Do Logos Matter For Your Brand? Part 2
This is part 2 of of our “Do Logos Matter For Your Brand” blog. You can find the first right here. More of our Media Results’ staff discuss the personal impact of some of their favorite and most memorable logos below.
Kelli Fili
I'm having a hard time narrowing down my favorite. While I've always appreciated the simplicity of a design like the Nike or Apple logo, as a sports-obsessed kid in the ‘90s, I would sketch out a lot of the logos I loved from different sports teams (usually animal ones): Chicago Bulls, Charlotte Hornets, Toronto Raptors, Minnesota Timberwolves, etc. I was drawn to the bold use of color, typical "sports" fonts and of course how ridiculous the logo concepts often were. I mean, check out this raptor's claws coming out of his sneakers:
While a lot of businesses and even major league sports teams have trended toward more modern/minimalist designs for their current logos, many minor league and semi-pro teams have done the opposite and actually embraced absurdity – as in some of the design elements that were used back in the mid-‘90s. It seems that the outlandish team names and logos are part of the draw to the games, offering increased opportunities for additional marketing and merchandise. And that’s a great thing!
But this Sea Dogs logo (below) drives me a little crazy with the mismatched fonts. Still, it somehow just works. It's also versatile, as the brandmark is effective on its own without the wordmark.
I remember learning about marketing/graphic design later in HS and specifically the FedEx logo. Now every time I see it, my eyes are drawn to the arrow formed by the negative space between the letters E and X. According to the branding team at FedEx, the arrow "depicts speed, direction and precision," all of the things FedEx stands for. To date, the logo has won more than 40 awards.
Dave Shrewsbury
I've always been fond of the Neumann (pronounced "NOI-man") logo, not so much because of the logo itself but what it represents. For those who aren't pro audio nerds, Neumann is one of the most known and respected makers of high-quality studio microphones. They first appeared in Germany in 1928 and continue to grace the world's top studios. As a teenager who was obsessed with audio and recording, I always saw Neumann mics in pictures of the biggest and best studios in the world, so for me that logo became synonymous with having made it big. The Beatles? Neumann. Ray Charles? Neumann. Beyonce? Neumann. Nearly every piece of Media Results brand music? Neumann.
The first time I got to use Neumann microphones was when I attended Berklee College of Music, and it felt like a rite of passage. Now that we work with the best equipment daily at Media Results, I can rest easy knowing that I've finally "made it big."
Will Jones
After looking at Dave's Neumann logo (above), I thought of something I found interesting about some of the other audio company logos: many of them use a diamond shape with lettering on the inside. I have no information to explain why they’re commonly designed this way, but check out the Telefunken and Universal Audio logos:
Telefunken was founded in the early 1900s in Germany, and Universal Audio was founded in the U.S. in the mid-1900s and then closed and opened again in the late 1900s. (For that matter, Telefunken, the original company, no longer makes audio equipment, but a U.S.-based company – Telefunken U.S.A. – took up the mantle in, I think, the early 2000s).
Could this simply be a German design that caught on across the industry? And then Universal Audio americanized the style?
Marcus Vallario
Who doesn't love The Colonel? Everyone knows this smiling, older Southern gentleman as soon as they catch a glimpse of him. Does it make you smile? Ha, I sure do. Fried chicken and mashed potatoes are standards for American comfort food, especially when Grandma is in the kitchen. People always talk about Grandma's cooking, so: bold move by KFC to go with Gramps here. Maybe it was his ego? Check out that stud below in front of his prized possession. When you see The Colonel, you know you're going to get a crispy, juicy, delicious piece of heavenly goodness.
