30+ Logo Design Love reader favourites
A few weeks back I asked you what your favourite logo design was. Here follows an interesting collection, including a few of what I believe to be the world’s best logos (best is a very subjective term, which I often steer clear of). The quotes below each logo are from the reader who voted for the respective design. Enjoy.
Mother & Child
Logo designer: Herb Lubalin
Voted by: Alex Charchar, of retinart
“The beauty of the ampersand that feels so delicate as it nurtures the ‘child’ just breaks my heart. Is it the best logo in the world? No. But I can’t think of any logos that hit me so hard the first time I saw it and continues to make me smile.”
United Colors of Benetton
Logo designer: Vignelli Associates (thanks, Michele)
Voted by: iParasite
“…so simple and minimalist, and i love the combination of green and white. in my opinion it also supports the idea of Benetton (minimalism, elegance and a few colors)…”
CNN
Logo designer: do you know?
Voted by: Frank, of D2L Graphics
“Clean, classic and very versatile.”
Apple
Logo designer: Rob Janoff
Voted by: Ryan Gonzalez, of IONIZED MEDIA
“It’s simple, is recognizable everywhere and has adapted to change.”
Aeroméxico
Logo designer: ?
Voted by: Jose Antonio Contreras, of Good Graphic Designer
“I like it because it refers directly to Mexico’s prehispanic history — the aztec man wearing an eagle headdress — representing the dream of flying. How wonderful is that?”
The Islands of the Bahamas
Logo designer: Joe Duffy
Voted by: Jenni McKay, of Perceptivity Studio
“…bright, colorful and evocative of the location it represents.”
The Fashion Center
Logo designer: Pentagram
Voted by: Yuri Akulin, of Logo Diver
“I always loved the witty and clear message of this simple mark.”
Agadir
Logo designer: Hicham Lahlou
Voted by: Ahmed, of Chergaoui
“Agadir is a city in south Morocco, known especially for its 360 days of sun and its kilometres of sand and beaches. So the logo had to emphasis these things: the blue of water, the wave (it can also refer to a mountain) and the sun (the yellow dot)!
“The font used on the logo is also great. The name of the city is presented also in Arabic and Berber (the signs in the middle… we call that alphabet: Tifinaghe)”
Beijing Olympics
Logo designer: do you know?
Voted by: Sean Farrell, of Penflare Designs
“…very impressed with the Beijing Logo, typeface and overall layout.”
Euronews
Logo designer: do you know?
Voted by: Armin
“Many logos incorporate a circle somehow, for it’s powerful symbolism, but none are bold enough to leave it the way it is. It isn’t very artistic or original, it is simple and very effective.”
Nike
Logo designer: Carolyn Davidson
Voted by: Brian Yerkes
“$35 logo…in 1972…it’s got to be the Nike Swoosh!”
FedEx
Logo designer: Lindon Leader while at Landor
Voted by: Elizabeth Bradburn
“It was the first logo I really studied. I was fascinated by the fact that the arrow was hidden in between the E and X – how on earth did the designer ever figure that out? I wondered.”
Amazon
Logo designer: Anthony Biles while at Turner Duckworth (thanks, James)
Voted by: Andrew Kelsall
“It looks nothing spectacular in itself, but contains 2 subliminal elements: One, the Amazon smile, promoting customer satisfaction & promise, and two, the smile/arrow, literally pointing from A-to-Z.
“Brilliant.”
Cingular Wireless
Logo designer: do you know?
Voted by: Trish, of Contemporary Native
“I always loved the Cingular Wireless logo. When it was launched I was sold on its modern look, sense of fun and youth, and its fresh color usage in a field of black and red sameness. I felt there should have been a funeral held for the brand when at&t took over the company. Although, I thought the transfer was done decently. Adding the Cingular orange to at&t’s color palette helped at&t’s brand in my opinion.”
Fender
Logo designer: do you know?
