Only Logo Design

The Right Logo

The Logo: a little history

Logotype, commonly know as a logo, is a design, a graphic representation/image/trademark symbolizing one’s organization. Designed for instant identification, a logo can appear on company letterhead, advertising material and signs as an emblem by way of which the organization can easily be recognized.

Originating in the 19th century, after a surge in industrial manufacturing that led to an increase in output, global distribution, and the commencement of competition, logos were created to differentiate between products within the same industry. Emblems or symbols were included on products, packages and labels so buyers could easily recognize the product they preferred. Logos revolutionized the advertising world. There was a time when only affluent organizations could afford their own crest, emblem or logo. They were, in some cases, a very detailed drawing with many objects. Cost was not an issue and more was considered better. Then, flags were used due to their larger format. They were visible from the craft fields and from long distances. Today, successful companies continue to say that "simpler is better". Especially when the world is advancing so rapidly, you have less and less time to impress your customers. Logo designs, now, are very stylish yet remain conservative, which makes them eye-catching and easier for the brain to memorize.

Tagline

When creating a tagline for your company, it is important to consider whether or not you are going to, eventually, go global. If so, create a tagline that gets your point across when translated into different languages. Here are some examples of successful companies that did not take this into consideration: a. Kentucky Fried Chicken's tagline "finger-lickin' good" translates in Chinese as "eat your fingers off”. b. General Motors introduced the Chevy Nova in South America, and the company was apparently unaware that "no va,” translated in Spanish meant “it won't go,” or “it doesn’t run.” c. In Taiwan, Pepsi introduced its tagline "Come alive with the Pepsi Generation". In Chinese, the slogan translated as "Pepsi will bring your ancestors back from the dead."

by Colleen Ryan