Popular Brand Logos: The Visual Language of Well-Loved Brands

 Logos are at the heart of every brand. They represent your company, your products or the services you offer to the world. Which is why every business, from small time content creators, influencers and streamers to big businesses like Microsoft, Google or Tesla, all have unique brand logos.

But what makes a logo unique? And how can you design a logo that’s not only a great fit for your design style… But also a great representation of your business and its core product offering?

Well, that is what we are here to find out!

Below, we explore some of the world’s most popular brand logos. We also break down what makes them unique. So you can design a great brand logo for your business.

 

What Makes A Logo Popular?

Logos often gain popularity because of the size of the brands behind them. 

McDonald’s.. Apple… Ford… Or even Starbucks… It is no surprise their logos are popular. The businesses themselves are huge. They are everywhere in the world. So they get the type of brand exposure they need for their logos to be recognized.

McDonald’s alone has thousands of restaurants around the world. So it’s almost a given their logo is going to be known by most people no matter where they are.

But what makes the McDonald’s logo so great?

Let’s take a closer look at their logo, and a few other famous brands to help you get inspired for your next logo design project.

McDonald’s – I’m Lovin’ It

If you have ever taken a roadtrip, pretty much anywhere in the world, you have likely witnessed the golden arches rising up in the distance, telling you that a mouthwatering meal was coming up soon. 

The logo is recognizable because it’s literally a representation of the brand name (M for McDonald’s). 

But the colours are on brand too! The yellow of the arches is perfect for the crispy golden colour of the brand’s famous fries. And when paired with red it creates a bold brand colour palette that’s recognizable from afar.

Apple – Think Differently

Apple’s logo is simple. But it’s a great example of how brands can think differently about branding. 

Logos should be simple. Apple’s logo is just an apple. With a bite taken out of it, of course. It does not really represent technology. It does not represent computers. It does not represent laptops or cellphones. But it represents the brand and helps it get the recognition it deserves.

Because of its iconic branding, Apple is worth approximately $3.5 billion and the company continues to grow every year.

Ford – Built Ford Tough

Ford was founded well over a hundred years ago. And today it is one of the biggest automotive makers in the world. With an estimated annual revenue of about $127 billion, Ford’s logo is recognizable by pretty much everyone.

A simple blue logo with the brand’s name in an iconic font… Sometimes that’s all you need to do to design a great logo.

Disney – The Magic Kingdom

Thanks to its inspiring movies, theme parks and exciting cruise experiences, Disney is another iconic brand recognized all over the world.

With 100+ years of experience, Disney generates some $65 billion per year.

And today, the brand continues to captivate audiences. Behind every movie. Behind every ride. And on every cruise is an iconic logo that represents the spirit of this magic empire. They use a signature themed logo, featuring a stylized letter D, which is often paired with the brand’s castle symbol.

Starbucks – One Cup At A Time

Launched in 1971, Starbucks is now a business that can be found on almost every street corner in the world. They make about $20 billion per year by serving up some of the freshest coffee and most notable signature drinks in the world.

You could argue that Starbucks uses a slightly more complex logo design. But it is still recognizable nonetheless. 

The green and white siren logo has a nice layout. And we like that the green colour scheme is perfect for a brand that focuses on fresh, natural and sustainable products and business practices.

FedEx – The World On Time

FedEx is another great brand to study. Not necessarily just because of their world-class delivery, shipping and freight service. Or its $70+ billion in estimated annual revenue… But because of the hidden message they’ve tucked into their logo design.

If you’ve never noticed it before, take a second look at the FedEx logo. There is a hidden arrow between the E and X. Hiding a design like that in your logo is clever enough. But it is also just the perfect symbol for a shipping business that gets stuff from here to there!

How Companies Nail Their Branding

Now we take a look at 4 more businesses and how they’ve really nailed their branding efforts, from logos through to the brand personalities they aim to convey to their target audience.

Lululemon

Lulu is known for its high-quality athletic wear. But it is their logo and brand we are here to look at. 

At first glance their logo seems a bit abstract. Which is great in itself because it helps the design get noticed. But it is also a design that resembles their iconic leggings. 

And on top of that the design has a flowing feel to it that represents the movement and balance essential for all those who practice yoga and exercise.

Roomsy

Like some of the other brands we have covered here, Roomsy has a simple logo. But it is on brand. It uses a modern and clean font. But the unique icon next to the brand name is what really gets attention.

It is somewhat of an abstract icon. But it looks a bit like a building which is perfect to represent the hotels and resorts that this hotel management platform works with.

Proposify

As a business that offers online proposal software, you might say that getting things done is what Proposify does. So a checkmark is a great symbol to represent the brand. And when you pair the perfect symbol with a clean, sans-serif font you get the Proposify logo.

Great branding should also be based on brand values. So when you think of a business service like Proposify, things like professionalism, simplicity and organization are just a few thoughts that come to mind.

And the good news is that it is easy to infuse your logo with brand values like this when you use our AI logo generator.

Ritz-Carlton Cruises

It is no surprise Ritz-Carlton Cruises chose a luxury-level logo. They wanted their logo to convey feelings and emotions that are aligned with your brand. So by choosing a luxurious looking design, they have done precisely that! 

For an iconic luxury brand things like royalty, elegance and sophistication are not uncommon thoughts and feelings. And that is exactly what this brand logo makes you feel!

How to Design Great Branding with GraphicSprings

When working on any logo design project, look to the greats first. These are some of the biggest businesses in the world.

Take note of them. Check out their logos and branding. And study what they have done over the years to find the ideas and inspiration you need for your own logo.

Try out our AI logo generator, play with different logo icons, colour palettes, fonts and design layouts to get the PERFECT logo for your brand!