airbag)
Liquidated Logos by French street artist Zevs. Dec 13 2007
Liquidated Logos by French street artist Zevs.
Re-painting the logos in their own colours, the artist pours paint over them, liquidating one logo after another.
I am a sucker for dripping paint.
Is the new NYC taxi logo any Oct 16 2007
History of the Batman logo Sep 18 2007
A history and analysis of the Batman logo from 1939 to the present, in five parts: 1, 2, 3. 4, 5. More logo studies by the same fellow here. (thx, david)
Video of a bunch of TV production Sep 17 2007
Video of a bunch of TV production company logos...you know, the ones that usually follow the shows, "sit Ubu sit, good dog" and the like.
Cartype: "A comprehensive collection of reviews and Jun 25 2007
Cartype: "A comprehensive collection of reviews and study of typographical applications of emblems, car company logos and car logos with images, comments, links, car company information and general interest."
On brand indentities that are flexible (vs. Jun 21 2007
On brand indentities that are flexible (vs. those that are static). Examples: Google's logo, Target's bullseye, and Saks' jumbly identity. "As advertising agencies lose their grip on the communications channels, the logos are starting to come out of the corner. Once pushed as far over to the bottom right as possible, they're becoming central to communication, no longer content to just be the the full-stop at the end of a piece of branded communication." (via quipsologies)
A rare positive review from Speak Up Jun 05 2007
A rare positive review from Speak Up of the new London 2012 that everyone else in the world seems to hate. "I believe, despite any ensuing boo's, that this is some of the most innovative and daring identity work we have seen in this new millennium, and the lack of cheesy and imagination-impairing gradients gives me hope that identity work can still be resurrected on a larger scale."
Update: Coudal loves the logo.
A list of companies and the fonts May 31 2007
A list of companies and the fonts they use for their logos and corporate identities.
Instead of giving out wasteful schwag bags Apr 05 2007
Instead of giving out wasteful schwag bags and tshirts that no one wears, the Interesting 2007 conference is asking participants to provide their own used tshirts (they'll screenprint the logo on it) and will be using plain old plastic bags with the conference logo screenprinted on them. What a great twist on recycling. (via bbj)
The mid-2000s may be seen in Mar 28 2007
The mid-2000s may be seen in the future as not such a fantastic time for logo design. One further piece of evidence: the what-were-they-thinking? new design for the Dairy Queen logo. "[The] gold and blue curved swishes [signify] food and treats." Don't know about you, but that blue swish make me want to cram ice cream down my treat-hole!
A list of well-know logos & brands Mar 02 2007
A list of well-know logos & brands and their design histories.
Update: I took out the link because several people told me that the site I was linking to has a history of taking other's content and passing it off as their own.
The Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Dec 08 2006
The Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics has a logo that changes every time it gets used on letterhead or displayed on a web site. The logo system was designed by Michael Schmitz and is based on cellular automata like John Conway's Game of Life. "Parameters [for the logo] are coupled to certain factors: number of employees = density, funding = speed, number of publications = activity. Different logos are being 'bred' and then picked by fitness in relation to the parameters or voted for by the employees." Schmitz's PDF document Evolving Logo is worth a look even if you don't read German. (Anyone want to do a translation? It looks fascinating.) (via bbj)
Cool slideshow of 221 years of mastheads from Nov 21 2006
Cool slideshow of 221 years of mastheads from the London Times. (via newsdesigner, who has more on the recent Times refresh)
The brand new Brand New blog identifies Nov 10 2006
The brand new Brand New blog identifies and critiques new logos and other brand identity work.
Isometric Google logo. Aug 16 2006
Web 2.0 style redesigns of famous logos. The Jul 25 2006
Web 2.0 style redesigns of famous logos. The BoeingBoeing one is pretty clever. (thx, mark)
Reviews of some recent logo redesigns. That Jul 05 2006
Reviews of some recent logo redesigns. That new MasterCard logo is...yikes.
Short remembrance by Rob Janoff about designing Apr 24 2006
Short remembrance by Rob Janoff about designing the logo for Apple Computer. The logo was to be black & white to save on printing costs, but "Jobs was resolute, arguing that color was the key to humanizing the company".
The typography of the logos of Web 2.0 companies. (via waxy) Mar 09 2006
The typography of the logos of Web 2.0 companies. (via waxy)
Fingernails painted with the Six Apart logo. Feb 28 2006
Fingernails painted with the Six Apart logo. Now, that's a fan.
The history of the NBA logo...and Feb 20 2006
The history of the NBA logo...and yes, that's Jerry West. (via th)
"Inside C" logos are those where the Feb 13 2006
"Inside C" logos are those where the second letter of a word (usually an "o") is tucked inside the initial capital C. Examples: Coca-Cola, Carnation, and Coffee-Mate.
A grid of logos of Web 2.0 companies. Feb 06 2006
A grid of logos of Web 2.0 companies. These names sound like a bunch of companies that make children's toys (which when you think about it, isn't too far from the truth).
Update: Original here.
Kodak has themselves a new logo and Jan 10 2006
Kodak has themselves a new logo and gosh it looks plain and boring and undistinctive. Who are the folks convincing companies like Intel and Kodak that these logo/brand overhauls are going to revitalize their companies? Revitalization is a hard business...a new coat of paint isn't going to cut it.
Update: More on Kodak's new logo at Speak Up.
Best Google logo yet...a Braille version Jan 04 2006
Best Google logo yet...a Braille version to celebrate the birthday of Louis Braille.
Intel is retiring the "Intel Inside" saying/ Dec 30 2005
Intel is retiring the "Intel Inside" saying/logo and is getting a new company logo as well...no more of the familiar "dropped e" logo. Now they'll look like everyone else.
I missed this while in Asia last Dec 19 2005
I missed this while in Asia last month, but AT&T has a new logo, which is pretty much the same as the old one.
Examination of how US states brand themselves, Nov 01 2005
Examination of how US states brand themselves, focusing on state logos, license plates, and slogans.
Michael Bierut offers a requiem for the Oct 31 2005
Michael Bierut offers a requiem for the AT&T logo by Saul Bass. SBC is buying AT&T, keeping the name, but introducing a new logo.
Rafael Esquer just showed some of his Sep 15 2005
Rafael Esquer just showed some of his most recent work here at the Student Conference. I like his Made in NY logo that he did for NYC. Here's a short interview with Esquer.
Todd Radom designs sports logos, including ones Sep 15 2005
Todd Radom designs sports logos, including ones for the Super Bowl, Fenway Park's 90th anniversary, and the new Cleveland Browns. Read about his design for the Washington Nationals logo in Fast Company.
Custom chrome emblems for your car, Segway, Aug 10 2005
Custom chrome emblems for your car, Segway, motorbike, or laptop computer.
Using information from the USPTO to track Aug 04 2005
Using information from the USPTO to track how logo design in the US has changed over time. "Using this database, innovations and trends in the design of trademarks can be tracked and dissected. For example, the rise of the swoosh element, concentrated among internet and telecommunications firms in particular, can be seen developing in the mid-1990s."
