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Costco Logo Design, History, & Evolution

By Logo Realm Team Leave a Comment

Costco, the common name for the Costco Wholesale Corporation and recognizable by its famous Costco logo, is a multinational corporation second in size only to Walmart as of 2015. The chain requires a membership fee for customers to shop at its warehouse clubs and is ranked in the top 20 of the Fortune 500 rankings of the United States corporations based on total revenue.

The Costco logo has evolved over the years as the company has grown from one store in Seattle, Washington, which opened in 1983, to more than 750 warehouse stores today.However, the logo has retained most of its distinctive features from the beginning, likely because of the company’s dedication to standing out visually and philosophically from other similar warehouse and discount brands. As you learn more about the Costco company, you will see how the Costco logo reflects the company’s stated mission and philosophy in salaries, employee recruitment and care, customer service, and strategic marketing.

About the Costco Brand

The first official Costco store opened in 1983, but the company’s history dates back an additional seven years thanks to a variety of corporate mergers with competitors like San Diego’s Price Club. The Price Club was founded by Sol Price and his son, Robert, who opened stores in old airplane hangars. The original Price Club warehouse is open today as Costco Warehouse #401, although all Price Club stores became Costco Wholesale stores over 20 years ago.

Statistics and Basic Information

Costco stores carry a variety of supermarket items and even luxury goods. In fact, in 2016, the company was the world’s largest retailer of

  • Choice and prime beef 
  • Organic food items
  • Rotisserie chicken 
  • Wine

Costco’s rotisserie chickens have their own fan page, and the company uses the attractive pricing on the birds to bring in customers. At one point, Costco estimated it lost between $30 million and $40 million annually to maintain their low $4.99 price on this product. The loss was worth it because of the increased member foot traffic the stores gained as shoppers came in to pick up their rotisserie chickens.Interestingly, despite its warehouse design and, on average, 13,000 square feet of sales space, Costco stores only stock about 4,000 unique products. This decision is based partially on the requirements Costco faces because of its wholesale pricing and partially on sales strategies based around the idea that customers buy more when there are fewer and rotating options.

Most Costco stores offer

  • Produce
  • Grocery items 
  • Home design items 
  • Electronics 
  • Pharmacy services 
  • Gas stations 
  • Toys
  • Discounted travel and other services 
  • Food services, including pizza 
  • Wine, beer, and sometimes liquor 
  • Optical services 
  • Business services and payment processing 
  • Travel services 
  • An auto program 
  • Online photo services 
  • Online shopping services, including emergency prep kits

Most customers do not realize Costco is one of the United States’ largest pizza chains with over 400 stores nationwide. The Costco food court also offers a discounted hot-dog-and-soda combo that has been priced at $1.50 for nearly 30 years. Non-members also ma not realize that they can shop without a membership if a member buys them a Costco cash card and that some airport security offices will accept a Costco card as proof of identity.

Costco Logo Design History

The Costco logo has remained remarkably consistent from the time of its founding. In fact, the biggest change the logo experienced was from the original Price Club logo, which featured a simple red background with a rounded, lower-right corner and white block lettering reading, “Price Club,” to the red block lettering reading simply “Costco.” Price Club also sometimes used blue block lettering on its warehouses.Since 1983, the Costco logo has had only three major adjustments.

Costco Logo from 1997 to the Present Day

When Costco made all Price Club and Costco warehouse stores Costco Wholesale stores, the logo evolved one last time. In 1997, the Costco logo was slightly enlarged, and the letters became thicker and blockier. Underneath, the word “Wholesale” was added, also slanted, and in all caps. Three blue lines balanced the word on the left side. This Costco logo has been in place since 1997 and is still used today.