Voted by: Timo
“It represents rock, as well as music in general. Although it is well over 60 years old, people from all ages and regions identify with it because it represents what we all have in common: the language of music.
“Ask most musicians or regular Joes/Janes and they can tell you that Fender has been a part of them, in some way or another. For the legends it is a symbol of their achievements. For the aspiring player, it is an inspiration for excellence. Like all classics, this one will continue to go strong and will never get old.”
New Man
Logo designer: Raymond Loewy
Voted by: Mattus
“It is distinctive, authentic and based on a very smart graphic idea.”
Oakley
Logo designer: do you know?
Voted by: Dan, of SKYBEND
“…incredibly simple and instantly recognizable and that is a powerful combination.”
Deutsche Bank
Logo designer: Anton Stankowski
Voted by: Diogo
“…it’s strong, it’s beautiful and it has a clever geometrical construction.”
swisscom
Logo designer: Moving Brands
Voted by: Simon, of Condomunity
“The new Swisscom (Swiss telecom) is getting bashed from all sides, but I can’t stop looking at it really. I know it looks like a strange apple / pear mutant but… I think it’s well done.”
Families
Logo designer: Herb Lubalin
Voted by: Chaitanya, of BrandPirate
“It shows everything it needs to show in a very simple and excellent way.”
Cotton Inc.
Logo designer: do you know?
Voted by: Kevin Burr, of Ocular Ink
“One of my current top picks.”
Coca Cola
Logo designer: Frank Mason Robinson (thanks, Tjeerd)
Voted by: Lauren, of Creative Curio
“I’ve always like the curves in the Coca Cola logo; even though it is so ubiquitous these days I don’t get tired of seeing it.”
Gall & Gall
Logo designer: Millford Brand-id
Voted by: Tjeerd Van Sas, of Syrion
“Although I’m not fond of alcohol, I must say I love the new logo for the dutch Gall & Gall chain of liquor stores. First of all, the wine-bottle shape in the negative space of the G. Secondly, I think it appeals to the customers they’re trying to reach with the new format (younger (30+ instead of 40+) and female customers). It somehow reminds me of those lounge-café’s and lounge-discotheques which have been popping up over the last decade.”
Shell
Logo designer: Raymond Loewy
Voted by: Al Woods, of DubMissile
“Always been a huge fan of petroleum company logos (Esso, Texaco, Shell, Mobil…etc) for their simplicity rather than deep clever meanings, pure aesthetics.”
Logo designer: Ruth Kedar (thanks, diogo)
Voted by: Jayson, of AzAkers
“…despite employing nearly every horrible technique and design mistake in the book (notably absent are a swoosh and lens flare) the logo is still one of the most recognizable and embraced brands in the world.”
Hong Kong
Logo designer: Kan Tai Keung
Voted by: Jasmine
“It’s actually got the HK in it. But moreover the other aspects of the logo make up the chinese words for Hong Kong.”
Yellow Pages
Logo designer: do you know?
Voted by: Trish, of Contemporary Native
“The walking hand has been adjusted, tweaked, and updated a lot over the years, but the original still stands as the best.”
Astra Zeneca
Logo designer: do you know?
Voted by: Nathan
“In the end, it may not last through the years but it works for now. It may be better to flatten it out.”
Carrefour
Logo designer: do you know?
Voted by: Philippe Boyrivent
“…the first logo to impress me when I was a kid is the one of a company I hate now. Why this one? Because of the C in it. I’m still surprised when I see someone who never sees the C in the logo. I like this logo just for this reason. It’s not a good one, but…”
CBS
Logo designer: William Golden
Voted by: Pat Taylor
“The CBS eye. It says it all visually!”
BP
Logo designer: Landor
Voted by: Todd Bertsch, of Design Dump
“It’s very clean, simple, energetic, symmetrical, fresh and was WAY ahead of it’s time. Especially with the “everything is green” effort that is being crammed down our throats. Oh, and the colors are beautiful and harmonious as well. I actually don’t like bp gas, but I love the logo every time I see it. I never get sick of it.”
