- For the programming language Logo, see Logo programming language.
A logotype, commonly known as a logo, is a graphic element which uniquely identifies corporations, products, services, institutions, agencies, associations, events, or any kind of organizations in order to differentiate publicly the owner of the logotype from other entities. A logotype is really a brandname set in a special typeface/font arranged in a particular, but legible, way. In later years however, it has come to describe signs, emblems, trademarks, coats of arms, symbols and even flags. At the end of this article there are true logotypes, whereas the others including non-letter graphics of some kind usually can be described as emblems, brandmarks, trademark or company-mark, which all can include text. Emblems with non-textual content could never correctly be described as a logotype.
The uniqueness of a logotype is of utmost importance to avoid confusion in the marketplace among clients, suppliers, users, affiliates, and the general public. Therefore, once designed, a logotype should be registered as a graphic trademark, so that no other can use it, and no other can try to stop its use by the owner. Duly protected, a logotype can become an asset of great value.
Many people believe that a logotype is just a graphic symbol or sign. This is, however, not the way it is defined by graphic designers and by advertising professionals. A logotype consists of either a name or a sign and name. The images at right show examples of two kinds of logotypes, and an emblem.
Sometimes a slogan is included in the logotype. If the slogan appears always in the logotype, and in the same graphic shape, it can be considered as part of the logotype. Otherwise, it should be seen as a different element, used to reinforce the identity of the owner, together with the logotype.
Often the word logo is used instead of logotype. In practice, both terms are synonyms, but the meaning of logotype is specifically what is defined in this article, while logo has other meanings.
History
The origin of logotypes goes back to the 19th century, when industrial manufacture of products became important. The new industrial procedures allowed a much higher output then that of the former handmade products. The new products were distributed in large geographical areas, even nationwide. New competitors appeared from time to time, and the offer of products of a same kind increased notably. At that time, a significant part of the population was still illiterate. The industrial leaders became soon aware that the public would not easily differentiate their product from the same product of their competitors. More and more manufacturers began therefore to include a symbol, sign, or emblem on their products, labels and packages, so that all the buyers could easily recognize the product they wanted.
The manufacturers later began to add the name of the company or of the product to their sign. The name being shaped often in a specific way by each manufacturer, these combined logotypes, which for the first time included sign and name, became extremely popular. During many decades, when a new logo was being designed, owners, advertising professionals, and graphic designers always attempted to create a sign or emblem which would appear as a logotype, together with the name of the company, product, or service.
Logos today
Today there are so many corporations, products, services, agencies and other entities using a sign or emblem as logotype that many have realized that only a few of the thousands of signs people are faced with are recognized without a name. The consequence is the notion that it makes less sense to use a sign as a logotype, even together with the name, if people will not duly identify it. Therefore, the trend in the recent years has been to use both logos and names, and to emphasize the design of the name instead of the logotype, making it unique by its letters, color, and additional graphic elements.
However, a small product with an emblem sometimes will grow in popularity, especially across areas with differing alphabets; for instance, a name in the Arabic language would be of little help in most European markets. A sign or emblem would keep the general proprietary nature of the product in both markets. In non-profit areas, the Red Cross is an example of an extremely well known emblem or vexillum which does not need a name to go with, though in Muslim countries it is the Red Crescent.
Examples
The following are a few examples of logotypes including only the name, actually brand names with the same font. The first table shows the names of six well-known companies in the same typeface in all cases. In these examples, recognizing the companies entails reading the name.
| Kellogg's |
Hyatt |
Bankers Trust |
| Pfizer |
Lancôme |
Hertz |
In the next table, each company has a specific design of its name, a logotype. Due to the design, the color, the shape, and eventually additional elements of the logotype, each one can easily be differentiated from other logotypes. For example, in a supermarket a box of Kellogg's cereals will be seen in the shelf from a certain distance, due to the unique design of its logotype. The same will be true when one is looking at the airport for the booth of the Hertz Rent-A-Car company. The logotype will be recognized from far because of its shape and its color.
| Kelloggs logotype |
Hyatt logotype |
Banker's Trust logotype |
| Pfizer logotype |
Lancome logotype |
Hertz logotype |
External links
- Logo Design
- Logo Design and Corporate Identity Specialists
- Logo Design Services Directory
- Business Logo Design
See also: Sound logo