Iconic Logos – the Hidden Meaning Behind Them

Iconic Logos – the Hidden Meaning Behind Them

03 Jul 2022

There are many iconic logos out there. We showcase a handful of our favourites and delve into their hidden meanings.

Before we begin, let’s get one thing straight…

A logo is not a brand – we’ve said this countless times.

However, that doesn’t mean a logo isn’t a very crucial part of the brand experience.

After all, a logo encompasses everything a brand is about, and delivers it all in a shrinkable and recognisable collection of pixels.

The more iconic logos we know today even have the power to paint a picture of the brand with just one look.

Image is consumed 60,000 times faster than text, and visual information makes up 90% of the information that reaches our brain.

A lot of this takes place subconsciously and can evoke powerful emotional responses unbeknownst to the rational, conscious brain.

So, what does this mean for logo design? You have to be clever and use this information to your advantage.

A FedEx van pictured in front of a taco bar and restaurant.
This iconic logo is among our favourites (no, we’re not talking about Flats Fix). More on that below. Credit: Liam Kevan on Unsplash.

Our Favourite Iconic Logos

With a love for branding, we’re paying homage to some of our favourite iconic logos – complete with hidden meanings or interesting backstories.

FedEx

Have you ever noticed the arrow between the ‘E’ and the ‘X’ in this iconic logo?

It represents speed and efficiency, which is on brand for a company that’s all about providing reliable and fast express delivery services.

Clever, FedEx, clever.

FedEx logo on a tablet-like graphic against a purple background.
The hidden arrow. Nice. Credit: Rubaitul Azad on Unsplash.

Quicksilver

As a popular brand of surf-centric apparel, of course Quicksilver’s iconic logo takes inspiration from waves.

Specifically, it gives a twist on the well-known Japanese woodblock print, The Great Wave Off Kanagawa.

Just looking at the logo sparks recognition in the mind of the viewer.

The Great Wave Off Kanagawa woodblock print.
The inspiration… Credit: Wikimedia.
Quiksilver logo appearing on a black-coloured wall.
…and the result. Credit: Cyril Attias.

Tesla

Tesla co-founder, Elon Musk, took to X – or Twitter, as it was called at the time – to abate curious speculation about the origins of the electronic vehicle manufacturer’s eye-catching logo.

He explained that it represents the cross-section of an electric motor.

Tesla
Well, there you go. Image credit: Daniel Fourie via Quora.

Amazon

The global brand repositioned itself from being an online bookseller to a ‘store of everything’, which explains Amazon’s now-iconic logo.

An arrow pointing from the letter A to the Z reflects just that, and creates a smiley face for extra measure.

Crafting an iconic logo means digging a little deeper and accessing the collective human experience to embody every aspect of the brand experience.

A logo has the ability to propel a brand to wide-reaching success or be forgotten in the unmemorable masses of information we are exposed to daily.

Amazon logo appearing on a smartphone.
It’s all smiles at Amazon. Credit: Christian Wiediger on Unsplash.

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