Thank you
Thanks very much to everyone who voted on their favourites. I enjoyed compiling this showcase, and hope you enjoyed browsing.
Are there any logos not here that you’d call a favourite? You’ll notice some of the designers are unknown. Who can fill in the blanks?
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78 appreciated comments, click here to add one
Dan Waldron
Great post. I will read your posts frequently. Added you to the RSS reader.
Oct 28th, 2008
Pat
I’m actually very surprised at the number of comments along the lines of “I love the logo, but have nothing to do/don’t like the company.”
Pat’s last blog post…Please Don’t Invite Me
Oct 28th, 2008
diogo
the Google logo was designed by Ruth Kedar (i’m so sorry for linking to her horrible creations)
diogo’s last blog post…“Gali l’Alligator”, great prize of the French…
Oct 28th, 2008
Jenaelee
Timeless logos here. Fabulous collection.
Oct 28th, 2008
George Ryan
Your other readers have great taste! (besides the one who voted for the Google logo…LOL) My favorite of the ones you have listed is the Mother and Child logo, it’s definitely a classy design.
One of my personal favorite logos is the Newsvine.com logo, I love the way it looks in general, but especially as a sign in the picture at http://www.newsvine.com/_cms/info/companyinfo
Oct 28th, 2008
Brian Hoff
Great Collection David! Mother & Child is just plain beautiful. Thanks for the great post
Oct 28th, 2008
Curvball
Nice collection of logos. The BP and the FedEx logos are so classic, but can’t forget my personal favourite – Apple.
Great to see Fender get a mention in this list. Marshall is another ‘logo’ that goes hand in hand with Fender – just ask any guitarist ;)
Curvball’s last blog post…Is your blog cool? Cool enough to win a ton of cash?
Oct 28th, 2008
Ahmed
Euronews logo, and Families one are definitely my favourites!
I also loved the use of negative space on the Gall & Gall identity.. Very clever!
Ahmed’s last blog post…Yes They Can Change (2/6) : 30 Reasons
Oct 28th, 2008
Lelia Katherine Thomas
I have to say that the BP logo is my favorite. It uses my favorite color, green, and, as the commenter said, it’s very “fresh.”
@Pat: It is interesting that people say that, considering most still buy the products that support the companies, anyhow!
Lelia Katherine Thomas’s last blog post…(Society) Misleading Election Statistics 2008
Oct 28th, 2008
Sean
After I got over the eye in the CBS logo, I started wondering if it wasn’t a baseball inside a football inside a basketball.
Certainly an idea for them to play with at CBS sports.
Oct 28th, 2008
Alex Charchar
Hey David, this ended up being a great article with some fantastic logos.. The Fashion Center was one that I had completely forgotten about yet adore.. i would go on and on about which are the best, but they’re all so good!
Again, great article and idea :)
Oct 28th, 2008
Simon
Great selection of logos. Here the swisscom logo was done by moving brands (well yes it’s moving). –> http://www.creativereview.co.uk/crblog/swisscom-gets-moving-brands-treatment/
Simon’s last blog post…Perfectly Condomized for Halloween
Oct 28th, 2008
Michele
The designers of the Benetton Logo are Vignelli Associates
Oct 28th, 2008
Jacob Cass
As I mentioned on the earlier post even though I am a PC fan I would have to say the Apple Logo however I am a big fan of the New Man logo, I hadn’t seen that before.
Oct 28th, 2008
steven wade
there are definitely some great logos here, along side some that i was quite surprised to see.
i thought the beijing olympics logo was pretty poor, but perhaps that’s just because i am always looking at otl aicher’s 1972 munich olympic materials and that’s pretty hard to compete with.
Oct 28th, 2008
Brandi
Great collection here. The FedEx subliminal arrow is a big hit with me and has been for quite awhile.I also dig the apple and bp logos.