Costco Logo Design Evolution

Because Costco is a multinational corporation, the company has opted to keep its logo consistent for more than thirty years. This helps the brand remain recognizable in more than a dozen countries, including

  • The United States 
  • Canada 
  • Mexico
  • The United Kingdom 
  • Japan
  • Korea
  • Taiwan 
  • Australia 
  • Spain
  • Iceland 
  • France 
  • Suriname 
  • Bahamas

The company also plans to open a warehouse in China in 2019.

The Futura Font Family

Variations on the Futura typeface have been used in multiple logos, movie posters, and album covers. These include:

  • Krispy Kreme logo
  • Disney Junior logo
  • DOPE logo 
  • Au Bon Pain logo
  • Occupy Wall Street 
  • The Muppets 2001: A Space Odyssey
  • The Love Boat

Interestingly, you cannot download the Futura font for use in designing logos for free, nor can you adjust it without permission. Futura is a commercial typeface designed by Paul Renner. It is available in multiple weights, of which the Costco logo has used several over the years, and Costco’s unique version is called Futura Extra Bold Oblique.Renner released the font in 1927 and based it on geometric shapes. The font uses references to the circle particularly heavily and was supposed to look modern. It was described at one point as “the typeface of today and tomorrow.” Given its long relationship with the Costco logo, this certainly appears to be true.

Costco’s Private Label Logos

Perhaps to make Costco’s custom services and signature brands more obvious, the Costco logo remains mainly red. This enables the company to add the word “Signature” in a cursive font to any signature brand. For example, Kirkland Water retained its original logo, with a black background and white block lettering, but added “Signature” below the Kirkland name to indicate the Costco partnership.

Red and White Coloring

Red and White

Image via: Flickr

Red and white have been the basic colors in the Costco logo from the first version of the logo that debuted in 1983. However, the shades of red have been altered twice, once in 1993 and once in 1997, and a royal blue was added to the color palette in 1997. The blue color has not changed since its addition.

Background Evolution

Background Evolution

Image via: Flickr

Sometimes, the Costco logo is featured on a black background instead of a white one. This is not particularly common, and the logo is still surrounded by a white outline to make the colors pop even when the rest of the background is black. For a brief period of time, Costco also tried placing the logo on a blue background, but this created a “discreet” look that make the logo less likely to stand out. A red background fared even worse as the “Costco” faded into the background even with the white outlines.

Conclusion: The Costco Logo Remains Constant

Costco has made a name for itself in a number of ways that differentiate it from other warehouse and discount companies. Costco boasts that an “entrepreneurial drive” characterizes Costco staff at every level. The company has also routinely opted to hire and promote from within, avoid hiring employees with traditional “business school” educational backgrounds, and offered higher wages and superior benefits than its competitors.Just as these practices have been consistent for the company since its inception, the Costco logo has remained largely constant. It seems likely it will remain so in the future as well.

Nascar Logo Design, History, & Evolution

By Logo Realm Team Leave a Comment

Until just recently, fans of NASCAR racing have seen the same logo during televised races, on marketing materials, and displayed proudly on t-shirts since 1976. In December 2016, a new NASCAR logo was unveiled for the first time in over 40 years, and it started being used regularly in January 2017. Along with the logo change, NASCAR announced that the official title of the NASCAR cup will be the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, which is sponsored by Monster brand energy drinks.

The stock car racing brand has undergone a few logo redesigns during its rich history. This article will take a look back through years of the NASCAR racing series, along with how the NASCAR logo has changed with the times. The brand has been driven to keep up with the trends through constant sponsorship updates. Those involved in the logo update believe it will bring the brand up to date while also paying homage to the image fans have come to associate with over 70 years worth of racing history.

About the NASCAR Brand

race car on track

Image by skeeze from Pixabay 

When abbreviated, National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing spells “NASCAR.” The company promotes and operates over 1,500 auto races at over 100 tracks in the United States, Mexico, Canada, and Europe and is most associated with stock car racing. It began in 1948 under the leadership of Bill France Sr. Since 2003, his grandson, Brian France, has been the CEO. The headquarters is in Daytona Beach, Florida, and spectators in over 150 countries can watch NASCAR races on television.

