The Power of Logos
Every brand uses a logo of some sort, whether it features a graphic mark, an emblem, or a symbol. For instance, these symbols surround you whenever you go shopping. Consequently, companies invest massive budgets into researching and designing memorable logos that capture attention.
A Brief History of the Logo
Historically, according to Douglas Harper’s Online Etymology Dictionary, the first surviving written record of the term “logo” dates to 1937, when writers likely shortened “logogram.” Furthermore, the current era of logo design began in the 1870s, when Bass introduced its red triangle—the first abstract logo.
Today, numerous corporations, brands, and agencies utilise ideograms, emblems, or a combination of both. However, because thousands of these symbols circulate simultaneously, audiences recognise only a select few without seeing the company name.
What Makes a Logo Work?
To emphasise the brand name over the graphic, an effective logo often combines an ideogram with the company name (a logotype). Additionally, designers employ unique letters, colours, and distinct graphic elements to make the brand stand out.
Ultimately, this raises a question: how well do you recall a brand name just by looking at its icon? Logos 9 will test your knowledge.
Test Your Knowledge: 20 Logos to Guess
We feature twenty different logos below. How many can you recognise?
How to Interact and Play:
- Reveal the answer: Hover your mouse pointer over the grey box below any image.
- Enlarge the view: Click directly on any image to take a closer look.
- Download an image: Right-click on the enlarged image and select “Save image as” to save the file to your computer. Conveniently, the picture’s filename contains the correct answer.
Technical Note & Usage: These files utilise the SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) format, an XML-based vector image format. Therefore, you can easily insert them into most word processors, including Microsoft Word, Google Docs, WPS Office, and LibreOffice. Feel free to use these images for your personal quizzes; however, you may not re-publish them in any format.
