Like it or not, we all live under the capitalist system. With all its drawbacks and advantages, capitalism is particularly associated with competition – a process that can be described as the engine of the market evolution. Competition may serve as a form of natural selection in a free market where the strongest, the smartest and the fastest win. This is why competitive markets promote and foster innovation, including intelligent solutions for a brand’s visualization. A smart logo can maximize the brand’s message to its customers. This is the reason why major brands tend to create visually striking logos that speak volumes about the unique qualities or expectations associated with a brand’s products or services. All of them have gone through vigorous design and redesign, and we assure you that none of them contain irrelevant or unnecessary elements. Now try to figure out why designers decided to use those specific elements. What do they mean? What message do (should) they convey? Don’t despair, if you fail to decode some of them. Actually, certain logos of the most successful companies hide creative secrets within them that you might easily miss. To help you decipher these riddles, we’ve compiled a set of famous logos and explained what elements of their brilliant designs have a hidden meaning.
Adidas
The leading sportswear company’s logo resembles a mountain that represents the obstacles that Adidas will help you overcome.
Amazon
The arrow linking the ‘A’ and ‘Z’ represents the variety of products that the online store offers. It also resembles a smile meaning the satisfaction of Amazon’s customers.
Apple
Many Apple fans think that the logo represents the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. However, it may be a tribute to Alan Turing. He’s the man who invented the so-called Turing machine, a hypothetical device representing a computing machine, Turing machines help computer scientists understand the limits of mechanical computation. There’s a hypothesis that Alan Turing died after biting into an apple laced with cyanide.
Baskin Robbins
The ice cream chain offers 31 different flavors. This is why the number 31 has been incorporated within the ‘B’ and ‘R’ letters.
Cisco
The networking equipment manufacturer was founded in San Francisco. This is why the blue lines have been designed both to illustrate electromagnetic waves, and San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge.
FedEx
If you take a look at the space between the ‘E’ and ‘X’, you’ll notice an arrow that epitomizes the shipping company’s speed and forward-thinking management.
Gillette
The ‘G’ and ‘I’ have been dramatically cut to express the sharpness of the Gillette razors.
Pinterest
A pin has been incorporated into the ‘P’.
London Symphony Orchestra
The logo consists of the initial letters ‘L’, ‘S’ and ‘O’ that conjure up a conductor waving his button.
Tour de France
The yellow circle looks like the summer sun. However, if you take a closer look at it and the letters ‘O’, ‘U’ and ‘R’, you’ll notice that they outline an athlete riding a bicycle.
VAIO
The ‘VA’ part has been designed to look like an analogue signal, while ‘IO’ look like 1 and 0 – binary numbers that represent a digital signal.
Wendy’s
The word ‘MOM’ is incorporated within Wendy’s ruffed collar. Even if this element has been designed unintentionally, it signifies that the burgers at Wendy’s restaurants are just like your mom’s cooking.