An essential task in branding is logo design. Your logo will be the first thing that meets your prospects and customers and should make a good impression. Like in fashion, logo design trends come and go, but there are a few styles and logos that are timeless.
When designing your logo, you want it and your brand to never go out of style. Your logo should also be universally accepted, not just created to attract one small market segment. We will highlight these trends and the logos that have stood the test of time and become synonymous with their brand.
Timeless Logo Design Trends Vintage Logos
They harken back to the days of printing machines with a grainy appearance. Vintage styling offers a timeless feel as it leans back into the past, even if your brand is a startup. While the first iteration of the vintage logo was black and white, lately, color has added some flair. Vintage logos can invoke memories and nostalgia, usually providing a feeling-good feeling.
Farm Boy
Canadian organic market Farm Boy uses a vintage style with a hand-sketched logo. The simple all-caps serif font sits below a young boy carrying all the natural goodies found at Farm Boy Markets.
Jack Daniels
Of course, the classic Tennessee whiskey brand has been around for decades. The font is simple, and the design is classic in all its iterations.
Dickie's
Serving the working class since the 1920s, Dickey's current logo uses classic, vintage colors and their original horseshoe to take them into the next century.
Logos that Keep it Minimal
Simplicity is critical for these timeless logos. Minimalistic logos rely simply on the design. When you want to attract a large audience, keep it simple. Using lines, geometric shapes, and sans serif fonts, you can develop a modern, timeless, minimal logo. They usually work well on all mediums.
IKEA
In 2019 the Swedish furniture brand updated its logo, but only slightly. It's still minimalistic, using the colors yellow and blue. But the block letters of the brand name have been enlarged to fill the border better. Its pleasing colors and clean design are akin to the brand's simple, light, and airy furnishings.
Hollister
The Hollister lifestyle brand features the seagull logo and sans-serif typeface for their namesake logo. Add the smaller serif font for the word "California," and you have a long-lasting logo.
Prada
Upscale fashion house Prada has been wowing the masses for generations with fashionable shoes, handbags, and accessories. The brand uses a simple necklace, crown, and crest that border their brand name.
DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission.
Monochromatic Logos
Printing your monochrome logo saves you money when you're a startup business. They are also sharp and classic. They are great for more intricate designs as they make it easy to see the detail in the art. Monochromatic logos are simple and sophisticated.
Chanel
The French fashion maven became famous for its classic ready-to-wear styles. Their monochromatic black and gold logo features two intertwined C's that signify the creator's name, Coco Chanel. Like the brand, the symbol appears classic but informal due to its sans serif typeface.
Calvin Klein
Lively & Colorful Logos
Classic doesn't have to be boring! Liven things up with color but stick to just a few select shades. If your brand is about the environment or health care, go green. You have to be intentional when using color. Color can catch a prospect's attention quickly, but you don't want to overpower your brand with too much of it.
Most of us see the Google logo several times a day as it is the most popular search engine in the world. Made up of primary colors and the green L, the company proudly displays that they are not about following the crowd or the rules.
NBC
That colorful peacock featured on the NBC logo first appeared in the 1956 version. Incidentally, the color came from the owners of the network, RCA. They used the peacock to encourage viewers to go out and get one of their television sets to see it in all its glory. And the feathers represent the divisions within NBC – news, entertainment, network, sports, production, and stations.
eBay
Starting in 2012, the latest version of the colorful eBay logo is clean and features the primary colors, and interestingly enough, the green, just like Google. They employ a sleek sans-serif with the letters hugging each other.
Logos with Classic Typography
Timeless and classic go hand in hand. So, choosing a classic typeface is a fantastic way to go. Classic cursives can make a brand feel more relatable. And when the font is the highlight of your logo, it delivers a clear and straightforward message. With these logos, the text and graphics take the lead working together to represent your brand.
Cartier
The luxury brand stands for elegance. The simple italic, handwritten font used in the logo, with each letter slightly connected in an interesting way, is timeless and has been at the forefront of the brand since its inception.
IBM
The simple, though powerful, logo represents reliability and authenticity. There have been changes in color and design through the years, with the current logo keeping things monochromatic. The bold sans-serif font in all caps keeps things all business.
Amazon
With three changes throughout its history, Amazon has always included its name. And its latest iteration featuring the brand's website name was genius. The arrow beneath that begins at the A and travels to the Z, telling all who see it that the company sells everything you can possibly think of from A to Z. While the company used the Officina Sans Bold font for some time, they currently utilize a custom-designed typeface.
Symbolic Logos
Logos that use symbols often use them to get to the point of their offerings. Animals and other images translate into any language, so they are great for those trying to create a global brand.
Abercrombie & Fitch
Just a simple moose with the brand name etched underneath: that's it. The moose symbolizes pride, confidence, and grace, representing what buyers will feel when wearing the brand.
Burberry
High-end fashion brand Burberry uses a shielded knight atop an adorned horse. When you see it, you know that the brand is about pride, grace, and honor. These elements could easily translate to a brand offering elegant and durable designs across all product lines.
Givenchy
Givenchy produces scents and fashion for high-end clients. They chose the G from Givenchy and formed a square. Initially, the image stood alone and now accompanies the Givenchy brand name in a san's serif font.
Logos That Combine Timeless Trends
Using classic typeface, bold color, or a lack thereof, and symbols combined, these classic logos use several elements to create a timeless look. Consider mixing a wordmark with a mascot, and you have the idea.
Hugo Boss
With a formal serif typeface, the Hugo Boss logo in black and white seeps elegance, veracity, and authority. With no other graphics, viewers focus on sophisticated and sleek text.
Nike
We couldn't discuss classic logos without including Nike. The sports fashion apparel and equipment brand uses its famous "Swoosh" logo and pairs it with the use of bold color and white lettering.
Levi's
This American jean brand uses a winged logo with the company name in a clear sans-serif font breaking through the vibrant red. The classic logo screams passion but is still relatable and relevant today.
Creating Your Brand's Timeless Logo
When creating your logo, there is much to consider, including the colors representing your brand and the right font to display its personality accurately. When you're ready to create a timeless logo, use these classic inspirations as a guideline. Remember that these brands did a few things that you should as well, including:
- Keeping it strong and simple
- Choosing classic fonts
- Sticking to just two or three colors
- Ensuring it works in all printed and digital formats Creating something unique
- Looking around you for inspiration, in nature, in your office, as well as on the web
- Remembering what you want your brand to represent and translating that into a classic logo.
- Using one classic font
- When designing your logo, ensure it represents your values, brand story, and voice. Ask what makes your brand unique, who you want to attract, and what you want them to feel when they see your logo? Keep things simple and try to make a visual impact.
- When you've narrowed it down to three selections, ask yourself: Is the design professional?
- Is it memorable?
- Does it convey your brand message?
- Does it work across all marketing channels?
- Will it still work in ten years?
- Does it speak with your brand voice and personality?
Clear branding used consistently across the board helps to grow recognition and trust among your audience. It helps boost your brand's image in the minds of internal and external customers alike. You don't have to buck all trends, but remember to think long-term.
And it may take a while to zero in on the right logo. Logo design takes time and consideration to brainstorm, research color and font meanings, and more. Most of all, be flexible and try a few things as you go through the process.
About author
Mimosa Ryan
Copywriter
Mimosa is an experienced copywriter that’s passionate and able to quickly adapt to any client’s needs and branding style. She has skills in SEO copywriting, editing, content curation, and more. Able to capture the voice, tone, and style of any brand and bring it to life through words. She writes for multiple online platforms, companies, and websites, and is proud to call New England home.
0 comments:
Post a Comment