On a side note…. eek Jacob is a PC fan! :P
Brandi’s last blog post…Resources for Freelance Web Designers
Oct 28th, 2008
Chris Keene
I think the Sun logo is pretty good, the way ‘u’ & ‘n’ of one side of the cube act as the ‘S’ for the next side is clever.
http://logos.sun.com/
Oct 28th, 2008
MP
Fantastic post. I absolutley love BP’s logo. So clean.
-MP
MP’s last blog post…Ludwig Übele
Oct 28th, 2008
MP
Sorry, typing too fast: absolutely.
MP’s last blog post…Ludwig Übele
Oct 28th, 2008
Jeff
I actually typeset that Benneton logo while I was interning at VA. It was actually pretty cool to sit down with Massimo and go over a thing as simple as letterspacing.
Oct 28th, 2008
Antonio
Cool stuff!
I remember seeing the Fashion Center logo for the first time. It REALLY blew my mind. I must say I’m surprised Cisco Systems was not there, I’ve always loved it. I’ve always admired Lubalinb’s work and I’m glad to see other have as well.
And I think the bp logo was done by Landor (Jeanette Hodge), as was the FedEx one.
Oct 28th, 2008
LaurenMarie - Creative Curio
It was fun to look at everyone’s favorites! I <3 Herb Lublin and his logos. Ok, mostly his logos since I don’t know the guy.
I have not seen The Fashion Center logo before. Brilliant! Love it!
This post is definitely Stumbled and bookmarked for future inspiration on great logo design (sometimes Logo Pond just doesn’t cut it, ya know? ;) )
LaurenMarie – Creative Curio’s last blog post…Paper Inspirations
Oct 28th, 2008
Kevin Burr
Another great one – General Electric It has been in use for over a hundred years now. Can you say, “Timeless.”?
Oct 28th, 2008
Lloydy
i think the Amazon logo was designed by Turner Duckworth, their site has some interesting info.
Oct 29th, 2008
Jasmine
The hong kong logo was created by Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, which pretty well means an hired unknown designer with a brilliant mind.
Oct 29th, 2008
David Airey
Phew, what a busy day that was. That’s me shutting down for the evening, but before leaving, I wanted to say a quick thanks to everyone for commenting. Some excellent additions and pieces of info I enjoyed reading.
I’ll check back again tomorrow, after an evening of relaxation, and a good night’s sleep.
I hope you’re all having a great day.
Oct 29th, 2008
Andrew Kelsall
@Lloydy
If Turner Duckworth designed the Amazon logo, I cannot find it on their site. That said, their site is very slugish and poorly designed, although they DO have some outstanding work I admit.
@ David Airey – BTW, thanks for the link
Oct 29th, 2008
steven wade
jeff!
wow. i am extremely jealous of your interning at VA. masssimo seems like he’d be a great guy to learn from.
i was pretty shocked that there were no submissions from chermeyeff and geismar. some of the cleanest and most icon logos have come from them. WGBH, NBC, Mobil Oil, etc… so much great work.
Oct 29th, 2008
Noah
@Andrew Kelsall
It’s on their site…the portfolio thumbnail is an Amazon box, not a logo.
Oct 29th, 2008
lushsight
The Beijing Olympics logo is designed by Zhang Wu.
Oct 30th, 2008
313pixels
Dear David,
I think Barak Obama’s campaign logo should be included in your post ..
It’s very simple, original and is being used very effectly to send the message .. see http://www.underconsideration.com/speakup/archives/004262.html ..
Oct 30th, 2008
AL
Current Amazon logo iteration was designed by Turner Duckworth.
Oct 30th, 2008
Van Hong
I second 313Pixels! I love this logo so much – it really creates a world and feeling tone of its own, as I’ve heard another reader here say. And the usage all over the official site http://www.barackobama.com/index.php is mindblowing, and so, so beautiful. I’ve collected a few of my favorites here until i had a moment to add to my permanent blog, but now it will have to wait till i’m done doorknocking! http://vmhong.wordpress.com/
Oct 30th, 2008
matt
odd. Fallon (fallon.com) has a book out called “Juicing the Orange” where they claim that they created the Islands of the Bahamas logo.
matt’s last blog post…Top 10 things to consider when building a website
Oct 30th, 2008
Trish
The Mother & Child logo is just so wonderful in every way. It was one I had meant to mention in the original post.
