The Evolution of Logo Design in Marketing

A good logo design represents an identity and tells you a meaningful story.
Let's learn more about the evolution of logo design in the marketing industry!

Created by Ahmed Rumon | https://dribbble.com/shots/19689758-Social-Media-Marketing-Influencing-SaaS-Tool-S-for-social

 
A logo design should be the first coming to mind when customers think about your brand among millions of thoughts rushing in their heads. Almost all thoughts related to it are subconscious. Luckily, marketers understand that emotions and thoughts are what the brand tries to deliver in a crafted message.

A good combination of text and colors works best for marketing campaigns because they can trigger various emotions. Companies can design the right brand to show playfulness, power, or trust. A dynamic logo is the fastest option to evoke a specific message because people will see and process it in their minds.

Created by Balkan Brothers | https://dribbble.com/shots/18172262-Haystack-Branding

 

What Is Logo?

A logo refers to a graphic symbol owned by a company that usually acts as branding, so people will recognize what it provides. It becomes a visual representation of the company's brand identity to deliver a specific message and obtain the public trust in a short time. 

Logos can either bring the brand into success or leave it behind if it does not have a proper design. Now, it seems every company and organization has realized the importance of having an effective logo in the marketing strategy. That is why they come with simple, creative, yet meaningful logos.

Created by Halo Branding | https://dribbble.com/shots/19534071-Risen-Branding-Guidelines

 

The Development of Logo Design Over the Years

When this visual branding did becomes so crucial for the company and organization? To know more about the development of logos throughout the years and how they have contributed significantly to the marketing industry, you can go through its brief of evolution below.

1. The Early Design

The very first logo design in the history track came from Ancient Greece, as they had monogrammed coins made using rulers. Moreover, people have used multiple types of symbols to determine identification and social rank since the very beginning of organized society.

The use of symbols for identification was also famous during Ancient Egypt. Of course, the early designs affect how the current logo looks like. Here are several influences that contribute to the appearance of modern logos.

Created by Halo Branding | https://dribbble.com/shots/15690182-DabTap-Service-Branding

 

1.1. Renaissance touch
The modern logo that people know today originally came from the 13th century during the Renaissance days. It was an inevitable part of the society at that time who worked as pottery makers, goldsmiths, and stonemasons. They started to carve and press logos in their artworks to show ownership.

1.2. Industrial touch
After a while, society changed, and everything became more industrial as an effect of the industrial revolution. In the 19th century, over 700 lithographic printers existed in the US. Although printing companies only had credit for printed arts, this condition began to affect artists' and craftsmen's works.

1.3. Printed materials influence
The development of printed art led the innovation and style to evolve continuously at that time. In the 1870s, printing costs diminished, which allowed the production of newspapers and children's books in mass. Hence, during that time, printed logos were becoming more common in society.

The printed arts style was also got influenced by the unique Victorian touch. This condition caused the huge expansion of dramatic typography to resemble various kinds of brands and business identities.

Created by Ahmed creatives | https://dribbble.com/shots/19476779-Evolve-Brand-Visual-Identity

 

2.The First Logo

Following the significant increase in mass production during the Victorian era, people also were highly interested in craftsmanship. This condition led to the beginning of exclusive logo design making. Here are what happened during the stage of the first logo creation and the trends that emerged at that time.

2.1. Bass Brewery Branding
The first logo to register in the marketing history belonged to Bass Brewery in 1876. It appeared with a red triangle in the middle combined with a "Bass" wordmark underneath, made in a sweeping cursive style. Its wordmark received a slight of Coca-Cola's look and feel when people first saw it.

2.2. Theory of Colors
Around the 1800s, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe introduced the Theory of Colors and emerged a term called color psychology. Based on color psychology, every color has a different meaning, so people can consider it when they want to use colors for various purposes.

For instance, the red color exudes a look of dignity and gravity. Then, people thought Bass Brewery used red color in its visual branding because they wanted to evoke this message through its logo.

2.3. Television and Mass communication
The trend in company logos gradually changed with there was the invention of television. At this time, mass communication triggered companies to turn communication to be more visual. It sets the foundations for a logo design that people recognize today for branding and marketing.

It is evident that since Ancient times, logos usage has scarcely changed. People still use symbols to convey a message about the company or its brand. So, logos become a visual communication tool that replaces language.

Created by Amir Sayem | https://dribbble.com/shots/17989379-Digital-marketing

 

3. Recent Marketing Logo 

Now, a logo still becomes a visual representation of an organization or company's identity. The primary function is still similar in today's saturated market, where customers are liable to thousands of new logos every day. 

