The Mojo
BIG BRANDS…
BIG BRANDS…They spend thousands, sometimes millions, on their logos. Interestingly, Coca-Cola and Google paid nothing for theirs.
Creative teams often spend months refining logo designs, but the stories behind them are rarely known to the customers who see them daily. Here’s a glimpse into the reasoning behind some of the biggest brands.
Amazon has come a long way since its inception as an online bookshop. Now, as well as books, consumers can purchase everything from alligator plushies to replacement zips on the website. It should come as no surprise then (but it will), that the arrow underneath the logo points from A to Z to represent the fact that Amazon can provide customers with everything they would ever need. Everything from A to Z! Get it?
Considering all the impressive inventions to be born from the brand, the story behind the Apple logo is somewhat underwhelming in comparison. Steve Jobs apparently named his company Apple because he liked the word, and he was on an all-fruit diet when he thought of it. And to reinforce his love of the fruit, the apple-shaped logo features a bite mark to ensure it’s not mistaken for a cherry. Because cherries are not as cool, presumably.
FedEx. You’ve probably heard of them. They made a famous cameo in the excellent movie Cast Away featuring Tom Hanks. As a world-leading courier and logistics company, their mission is to deliver speed, accuracy, and perseverance. This is represented beautifully in their logo with a simple arrow. Look at the space between the letters E and X. Yes. It’s been there the whole time.
Fun fact. Starbucks was originally called Pequod after the ship in Moby Dick. Thankfully, it was renamed Starbucks after the ship’s chief mate, which is much catchier. The maritime theme surrounding the logo stems from the founding city (Seattle) being closely associated with the sea. Hence, the mermaid too, which was supposed to be as seductive as the coffee itself.
And last, but not least, is Nettl. As a network of web design studios, the name Nettl is a variation of ‘the net’. The green icon is a pixelated leaf – representing growth online.