The Bahama’s logo is one of my favorites as well. The Beijing logo, too. Here is a link to the idea behind the logo itself. It’s a good read:
http://en.beijing2008.cn/spirit/beijing2008/graphic/n214070081.shtml
Oct 30th, 2008
JonSel
Some credit info:
The Bahamas logo could be attributed both to Fallon and Duffy Design, as Fallon used to own Duffy. The designer was almost certainly NOT Joe Duffy.
BP was Landor’s San Francisco office, same as FedEx. I know Lindon takes personal credit for the logo, but I know the person on the team at the time who actually came up with the arrow idea, so it’s probably best just to credit Landor. In agencies like that, there are many on the team and solo ownership of something is rare.
Fashion Center was designed by Michael Bierut/Pentagram.
I thought the Yellow Pages logo was Saul Bass, but not entirely sure.
Cingular was designed by VSA Partners in Chicago.
Hong Kong was by Landor. Something tells me I’ve seen the Cotton mark in some old Landor presentations when I was there, but I can’t find it on their site.
Oct 31st, 2008
David Airey
Jeff,
That would’ve been great to sit down with Massimo Vignelli. Great internship!
Lauren,
Yep, I know what you mean. From time to time there are a few greats on LogoPond, but a lot of fluff too, which is completely understandable when it’s free to register and upload your work.
Kevin,
Timeless indeed. Reminds me of the Mitsubishi logo, designed in 1870. Fantastic.
Jon, and everyone else who kindly took time to offer credits, thank you! I’ll update each entry as soon as I get a spare moment — conference call to Scandinavia coming up. Luckily my Irish accent isn’t as broad as some around these parts.
Oct 31st, 2008
Kevin Burr
You gotta’ love it! :-) Cheers, dude!
Oct 31st, 2008
Steve
I like the logo for Talib Kweli’s Blacksmith Entertainment. The artist created the graphic so that if you flip the word “Blacksmith” 180 degrees… it still says “Blacksmith”. Innovative and tricky.
http://blacksmithnyc.com/
Nov 4th, 2008
Anna M.
Has anyone noticed the change in Dell’s logo on their web?
From blue type to circle.
Nov 5th, 2008
David Airey
Steve,
Fantastic! Thanks for the link.
Anna,
I’d not noticed. Their site’s quite different from the last time I visited too.
Nov 6th, 2008
Anna M.
Any thoughts on the new look of the logo?
Nov 6th, 2008
Paul B.
Love the Agadir logo – beautiful.
I guess it’s not their corporate identity, but how about the Mobil Pegasus logo at gas stations?
http://www.logodesignworks.com/logo-designs/logo-design-m/main/MobilPegasusA.gif
Keep up the good work – added you to our blogroll.
Nov 7th, 2008
David Airey
Anna,
I think there was no need for the change. Sure, a circle ties in with their products, but for me, it’s an unecessary addition to an already recognisable design. What about you?
Paul,
Thanks very much for the blogroll addition. I appreciate it.
Nov 7th, 2008
thad
Mother and child and fasion center. Genius!!
Nov 7th, 2008
Anna M.
I agree. I miss the blue as well. I wonder if their redesign means they only have a black and white version now?
Nov 10th, 2008
Daniel (www.calibre-designs.co.uk)
I totally agree with the top logo, Mother & Child. It is a very clever logo, as I have mentioned in my other posts in this forum. The other logos mentioned are also logos that has made a difference in modern identity design and branding. With that said, though, I am surprised that logos such as FedEx, The Fashion Center and Shell is not closer to the top of this list. But then again, this is just a personal preference.