Visual information gets the most transmission in the brain, and the brain processes it 60,000 times faster. Considering this knowledge, it is not surprising that a lot of brands put extra effort into creating their perfect logos. 

They use a good color combination that can catch people's attention from the very beginning and design the best logo that can resonate with the customers immediately. Companies should create logos that allow customers to treat them like familiar faces. 

They must be easily recognizable so customers can engage with them when thinking about specific products or services. Here are several criteria for an effective logo design for marketing.

Created by Ahmad Wildan | https://dribbble.com/shots/16808128-Flexwell-Logo-Branding-Identity

 

3.1. Easily memorable
One of the primary goals for the brand's logo is simply iconic and exudes fondness. It should work as human interaction that connects the brands and the customers. Thus, it is essential for brands, either it is small or big, to invest in the best logos, like asking for help from a logo design maker.

3.2. Exude stability
A definite logo gives the impression that a business looks stable. Companies that stick to the continuously changing appearance of their visual branding tend to confuse their customers. Businesses that implement this unlikely concept can exude stability in their logos.

Potential customers who see that ever-changing branding might assume that a company is facing instability in running its business. It is fine to make a slight upgrade once in a few years but ensure that the upgrades do not significantly change the original look.

Created by Ramotion | https://dribbble.com/shots/15394467-Ninox-Branding-Logo-Design-Visual-Identity

 

3.3. Proper colors use
One key consideration in visual branding in the market today is the colors. Now, companies can find a large amount of knowledge regarding color psychology that was unpopular during the beginning era of logo design. Colors can affect people consciously and subconsciously. We can see some current examples.

Red gives a feeling of passion and action. Virgin and Red Bull are examples of two largely successful companies that apply red color in their visual identity to connect with the targeted customers. Blue evokes trust and loyalty, so many technological and financial companies like IBM and Barclays use blue color.

If you want to know what colors can represent your brand well, you must learn color psychology. Every color exudes a different feeling and vibe. It is essential to consider colors when making visual branding. Here are primary colors, their meanings, and big companies that used them in their logos.

Created by Mufidul | https://dribbble.com/shots/17951844-DesignOps-Branding-Case-Study

 

3.3.1. Red
Aside from resembling passion and action, the red color highly links to strength. We can see that in many clothing brands like Puma that combines red color and animal illustration like its name. This brand is currently famous for its sporty apparel.

Red also exudes a youthful vibe. That is why Nintendo uses it as the main color and successfully catches young people's attention to play with the game. Red also presents an intense feeling, and you can discover this color in the Youtube Logo as it combines a black and white wordmark with a half-red background.

Another company called, Target also uses red for its branding because it promotes boldness. It works well because the company bullseye symbol with the company name underneath, all in red color. It successfully conveys the company's values and its promise to the customers.

Red is also identical to a famous sporting network, ESPN. Even though its logo design looks basic, the red color radiates an energetic feeling well. It resembles power and passion that makes the sports events to be more fun and fascinating. Not to mention its white background that represents purity.

Created by Abdullah Mubin | https://dribbble.com/shots/17649050-Mounhome-Logo

 

3.3.2. Yellow
Yellow is another primary color that appears in many famous brands. McDonald's is one company that has an iconic yellow logo. Two yellow arches shaping an 'M' letter resemble the first letter of its name. The yellow color radiates optimism as the two arches depict the newly-constructed building of the first franchise.

Another company applying yellow to its branding is Nikon. With a combination of yellow background, several horizontal white accents, and a black 'Nikon' wordmark underneath, the brand gives an impressive look.

The yellow color in the Nikon brand resembles clarity which is in line with the quality offered by this camera brand. 

Created by Halo Branding | https://dribbble.com/shots/19614564-Padvise-Brand-Identity

 

3.3.3. Green
When thinking about the green color, who will not associate it with the famous coffee brand Starbucks? This brand combines a mermaid character and green color in its logo design. The green tone represents nature which has a nurturing vibe and resembles the sea where the mermaid character lives.

Whole Foods Market uses green in their emblem to represent freshness in its products. It is because this brand provides local, organic, and plant-based products. 

Green also exudes multiple feelings for branding, such as peace, growth, and wealth. Thus, many hotels incorporate this color for their marketing and branding.

Created by Sazzad Hosen | https://dribbble.com/shots/18525260-Early-bird-business-card

 

3.3.4. Orange
Orange strongly links to a cheerful feeling. No wonder Nickelodeon uses orange in its visual identity. A combination of orange and white with a cartoonish design successfully targeted the children. This television channel offers numerous cartoon programs that are children's favorites across the globe.

