21 Jun Find out the Secret Symbols Within These 7 Logos

Businesses who want to build a memorable brand pay a great deal of money and put a lot of thought into their logos. When you put that much brilliance into an effort, sometimes little buried treasures are planted into the work. Maybe you’ve spotted some of these symbols that add significance to some of our favorite brands, if you haven’t you’ll never see them the same way again.

1. Baskin-Robbins

The best way to understand the Baskin-Robbins logo is to review its history. The company’s namesake founders wanted to implant an emphasis on fun and the offering of a wide variety of flavors.

In 1953 two original operating names became Baskin-Robbins. “A local advertising agency, Carson/Roberts, advised a uniform identity and image under the name Baskin-Robbins 31 Ice Cream. Their recommendations included the “31®” logo to represent a flavor for every day of the month, Cherry (pink) and Chocolate (brown) polka dots to be reminiscent of clowns, carnivals and fun and lastly, the use of cartoons to bring their flavors alive with personality to graphically highlight the name and delicious ingredients.”

So whether you see the older logo (above) or its modern counterpart (below,) there is still an emphasis fun. The pink 31 hidden in the “BR” makes sure that you remember there is a flavor for every day of the month!

2. Tostitos

The Tostitos logo has changed several times in recent years. Several of the recent iterations have the central ‘t’ characters looking like a couple friends dipping chips in a bowl of salsa. It is a great way to capture the spirit of their product. It could also serve as an instruction manual for how the company suggests you use their chips.

3. Milwaukee Brewers

This logo is clearly a catcher’s mitt with a baseball. The fact that it also forms an “mb,” the team’s initials makes this design great.

4. FedEx

Among the logos on this list, FedEx is one of the more publicized for its secret. If you haven’t previously noticed the little arrow in the negative space between the ‘E’ and the ‘x,’ you probably will from this day forward. It is a great representation of the action of moving forward, they take your packages where you want them to go… fast!

5. Amazon.com

The Amazon.com logo is the other most well-known on the list. First, because of its dominance and ubiquity across a majority of the cardboard boxes most Americans have laying around. This logo must be marveled at to realize that in the simplicity and clear communication of their brand, there are three separate symbols going on inside.

1. The arrow represents the way they deliver their products to you, the customer.
2. Their products make their customers happy, so the arrow is also a smile.
3. Amazon began touting themselves as Earth’s Biggest Selection. The arrow, also connects two special letters. This third and least obvious of the three implies that Amazon offers everything from A to Z.

6. Merck

Merck is a large, well-recognized pharmaceutical company. Their logo is a beautifully simple blend of two tablets and a capsule.

7. Google

Google is well known for its simplicity. Marissa Mayer is often getting credit for fighting to keep it and the main search page so simple for all the company’s founding years. Her influence still stands even after she moved to lead at Yahoo.

What surprised me about this logo was something I’d never noticed about the color. They are all primary colors, except one. The source I found stated that this signifies the company’s playful attitude and their willingness to shake up the traditional way of doing things.

Just seven of many more

There are many more secret messages in logos all around. There are websites that tell their stories. You can do a Google search to find Logos With Hidden Meanings, or Symbols. Make sure you check out the Tour de France, the London Symphony Orchestra, Goodwill’s ‘G’ in the face and many of the clever zoos logos around the country. The thrill is in the hunt, go find some cool ones! And don’t forget to appreciate a clever graphic designer near you.