💘 5 Traits of an Iconic Logo
🧸 Personify Your Brand
👕 The T-Shirt Test
💘 5 Traits of an Iconic Logo
A logo is the visual embodiment of your brand. It’s a beacon that draws people to your products and services.
An iconic logo has five core elements.
Simplicity: Iconic logos are stunning in their simplicity. They aren’t complex images with layers and flares. They encapsulate the brand by reducing it to its essence.
Storytelling: An iconic logo tells a story. With just a picture you understand the brand and what it represents.
Repetition: It takes more than great design to make a logo iconic. You have to see it again and again before it can become a symbol.
Distinct: Many logos are attractive, but few are truly distinct. When you see it you know it. Nothing else looks like the brand, and that makes it stand out against the competition.
Legacy: Don’t tinker. Companies want to stay hip and current, and they play with their logos. If you want an iconic logo commit to it. Iconic logos get better with age.
One Stat to Watch
$872 Million
Acquired in 2014, Cars.com is the most expensive domain in the history of all domain sales worldwide.
🧸 Personify Your Brand
A brand mascot gives your brand a human face — a face that your customers can connect with at a deep, personal level.
Tony the Tiger, the Pillsbury Doughboy, the Jolly Green Giant, and Mr. Clean are all mascots that personify their brands. They provide a character that we know, like, and trust.
Brand mascots are like fine wines. They get better with time.
When you think of some of the most popular brand mascots in North America, many have been around for decades:
- Mr. Peanut was released in 1916.
- The M&M’s characters were created with the product launch in 1941.
- Tony the Tiger first appeared in 1951.
- Mr. Clean hit the airwaves in 1958.
- The Pillsbury Doughboy was created in 1965.
These mascots aren’t just cute, creative characters. They are characters that we have grown up with. This is their real source of power and influence.
Individual experiences with a brand mascot aren’t of much value, but the more often you interact with the mascot, the more meaning it absorbs.
👕 The T-Shirt Test
Is your brand t-shirt worthy?
The logos we display on our clothing represent our values, beliefs, and connections. They signal which tribe you belong to.
Creating a symbol that works on a t-shirt is easier said than done. Most logos look terrible on a t-shirt. Walk around any trade show and ask yourself, “Would I wear these logo’d golf shirts in public?”
For a symbol to work on a t-shirt it has to adhere to three qualities:
- Simple: Simple images do better than complex ones. You can spot Apple’s silhouette or the McDonald’s arches from a mile away.
- Connective: A symbol is more than a graphic. It has to be packed with meaning. Use images that resonate with your tribe.
- Attractive: This may be obvious, but it can’t be overstated. Iconic brands like Apple, Coca-Cola or Red Bull have a powerful aesthetic quality. They are well-balanced, well-designed, and something people are proud to wear. Iconic symbols are beautiful.
If you can create a symbol that works on a t-shirt, that’s a pretty good sign it will work almost everywhere. And if you do create a symbol that is t-shirt worthy, then by all means print a bunch of t-shirts to give away. Give your employees, customers, and partners the opportunity to wear your brand.
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