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Simple logos are the best logos

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I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that simple logos are the best kind of logos. If you don’t agree, consider the world’s top 100 brands, according to Interbrand.

In the universe of logos it is widely agreed that there are five main types:

  1. Wordmark
  2. Lettermark
  3. Pictorial
  4. Abstract
  5. Emblem

By far and away, wordmark and lettermark logos are the simplest. These are pure text or character-based logos.

This post analyses the top 100 most famous logos and brands of the world to hopefully demonstrate that simple logos (wordmark or lettermark logos) are synonymous with sucess.

Fact #1: Eight of the top 10 brands – from Interbrand’s Top 100 brands of the world 2009 – use a simple wordmark or lettermark logo.

The Top 10 Global Brands – Logos by Type

Fact #2: Fifty-one of the top 100 brands of the world use a wordmark or lettermark logo.  That is, their logos are simple, text-only and free from icons, pictures or emblems.

Fact #3: The top 50 global brands contain 16% more wordmark/lettermark logos than the next 50 famous brands (48% of the top 50 brands are wordmark/lettermark logos, while out of the ‘next’ 50 brands, 32% are wordmark/lettermark logos). Thus, when you analyse the ‘best of the best’ when it comes to brands, more of them use wordmark or lettermark logos.

Conclusions:

  1. Simple logos work well.
  2. Brands are more than a fancy logo.

While most designers, brand gurus and marketers know this already, business owners often don’t.  Either way, the above should provide strong evidence that simple logos are, in my opinion, the best logos. Whether you’re a growing brand or a new starter, think big but keep your logo simple!

The 51 wordmark/lettermark logos within the Top 100 brands of the world


Alec Lynch is the Founder and Managing Director of graphic design service DesginCrowd.com an online marketplace specialising in logo design offering access to over 10,000 logo designers from around the world.

Via designcrowd.com