Logos are graphic symbols that are used by companies that allow them to be recognized by the audience viewing them as it is a visual representation of the brand’s identity. It is also used to instill trust in conveying the chosen message to the public.

It is now established that a logo helps your company propel into success or to crash. Now, when a company plans for marketing strategies, they speak of the importance of a logo. But how did they come into being? What is the story behind the logo evolution?

The Beginning

The beginning of logos and logo evolution is traced back to Ancient Greece, where coins were used with monograms by the rulers. Nonetheless. Since the beginning of society, there has been a use of a wide variety of symbols to help decipher and mark the social ranks traced back to Ancient Egypt.

However, the modern logo as a part of logo evolution, which is recognized today is traced back to the 13th century, the age of the Renaissance. This was a time when potters, stonemasons, and goldsmiths began their first chisel and press logos as a sign of ownership. Societies shifted towards being industrial. There were more than 700 lithographic printers by the 19th century in the US alone but the credit for art printed was given to the printing companies and not the artist or craftsman back then.

By the 1870s style and innovation grew as well as the printing of colorful children’s books and newspapers as the costs decreased. The Victorian flair style expanded of expressive typography that represented the different brands and businesses.

Evolution of Logos: The First Logo

As mass-production increased by the Victorian era, the surge became interested in crediting the craftsmanship that led to exclusive logos. The first-ever logo, when we go back in time and learn about logo evolution,  was a red triangle trademarked for the Bass Brewery in 1876 with the “Bass” text beneath in a cursive text.

The first color psychology also emerged by the 1800s with Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s “Theory of Colors,” where they conveyed an impression of dignity and gravity. This trademarking of company logos as a part of the evolution of logo continued through the invention of television which gave rise to mass communication that encouraged companies to adopt visual means of communication that gave way for logos in marketing and branding.

This trademarking of company logos continued through the invention of television which gave rise to mass communication that encouraged companies to adopt visual means of communication that gave way for logos in marketing and branding.

To date, symbols are still used to convey messages without the need for language.

Marketing Logos Today

At present, logos still are used as a visual identity representation of the company although the market is saturated and consumers are exposed to thousands of logos each day. Factually  90% of the information transmitted visually to our brains is processed 60,000 times faster compared to a text? It is now understood why the brands scramble to create the perfect logo for their company.

It is only if we connect or recognize a logo we engage to know what they have to convey. A logo must be memorable and evoke fondness irrespective of it being a big or small brand.

Why does one need to invest in a professional logo?

If you’ve stumbled on this document about the evolution of logos, you would obviously know that today’s modern logos are anything like logos of the past. Modern day logos help make the business appear stable as adopting the attitude of continuous changes confuses the customers who then assume this instability to the way the company is run.

The color philosophy helps the engagement in today’s world as many are trained and know that red evokes passion and action, while the color blue brings about the emotion of trust and loyalty.  

Logo evolution: Successful Logos in Today’s time

The most successful brand that has understood the evolution of logos pretty well is Google. They have done so much as the word has infiltrated into modern language and used is now used as a verb in itself.

They rebranded their logo in September 2015 cementing it to be creative and playful. Its flat style incorporated by a sans serif font sandwiching the bright yellow “O” connotes optimism and warmth between the primary colors that conveys themselves as offbeat.

On the other hand, brands like heavy hitters have been untouched by falling into the trap of a poorly designed logo that resulted in a marketing nightmare.

To Conclude:

The evolution of logos tells us a lot about our history and what marketing meant in the past. The most powerful tool in the hands of a company is its logos at their disposal that reflect the principles and values. It acts as a signature as put forward even in the days of Ancient Egypt, Greece, and industrial Britain and not only used for claiming their ownership.

As effective as the logo is, it helps create a sense of loyalty becoming a status symbol. Therefore, companies must use their logo every time they mention themselves as the market is flooded with logos. Perhaps, to stand out one must consider their unique values that customers value.

Logo evolution FAQs

1. Why do companies change logos?

A company changes its logo just to represent a fresh representation of the company combining its identity. Company logos must evolve just as the evolution of logos in the first place. It might also be created due to a divide in a company and the other entity creates their new management.

2. Why did manufacturers adopt logos in the first place?

Logos are primarily the company’s identity that helps portray the brand’s messages and values. It is perhaps the visual representation of everything a company stands for.

3. What is a full form of LOGO?

LOGO stands for ‘Language of graphics-oriented’. It is a symbol used to recognize a public identification of a brand or is a symbol representing a wordmark.

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