Find the 10 best wordmark logos of all time below

Previously written are the 5 different types of logos, one of the first articles on Breezy Creative Design. You can also view the best logos of all time article here. I will discuss the 5 types of logo designs in individual articles and provide a list of the most influencial logos in their respective categories. We’ll start with wordmark logos.

Wordmark logos are uniquely styled fonts that spell out the company name. Specialized type treatment logos prove to be among the most difficult to create, as they have no accompanying mark and rely on the execution of the type to represent an entire brand. The following logos possess this characteristic and capture the essence of the companies they represent.

Close runner-up logo design.

ebay

The primary colors of the eBay logo depict fun, excitement and childlike energy. Overlapping letters in the wordmark logo design suggest bonding within the eBay community.

10. Visa

The Visa wordmark logo was redesigned in 2006 to better reflect the broad range of electronic payment products provided by visa’s member financial institutions.

9. Craftsman

The Craftsman wordmark logo embodies the tools it represents with the use of angular shapes and sharp corners. Notice the C and A have edges like a nut and wrench.

8. Disney

The Disney wordmark logo is a stylized version of the Walt Disney signature. The wordmarks on this list embody the companies they represent, which is the reason why the Disney logo stands at number 7. It perfectly captures the playfulness of being a child through it’s curves and thick strokes.

7. Ferrari

Although Ferrari does have a logo mark, it uses the wordmark quite often. The Ferrari wordmark design has the strength to stand alone, without the mark. It exudes Luxury and sophistication.

6. Xerox

Even though it has been replace, check the Xerox website, it’s still one of the best wordmark logos of all-time.

5. New York Life

The New York Life logo was designed by Raphael Boguslav during his time at Lippincott & Margulies

4. Canon

Canon, Inc is a Japanese company that specializes in manufacturing imaging and optical products. It’s unique font choice of sharp corners, conveys the level of precision Canon’s products are manufactured and operate at.

3. Citi

Logo and identity design by Paula Scher, Scher famously sketched the logo on a napkin in one of the initial meetings with the company. See the sketch and article here.

2. FedEx

The concept behind the logo bumps the FedEx wordmark logo to number 2. Notice the arrow created by negative space in between the E and the x that signifies forward movement.

1. Coca-Cola

The Coca Cola wordmark logo has not seen a change since it’s debut in 1885.  It is the perfect example of a timeless logo and for this reason, holds the number 1 spot. The Coca Cola wordmark logo was created by Frank Mason Robinson, bookkeeper to the drink’s inventor, John Pemberton. The chosen typeface, Spencerian Script, was the primary form of formal handwriting during that period.

On a side note, take a look at the logos that made the list, all aside from the FedEx logo have either red or blue as the dominant choice of color. What do you think of the list? Could I have included another? What would you have put as your top 10 wordmark logos of all-time?

Earlier in the week, David Airey from Logo Design Love posted an article that asked if iconic logos are designed or bought? As many others I’m sure, these thoughts have been going through my mind but in a different way.

We’re talking (writing) about iconic marks that represent brands like IBM, Citi, Canon, and many more. It’s hard to argue about these identity marks as not iconic logos. But how did they get to the status of being an icon? Good design, yes. These iconic marks have another thing in common though. It’s success. The companies they represent have all had large success throughout the years and it’s hard not to ask if being successful as a brand lifts the mark into iconic status.

Interbrand does an annual, Best Global Brands list and numbers them 1-100 based on brand value. The Best Global Brands of 2009 include all the iconic logos I can think of, except for the I Love NY mark. I have nothing against these logos, and love them myself. After so much time of acknowledging these brands and their marks, it’s hard to differentiate good logo design from great logo design without the interference of people telling us what is and what isn’t iconic.

Designers have stronger bonds with brands & iconic logo marks, so when people voice their opinion, they get attacked for it. Can you make a clear assessment on which logos are and aren’t iconic?

Looks like a small bottle of Heinz ketchup

Released earlier this month are screenshots of Heinz new ketchup packs called “Dip & Squeeze.” The reason for the post is not to write about how much I love ketchup. It’s about a brand & product that has been on the market for well-over 100 years and still manages to keeps its customers happy. Dip & Squeeze ketchup packets will contain what 3 ordinary packs would. You can squeeze it by removing the tab or dip by pealing off a corner.

The beauty of the packet is the resemblance to an ordinary bottle of Heinz ketchup that will further push the brand to millions of consumers. A trivia question on the Heinz site reveals that 11 billion individual packets of ketchup are sold each year. That’s a very large number, but when I eat out I never notice which brand is on the packet. Heinz will take full advantage of having their goods in many fast food chains with the introduction of the new packs. A better brand recognition at restaurants might serve as an increase in bottle sales at supermarkets.

Heinz will sell 11 million packets upon introduction this fall and will continue to sell the old ones.

The NFL’s new identity for Arlington Super Bowl XLV in 2011 designed by Landor.

For a third time, Landor Associates have been assigned with creating a new identity system for the National Football League’s (NFL) Super Bowl. Unlike all the last Super Bowl logos which represented the location of the game, this new identity design is quite different from the rest. Landor is stating that the new identity system will represent the post-season and Super Bowl’s to come.