Before Monster Energy in 2017, previous sponsors of the NASCAR Cup series were R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (Winston Cup) and Nextel/Sprint (The Chase/Sprint Cup). Drivers can win the cup by accumulating points on a system that has undergone several revisions since its inception. The driver with the most points when a season concludes is the winner. Some famous winners have been Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, and Jimmie Johnson.

NASCAR Logo Design History

different colors of race car

Image by skeeze from Pixabay 

The original NASCAR logo was used from 1948-1955, and it has a look that is representative of that era. It features two minimalist, stylized cars facing off against each other, one on the left and one on the right. The backs of each car morph into a shape that looks like wings, to convey the notion of speed or movement, which is appropriate for a motorsport such as racing. A simple arched banner that contains the word “NASCAR” in black connects the two cars. Even in this earliest incarnation of the logo, one can see the formation of the lettering style used on today’s NASCAR logo.

Behind the two cars and NASCAR banner are two checkered flags that mirror each other and billow outward toward the edges of the logo. The checkers on the flags are red and white, and red is the only color (aside from black) featured on the original emblem. In between the flags, in arched, vintage type, are the words “National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing Inc.” This logo is far more complex than later versions and embodies the spirit of the time in which it was used.

The NASCAR logo underwent its first redesign in 1956, and that version was used until 1963. It features many elements of the previous logo, but those elements have been rearranged and more color has been added. The logo now features a predominant oval shape in golden yellow that is representative of a stock car racing track. The words “NASCAR International” in all caps flow in an arch inside the boundaries of the track.

The 1956 logo also features two facing cars and two about-facing flags just like its predecessor but with a few tweaks. The checkered flags are now smaller and in black and white and serve as ornaments for the two upper corners of the design. The two cars are now a burnt red color and slightly more angular than the ones used prior. The two cars sit on top of the track facing each other.

The NASCAR logo that was used from 1964-1975 once again utilizes similar elements from its predecessor. However, the racing track oval has been removed, and the colors have been simplified to blue, gray, and black. Like previous versions, two stylized cars with winged backs face each other, this time in gray with black outlining. They sit atop a vertical line pattern that resembles the grill of an older model car. The checkered flags are larger now and make up the middle background of the design.

Two blue banners connect the entire design together on top and bottom. The word “NASCAR” sits predominantly on the top banner, and the word “International” runs a bit smaller on the bottom banner. Overall, this version of the NASCAR logo appears to be a bit squashed vertically, which is an interesting design choice. Perhaps the compression of the cars makes them appear longer and leaner or as if they are going faster.

Then we come to the longest-lasting incarnation of the NASCAR logo so far, and also the one that most patrons of the brand will recognize. It ran from 1976-2016, and features the word “NASCAR” large and slanted forward as if it is moving quickly into the future. The type is straight-edged with angular corners on the letters and features a registered mark.

The white text sits on top of colored bars that change from left to right in an almost-rainbow sort of progression. The colored bars are also slanted themselves, giving the illusion of propelling the text forward down a race track.

This 1976-2016 NASCAR logo was far simpler than its predecessors, making the brand name the focus and easily recognizable to fans. The color choice on the slanted colored bars includes the colors from previous versions of the logo (yellow, red, and blue) with the addition of a purple/magenta color in between. In this sense, this logo honored the ones that came before it.

NASCAR Logo Evolution

nascar hall of fame building

Image by Mark Thomas from Pixabay 

It was the debut of a new NASCAR sponsor that prompted the logo redesign. This, plus a new series of rule changes in 2017 made the timing right for an updated look as the brand marches into its future. Jill Gregory and Peter Jung (Senior Vice President/Chief Marketing Officer and Managing Director of Brand and Consumer Marketing, respectively) worked together with Rare Design to develop the new NASCAR logo.