Thanks for this article.
D
Nov 10th, 2008
David Airey
Looks that way, Anna, with even their website favicon changing to black.
Daniel,
You’re very welcome. To clarify, the logos are shown in order of submission, nothing more.
Nov 10th, 2008
Amanda Vlahakis
I really like clever logos, and therefore I think that Mother and Child is great, as is The Fashion Centre.
Mother and Child is not only really clever it looks good also – the Fashion Centre is clever but I feel it’s overall appearance at a glance seems a bit old fashioned for the fashion industry so am not so such it’s that good a design …. it could look good ‘in use’ however in the right environment.
Fed Ex is of course very clever but I’m suffering from over exposure to that one as I’m sure we all are.
I can also appreciate Gall and Gall and the Families logo.
Amanda Vlahakis’s last blog post…Poopoobags design – Icky & cool at the same time
Nov 11th, 2008
Marko Kolar
i like simple logo design. “Families” is clever and simple… new man is good too… but oakley or BP is not enough good for this list…
but – thanks for this post… its good inspiration
Nov 16th, 2008
Petr
Very nice post! Carefour and FedEx especially :) Thanks!
Nov 20th, 2008
Tjeerd van Sas
The creator of the Iconic Coca-Cola logo (and it’s name) is Frank Mason Robinson, the bookkeeper of the chemist who invented Coca-Cola.
Dec 14th, 2008
David Airey
Hi Amanda,
It’s hard to win with the FedEx logo, because you’re right, so many showcases feature it, but if you leave it out, people will say, “What about FedEx?”
Tjeerd,
Thanks for the info! I’ve been wondering about that for some time now, and will update the post.
Dec 16th, 2008
feversus
nice post…
fyi…the hongkong logo designed by Kan Tai Keung.
Jan 9th, 2009
David Airey
I’ve updated the post, feversus. Thanks very much for letting me know.
Jan 9th, 2009
Mike Abbott
A logo that is certainly well up in my top 30 is the Woolmark logo:
http://www.aussiewoolquilts.com.au/about.htm
It’s a wonderful symbol that’s stood the test of time – I think it was created in the 1960′s. It says wool at a glance, feels ‘warm’, works excellently in black and white – reversed or not, and is readable at just about any size – and you can run it any one of three ways up :)
Frustratingly I can’t remember who designed this – can anyone enlighten me?
Feb 19th, 2009
David Airey
Excellent choice, Mike. It’s certainly memorable, and, sorry to say, I’m not sure who the designer is either.
Feb 20th, 2009
Tjeerd van Sas
@ David & Mike
I contacted Australian Wool Innovation Limited and a representive of them pointed me on: http://www.merino200.com/lo/history_4.html
I quote:
“The Woolmark logo created by Italian graphic artist, Francesco Saroglia in Milan”
Mar 17th, 2009
David Airey
Excellent, Tjeerd!
Thanks for letting us both know. It’s very good of you to come back for that reason.
Mar 17th, 2009
James Suter
The amazon.com logo was designed by Anthony Biles while at Turner Duckworth.
Oct 23rd, 2009
David Airey
Great. I’ll update the post now, James.
Nov 1st, 2009
Chantebel
Logo Carrefour has been designed by great designer Paul gabor
Dec 11th, 2009
Ellison Horne
The Cotton Logo was designed by Susan Landor, daughter of Walter Landor.
Dec 14th, 2009
David Airey
Thanks for commenting, Chantebel, Ellison.
Dec 17th, 2009
isabelle
Brand New says Euronews comes from Paris-based advertising agency FFL.
May 31st, 2010
isabelle
Also, Han Meilin was the leader of the Beijing 2008 logo design, but he had other people working with him. I don’t know what his group is called.
May 31st, 2010
David Airey
Thanks very much, Isabelle.
Jun 2nd, 2010
RJP
Great post, I hate the google logo-but I think it works for its intended use.
Also I think the V&A logo should be here
Aug 31st, 2010
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