SoundCloud has an orange logo design. As an online music platform, it offers a friendly vibe for users. The orange cloud with the left side representing a sound wave symbolizes the optimistic character and creativity of music lovers. It exudes happy feelings and smiles to whoever uses the platform.

Many other companies also implement oranges in their branding because orange exudes many positive vibes such as confidence, energy, and affordable.

Created by Aditya | https://dribbble.com/shots/19276099-Stegosaurus-dinosaur-logo-design

 

3.3.5. Blue
A logo design with blue color resembles strength. That is why famous vehicle company like Ford uses blue for their visual branding. It also symbolizes the grace and excellence of the company. Ford also combines blue with white to add a purity and elegance vibe. Blue also represents trust and loyalty.

Created by Ahmad Wildan | https://dribbble.com/shots/16082307-Marketify-Logo-and-Brandbook-Design

 

Hence, many famous companies for technologies, finance, and hygiene use blue in their brands. You can see examples from the Samsung, HP, Visa, and Oral-B brands. They apply a mix of blue and white. Moreover, blue depicts security, wisdom, and dependability.

Created by Focus Lab | https://dribbble.com/shots/19740158-Floored

 

3.3.6. Purple
Purple is another color that can be easily recognizable in many famous brands. For instance, the Yahoo wordmark comes in purple. It exudes a creative vibe as people can explore many things with this search engine. Pardy's chocolate is another brand that combines purple and white in its logo design.

Pardy's chocolate wants to deliver a message that they provide high-quality and luxury chocolates to the customers. There are other brands that apply purple because it exudes a wise and calming vibe. Some brands use purple for their marketing because this color closely links to imaginative feeling. 

Created by Ahmed creatives | https://dribbble.com/shots/17788187-Evolve-Identity-system

 

Modern Successful Logos

One of the most successful brands in the recent marketing industry is Google. Who does not know about it? People around the world use its products in their daily activities. Even this brand name has crept into the modern language and become a famous verb. Once someone says the name, it will soon come to mind.

In 2015, Forbes even put Google on its Most Valuable Brands List. It is an example of successful and effective branding. Let's compare two famous brands and their success in marketing from the changes in their logos.

Created by Ramotion Inc. | https://dribbble.com/shots/19771701-Camino-branding-logo-design-visual-identity

 

2015 version of Google

Behind its success, Google has gone through several slight upgrades over the years. The change is barely recognizable from one year to another. However, you can see significant differences between the first design and the last logo design used now. 

The successful logo rebranding of Google occurred in September 2015. This company sticks to the playful and creative concept, just like the fun of April Fools Day. The existing designs still used classic fonts, but in 2015, Google applied a more flat style and used a sans serif font. 

This company incorporated a vivid yellow 'O' in the middle of the wordmark to represent warmth and optimism. The yellow color drew attention among other primary colors used in the wordmark. It tried to deliver the message that this business is recent and fun. 

Google has successfully established branding because people can directly recognize its brand from the colors, even without the letters.

Created by Outcrowd | https://dribbble.com/shots/19494693-Hiddencode-Logo-and-brand-identity-for-the-conference-event

 

2012 version of the Olympic

However, not all brands were a success in working with their visual identities. Even big players in the marketing industry that people would never expect to fail in their marketing have experienced the effect of off-color-designed logos. For instance, the change made to the Olympic logo in 2012 went viral.

The Olympic branding became the main subject of media due to its similarity with the X-rated image. Smaller businesses can learn from this case and avoid it by asking for help from professional logo designers. They will help you to identify possible failures using effective design techniques.

They will also guide you to make strong visual branding designs that can deliver the message well. Hence, people will not misunderstand the message behind the business logo and get a clear view of what they provide to the customers.

Created by Vedad Siljak | https://dribbble.com/shots/17356799-Oblivion-Visual-Identity

 

Logo Design as a Powerful Marketing Tool

Logos has become the most effective marketing tool for businesses. They reflect the principles and values that businesses try to promote. Recently, the uses of logos are quite similar to the eras of Ancient Egypt and industrial Britain because they function like a signature for any business.

They show the claim for ownership and protect the brand from counterfeits and imitations. A powerful logo supports brand loyalty and serves as a status symbol for various kinds of products like apparel, bags, and accessories. Companies must include logos in their services or products.

The recent market submerges various logos, and new ones keep appearing. Creating an effective logo design is a must so it can stand out in the crowd. It is worth investing in the best logo-making by consulting and collaborating with a professional designer in the marketing field.

Companies must identify the unique values of their businesses and put them into their visual branding. The values of businesses must be in line with the customers' needs to build an attachment. It helps companies to make the best logo that can bring it to be one step forward from the competition.