How Have Logos of World Famous Companies Changed Over Time?

The branding initiatives of an organization are incomplete without logo design. Businesses can use logos as an effective instrument for grabbing the attention of customers and creating a unique identity in the market.

Businesses have to change their logos to welcome the new target audience base to their products and services. The logo communicates the personality of a brand, which has to change gradually over the course of its evolution. Let us learn more about the evolution of the logos of famous companies in the following post. 

Why Should Brands Change Their Logos?

The thought of purchasing a product from a specific brand depends on different factors. Why did you think of the logo of a particular brand for buying products? The logo is the anchor on which the target audience of the company fixes their trust and emotions. Do you remember how the last burger you had at Burger King made you feel? Your first burger from the brand probably helped you associate with the brand logo. 

Customers can associate with the logo of the brand based on their experiences. It is important to note that the consumers of a brand expect new experiences, thereby implying the necessity of a completely different essence of the brand. The evolution of logos of famous companies provides evidence of the need to change according to the times. In addition, brands might go through major modifications in terms of business models or the products and services they offer. As a result, such brands would need a logo redesign. 

Top Companies That Changed Their Logos

The premise of changing the logo of a brand seems reasonable on paper. On the other hand, it is also important to think of the resources for creating a logo suited to your brand personality. However, the decision for logo redesign can be a challenging task. 

In such cases, you can refer to examples of top brands and the evolution of their logos. The stark changes introduced in logos of famous companies can help you overcome your apprehensions about a change in your logo. Here are some of the popular companies that have changed their logos. 

1. Nintendo 

The best example of evolution of a logo for a famous company would point to the gaming company Nintendo. It had initially started its operations as the manufacturer of playing cards. The initial logo featured kanji spelling, and the meaning of the term has been constantly debatable. However, the first logo of Nintendo arrived on the market for the first time in 1889 and has been forgotten. 

On the contrary, the new logo of Nintendo provides a clear explanation of the rationale behind changing the logo. Removing the kanji symbols implied that people all over the world could now read the text. On top of it, the new brand logo of Nintendo follows the color psychology of Coca-Cola for inspiring action, energy, and youthfulness. 

2. Facebook 

The next big example of the evolution of brand logos points to Facebook. The social media giant announced a rebranding without changing its existing base of products. On the contrary, the brand changed the name of its parent company to Meta, with an emphasis on the drive toward metaverse development. Almost two years down the lane, the rebranding has worked in favor of Facebook as it continues making improvements in metaverse technology. 

The new logo of the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp retains the blue color of Facebook. Interestingly, the evolution of the logo of Facebook to Meta has incorporated the graphic of infinity. It can be considered a subtle indication of the endless possibilities the brand aims to explore in the future. 

3. Pfizer

One of the leading pharmaceutical companies, Pfizer, also grabbed headlines in 2021 for a change in its logo. The big pharma company introduced its new logo amidst growing attention on the pharmaceutical sector. Pfizer has moved over the old capsule design by introducing a positive space logo. 

Some experts have commended that the new spacious design of the logo features a unique element of dynamism. On top of it, the font of the new logo bears a resemblance to the old logo, thereby carrying the brand’s legacy with ease.

4. Peugeot

The most common assumption about logo redesign is that you can focus only on the raw elements in the logo. In addition, the apprehensions about changing logos in the digital landscape have also held back many brands. Peugeot presented a completely different benchmark for redesigning the logo from scratch.

With the new logo, the French car manufacturer can communicate a new philosophy for ‘living in the moment.’ The new logo also appears more youthful and more suited for digital applications. 

5. Volvo

The list of famous companies which changed their logos would also include Volvo. The Swedish automobile manufacturer rebranded with a new logo. You can notice that the new logo of Volvo represents a minimalist take on the old logo with an iron mark. The new logo is simple and follows the retro digital trend, which has been gaining traction in logo design. 

Bottom Line

The examples of evolution of logos of top brands show that new businesses could also seek opportunities for redesigning logos. If famous companies can do it, any business could seek new opportunities with the evolution of their logo. Businesses should understand the importance of adapting to new trends and changes in the business environment. However, projects for logo redesigning depend on the objectives of the business and the targeted audience groups. Learn more about logo design with the help of experts and find out whether a new logo can help your business now.