The NFL has consistently provided a new logo design for each Super Bowl game. Each using roman numerals for impact and representing the location of the game through shape and color. Landor’s new strategy and design places the Vince Lombardi trophy at the center of the Super Bowl’s new identity. The prestige of the game’s trophy will be the focal point of the entire event. Placing the Vince Lombardi trophy in all future Super Bowl logos will provide the NFL with a consistent brand image for their biggest game. Behind the trophy lies a second feature that will include each year’s venue stadium, like the Arlington Super Bowl XLV logo for 2011. Landor’s executive creative director, Nicolas Aparicio had this to say about their latest project:

“The focus of the new identity for the Super Bowl is the Vince Lombardi trophy, which is the most logical and iconic expression for the overall brand. The trophy has never been used on any previous identities and it accurately represents the passion, stature and preeminence of one of America’s greatest sporting events. The new identity system will also allow for celebration of each future Super Bowl, with the roman numerals continuing to be indicators of the specific event.”

The new design system is great for branding purposes. It will create a more memorable image year after year, through the incorporation of the same design features. But what about the colors that represent that region? I understand that it is meant to mirror the trophy, a sleek $25,000 sterling silver gem handcrafted by Tiffany & Co. But as an identity designer and fan of the NFL, awaiting the new design, it’s lines & curves and use of color to represent that city’s features is the same as waiting for opening kickoff. Not now though. Lets look to see if any adjustments are made in the future. I have added some previous Super Bowl logos below to show the drastic differences in each design and to also show the uniqueness of creating a brand by changing it’s face every year.

Super Bowl XLIV Logo Design

Super Bowl XLIII Logo Design

My favorite of all Super Bowl logos. It does not use shadows or darker colors to create 3D shapes. The logo relies on the strong concept of land meeting sea, natural elements of Tampa Bay where the event took place. The theme is Believe in Now, the lines create a dramatic colossal stadium effect to tie everything together.

Super Bowl XLII Logo Design

Super Bowl XLI Logo Design

Super Bowl XL Logo Design

The Old Trojan Logo (right) wins

After much debate about the soon to be identity of Michigan State University’s Spartan, the Old Spartan logo will remain in place. The fight against the new logo design began once someone discovered an application at the U.S Patent and Trademark Office for the new logo on December 23, 2009. Soon, thousands joined and now stand at over 61,000 strong on Facebook as The Old Spartan Logo. The intentions of the new logo design and brand identity were to bring everyone together and build a “consistent and national identity.” No luck. Members of the Facebook group soon emailed MSU athletic director Mark Hollis upon hearing the news in December. Another recipient of these emails was MSU basketball coach, Tom Izzo. Izzo leaned towards the new logo design and stated it would unify the schools teams, but had no success in persuading The Old Spartan Logo.

With all the negativity surrounding the new logo, athletic director Mark Hollis had this to say in an email today:

“After careful consideration, we will use the current Spartan logo design, first used in the late 1970s, to build our visual brand identity. Using sound branding principles, the university will continue to register some variations of our Spartan logo in order to ensure that this symbol is well protected and firmly associated with Michigan State University.“

Nike, who was in charge of the logo design and identity work should continue creating a stronger brand for MSU. If not the logo, then at least an overall consistent brand message.

American Red Cross, NFL and EA Sports are helping anyway they can.

January 12, 2010 marked a catastrophic earthquake that shook Haiti to it’s core. Over 170,000 have lost their lives and now it is time to help those without shelter, food and water. The American Red Cross had immediately provided a helping hand. Through donations, the red cross is delivering relief by first aid posts, relief distribution sites, hospitals, water trucking programs, and family linking stations.

In efforts to help, the NFL has donated over $2 million. The NFL Players Association (NFLPA) has donated $500,000 and another $1.5 million has been given through in stadium and television campaigns to promote the Red Cross relief fund. NFL players included in the Haiti relief announcements include Jonathan Vilma, Jacques Cesaire and Elvis Domervil. The Red Cross relief fund encourages viewers to donate by texting “Haiti” to “90999″ through their mobiles. By texting “Haiti” to “90999,” a small fee of $10 will be charged to your phone bill. Donations are 100% for Haitian relief and provide 2 water cans to store clean water, blanket and cooking supplies.

Red Cross, text "Haiti" to "90999" for a $10 contribution.

In relation, the popular EA sports video game series, Madden 10, is supporting Haiti by placing a small Red Cross, text “Haiti” to “90999″ ad on screen and on the field. the small ad appears before every snap of the football. It’s a great idea as Madden 10 has sold over 4 million copies since it’s release date and can reach a younger demographic that can support the American Red Cross Haiti relief effort.

First things first, when creating a good logo design, remember the  10 most important questions to ask in your logo design questionnaire. After you have a solid foundation on which to work from, do some research on key words, the competition and the brand’s positioning (for example: a shield represents security, lion represents prestige and a bull represents power).

This next step is very important and will get your creative juices flowing. Draw. Before Illustrator or any other program came around, professionals actually used to draw out their logo design concepts. The purpose of using pencil and paper is simple, in the amount of time it takes to create a single mark on illustrator, your mind can carry on and come up with 30 different logo design concepts (take a look at my logo design process for Dounia, provides some sketches). sketching will allow you to get your ideas out of your head, create new ideas and further develop them. You can then eliminate the weak concepts from the strong logo design concepts without wasting time on anchor points.

One final thing to remember is, designing on a program prior to sketching can result in creating a rigid, stiff logo.