Logos - The Souls Of Brands

Aug 3, 2018 | 6 minutes |
What is it about a brand that sticks in our minds forever? What is it that makes us associate certain emotions with a brand? Is it the product? Or the service? WATPI S05 - In-Article Top Ad I remember playing the ‘logo quiz’ on my phone a few days back when such curiosity tickled my brain. How can certain images become so iconic that the need to remember the letters and words associated with a brand fade away? Just looking at an image can rush all kinds of emotions and we can tell the name of a brand without even searching for them in our conscience. One day, if you found that the names of all your apps were erased and yet somehow you would still be able to identify each one of them. Try it-   The visual identity of a brand, i.e. its logo, can either make or break its importance in the eyes of an ever-perceptive consumer. We all are discerning consumers. We are naturally programmed to capture an ever-lasting image of an emotion in our subconscious. Often, a brand’s logo signifies its products or services or even a movement. There is much importance in a logo, sometimes hidden and most of the times direct or straightforward. Whatever be the case, the end goal is to deeply engrave the essence in people’s heart and mind. Have you ever wondered about what made some of the companies huge? Surely, the basic feat was their ability to identify the needs and develop a product/service to satisfy those needs. But if there are many players looking to do the same for everyone, what made them the people’s choice? These companies went the extra-mile and understood a deeper connection. They had one thing which others didn’t: brilliant logos!! At least once in one of your sessions at a b-school, probably during the marketing sessions, you will come across discussions pertaining to a company’s success and its logo or branding. As future or current marketers, you are expected to imbibe that creativity in you to take a brand to new heights. Every established brand has an intriguing story behind their logos which reflects the designers’ and marketers’ creativity, brainstorming and research to help reach the brand where it stands today. Here are some fascinating facts about some of the renowned brands and their logos: A few years back, Google had changed the logo design and they said that the new logo was meant to reflect the new ways people visited Google.   So, the Beats logo looks pretty simple. The ‘b’ is seen enclosed in a circle; however, it isn’t just a circle, it actually represents a human using the headphones.   Eighty 20 is a Data Analytics Consultancy. Its logo is something that isn’t obvious to the normal eyes. The squares in the logo actually represent the binary pattern for 1010000 and 0010100. The blue squares represent the ones.   The London Symphony Orchestra is one of the oldest orchestras in the world. Its logo represents a waveform of the letters LSO drawn at one go. But if you look closely, you can see an orchestra instructor. Do you see it?     This is a South African construction company with a very thoughtful logo. In a unique way, the company’s name is spelt in a way that it looks like the floor plan of a home.   FedEx is a popular shipping and logistics company, we all know it right? The logo is, again, simple and consists of just the letters of the name and the colours. But, have you ever noticed the arrow hidden in the negative space between E and X? The brand likes to give the idea of them moving forward like an arrow with speed and precision. What do you think of this? This is not rubbish. It was cracked by a threat researcher and it was the MD5 of their mission statement. MD5 is a 128­bit cryptographic hash used to verify file integrity. These are some of the brands that not only leave a mark on people but also gives them something to remember by. Were you surprised by some of these creative signs of brilliance? How many of them were you aware of? The next time you come across a logo, whether it's completely new or known to you, try to have a closer look. You may be pleasantly surprised by what might lie in front of your eyes.