According to the ‘Top 100 Global Brands Scoreboard’ the top 50 brands & logo designs in the world are, in ranking order:
Coca-Cola, Microsoft, IBM, GE, Intel, Nokia, Walt Disney, McDonald’s, Toyota, Marlboro, Mercedes-Benz, Citi, Hewlett-Packard, American Express, Gillette, BMW, Cisco, Louis Vuitton, Honda, Samsung, Dell, Ford, Pepsi, Nescafé, Merrill Lynch, Budweiser, Oracle, Sony, HSBC, Nike, Pfizer, UPS, Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan, Canon, SAP, Goldman Sachs, Google, Kellogg’s, Gap, Apple, Ikea, Novartis, UBS, Siemens, Harley-Davidson, Heinz, MTV, Gucci and Nintendo.
You would think that an analysis of all of these logo designs would give us some good commercial logo design tips…
Well, luckily the website Webson did a bit of an analysis for us…
The % below identifies the percentage of these 50 brands that hold to this view:
- The name does not describe the product sold (94%) (ie. in most cases a logo is used to identify a company, not describe what it does.)
- The by-line tag is not included in the logo (90%)
- The font style is clean and clear (84%)
- The logo design uses one colour only (74%) (white & black not counted as a colour)
- The logo design uses letters only without the symbol (74%)
- The logo design is a made-up name or ACRONYM (72%)
- The logo design is rectangular in shape (66%)
- The logo design is one word only (62%)
- The logo design includes the trademark symbol (54%) and is placed in the top right (48%)
- The name is 6 letters or less (52%)
- The name uses upper & lower case (44%) (excluding ACRONYMS)
- The background is filled and solid. (52%)
- The pronunciation includes three sounds/syllables (44%)
- The predominant colour base is blue (40%)
Some interesting findings indeed. Btw, how many logos could you recognise in the header image?
Image credits: Creative Bits
| 
March 28th, 2009 at 1:10 AM
good article!
i see 5 brands: apple, nike, playboy, coca-cola and puma :)
did i missed something? :)
March 28th, 2009 at 3:19 AM
Now try convincing clients that they don’t have to follow good logo design practise! I like that super-logo, it would be ideal for the “S.S. More powerful than Superman, Spiderman, Batman, Ironman and the Hulk put together” :)
March 28th, 2009 at 3:20 AM
great analysis of logos ! very helpful
March 28th, 2009 at 3:27 AM
Excellent tips! Thanks
March 28th, 2009 at 3:29 AM
Really like the timing of this as it so happens I am playing with ideas now for a new project.
Thank you!
Staying Creative in Complexity
http://www.psiplex.com
@psiplex
March 28th, 2009 at 7:23 AM
Playboy (?), Puma, Apple and…?
But these generally apply to the big companies – ie. the logo don’t describe their services, just the company.
For small local companies the logo should also describe what they do – to an certain degree at least. When their van run across the city, people should really link the company to that specific service.
March 28th, 2009 at 7:25 AM
I just wish I could edit my comments… Also spotted Nike right away;)
Oh and I guess I didn’t read the previous comments good enough, as someone already pointed them out (including coca cola)
March 28th, 2009 at 9:44 AM
Haha, love the Family Guy reference Colin ;)
the first finding just proved paul rand was right (again)
“A logo is rarely a description of a business.”
I think when a logo begins to describe a business too literally, it starts to get tacky.. although that’s a fine line to dance upon, isn’t it?
March 28th, 2009 at 10:50 AM
I would also agree with you Alex but of course there is always exceptions and it does help small businesses in some instances to have a logo depicting their service.
March 30th, 2009 at 12:00 AM
Good ideas! lol… very cool! Thanks a lot for sharing. You just gave me an idea!
March 30th, 2009 at 5:31 PM
hot shit. :)
July 29th, 2009 at 2:02 AM
Nice post.
In practice, we try making the simplest and minimalistic designs, yet some clients keep complaining. After we show them the logos of big brands, they still act silly at times. Some people choose to be ignorant and maintain their cocoons.
Cheers.
December 2nd, 2009 at 11:35 AM
This was interesting! Thanks!
December 26th, 2009 at 8:24 AM
Hello,thanks you for this wonderful blogg, i really find much new things on it and i really loved the design of the blogg. I found it on google. I also want to wish you a happy new year.
December 28th, 2009 at 12:09 AM
Good post. The logo montage at the top was created by me! The original post is here: http://robcubbon.com/graphic-d.....ogo-symbol I’m credited in the alt text of the image so I suppose I should be grateful! A link would have been nicer, though.
January 23rd, 2010 at 7:35 PM
You should credit my image that you’ve used at the top correctly and just deleting my message where I say this is cowardly
February 26th, 2010 at 7:49 PM
Nice article..I tell my friend to read this and bookmark..