A yellow letter “M” with curved peaks, resembling the eyebrows of a confused clown…When the designer of McDonald’s gave this definition to the owner years ago, was he sure that he had prepared a logo that would remain in the public eye even after fifty years? Absolutely!
Had he been asked “how come you can be so confident in your design”, he would have answered in one word: Knowledge!
It was not easy for Birlogo to reach the knowledge that McDonald’s designer had on the “purpose” of the logo, “how it should be” and “how to choose the colors”, but it will be easy to explain. Let’s start!
What is Logo?
Basically, they are designs where the stories and ideas that make up a brand or company are melted in the same pot and tried to be told. The logo can be created in 3 different formats:
Date of Logo Design
There is no one who does not know Napoleon’s saying: “Money, money, money!”
Could Napoleon, who engraved his name in the memory of humanity by leading many conquests in history and lived a life of luxury that was hard to even imagine, have emphasized the quantity meaning of money with this word? Of course not!
What is mentioned here is the symbolic value of money. The owner of a portrait on the money, which is the most necessary tool for a living, will not be forgotten even after years. Just like Benjamin Franklin and Queen Elizabeth…
However, the history of the logo dates back to before the money was used. In terms of working principles, we can easily say that the digital logo designs of the modern era have traces of cave paintings from the primitive periods that have survived to the present day.
Importance of Logo
The main goal is to gain a permanent place in the minds of the target audience while offering the products or services provided by the brand or companies. It would be very appropriate to give the following example, in terms of understanding the point of view of the target audience: A product or service without any emblem or font on it will always raise doubt when it reaches the stage of consumption or purchase, even if it is liked. However, if there is a ‘cougar in an attack position’ on it, all doubts will suddenly disappear and it will raise the desire to possess. So much so that no one doubts it!
How Should Logo Be?
If the goal were to save the day, our job would be easy! Because the virtual world offers such a wide range that it cannot create a competitive environment for logo design. Any movie character, team emblem or even the font of a famous brand that is sure to remain popular will work for a while. And how long does an ‘imitation’ live? During the existence of the imitatee. Never enough! That doesn’t fit with McDonald’s or Napoleon’s vision, does it?
The logo is the story of a journey. It’s also a journey desired to be long. It is up to us to continue this journey as long as we wish. To us, that is, creativity, labor and knowledge…
Is it a coincidence that remarkable and catchy brands and companies have designs that evoke the feeling of “I can do that too”? Never!
But if the McDonald’s designer had just drawn an “M”, could the owner have sold so many hamburgers? Of course not!
But how could he think that? Why should the design resemble the eyebrows of a confused clown? What about the curvature of the peaks?
Let’s continue by searching for the answers to these questions…
In order for something to evoke a desire to possess, it must first be able to make a difference! This difference should be in line with the main goals of the brand or company, and the aspect it wants to reflect. If you aim to attract children to your brand and appeal to the inner child of everyone, ‘clown’ would be the right choice. Moreover, the combination of a symbolic shape such as the eyebrow structure and the curved ‘M’ font is a hit! Also, from the perspective of the famous psychoanalyst Freud, will you think that we exaggerate if we say that these two curves symbolize the mother’s nourishing breasts?
So let’s look at one of the first designs that comes to mind when it comes to versatility: FedEx! Have you ever noticed that the symbol created by the combination of the letters ‘E’ and ’x’ is an ‘arrow’ and that the arrow means speed?
Another value that versatility adds to the brand or company is speculation, that is, being able to produce information and explanation about it…
Color Selection in Logo
Now that we have mentioned the importance of symbolic psychology in logo design, it is time to talk about the psychological reflections of colors.
Could this interest in the orange and blue colors of the big cargo companies, the red and yellow colors of the fast food restaurants simply be a matter of admiration? We have talked about FedEx and McDonald’s.
Are there any other cargo companies that use orange and blue colors together in their logo? Could Yurtiçi Cargo and MNG be two of them?
Are there any other fast-food companies using yellow and red colors together in their logo?
Could Burger King and Hungry Jack’s be two of them?
Yes, similarities can have powerful effects. However, there are some brands and companies that create themselves by the contrast of their competitors. Coca-Cola and Pepsi get strength from the contrast of the colors on their logos. In fact, this contrast is so obvious that there are even rumors that Pepsi is a brand launched by Coca-Cola for a ‘special’ purpose.
Yes, we have only revealed a few of the numerous details and examples that can be mentioned about the logo design. For more, you can also get ideas about logo design from various sources other than Birlogo. For example; It is of course possible to access an ‘infinite’ amount of information with Google, whose logo has the ‘infinity’ symbol consisting of two ‘o’ letters coming together…. 😊