NASCAR understood that the previous logo was synonymous with the die-hard brand loyalty of its fans, and so the new logo retains many elements of the old. The updated NASCAR logo, even though different, is still easily recognized by fans. It is essentially a stripped-down and modernized version of its predecessor. NASCAR fans are notoriously resistant to change, and so the logo’s updates were intentionally discreet while still giving the brand a fresher look.

The updated NASCAR logo removed the slanted colored bars from behind the white text on the previous logo and shifted them toward the left of the NASCAR text. The colored bars still slant forward, giving the illusion of motion, which continues to be appropriate for a speed-driven sport. The logo keeps the primary colors of yellow, red, and blue, but the purple/magenta colored bar is now gone.

The NASCAR wording appears to be basically the same font with angled corners on the letters, and it slants to mimic the lean on the colored bars. Each letter now has an even space in between instead of some letters being joined like on the previous NASCAR logo. The text also appears to have been widened slightly, and a trademark symbol follows the letters instead of the registered mark.

The removal of the colored bars from behind the text allows the logo more versatility. The NASCAR wording can be either white or black, depending on whether the logo sits atop a light or a dark background when printed or displayed online. This was perhaps one intention of the designers since most modern companies desire logos that can be used easily in multiple applications.

There is a second version of the new logo that appears with the new sponsor’s branding. When the NASCAR logo is used in conjunction with Monster Energy, the Monster logo appears larger. The NASCAR-related text reads “NASCAR Cup Series” in all caps instead of just the singular “NASCAR” text.

Reaction to the logo seems to be mostly favorable with many fans not noticing a major difference. The revised NASCAR logo keeps its brand familiarity while successfully honoring the company’s history, which appears to achieve the goals of company officials with regard to the new design. The new logo is slightly more clear to read and seems a bit less dated than the previous incarnation.

Conclusion

nascar technical institute

Image from Wikimedia Commons

Overall, the NASCAR logo redesign is a success for the brand. The company is able to retain its brand loyalty among diehard fans with minimal criticism (if any). The “NASCAR” text is easier to read, and the slant of the colored bars and text appear to be pushing the name forward at an accelerated pace.

This gives it the same illusion of movement as the previous NASCAR logo while bringing the logo up to date and allowing it more versatile usage in print and digital design. An added bonus to fans would be the potential increase in value to previously purchased merchandise that sport historic versions of the emblem.

Harley Davidson Design, History And Evolution

By Logo Realm Team Leave a Comment

harley davidson logo

When we think of Harley Davidson, we visualize a bearded, leathered, and tattooed biker dude astride a Fat Boy motorcycle. Some of us may see Marlon Brando – the Wild One – on a Harley Electro-Glide, or Easy Rider Peter Fonda riding his Captain America Harley chopper.

When we consider the Harley Davidson logo, the last thing we see in our mind’s eye is a little old lady painting a logo onto the first two Harley Davidson machines in 1904. That is exactly how the Harley Davidson logo started – by the Davidson’s Aunt Jane.

About Harley Davidson

Harley Davidson manufactures and sells customized, cruiser, touring, street, trike, and other designs of motorcycles with a lot of history under the rider. In 1901, William Harley dreamed up an engine designed to fit onto a bicycle.

In 1903, the first production Harley Davidson racing motorcycle went on sale to the public. By 1905, a Harley Davidson motorcycle had won a 15-mile race in Chicago. The rest, as they say, is history.

A Bike by Any Other Name

In terms of design variation, Harley Davidson takes the proverbial design ball and runs with it, offering variations on variations.

The Harley Davidson logo stands for, among other things. Designers who are even willing to go back in time and re-create a good thing. But for the motorcycle illiterate, there are (generally speaking), four genres of bikes.

Customized

Motorcycle

Harley Davidson will elaborate on one of their models to create the ride of a rider’s dream. All the dreamer has to bring is a lot of money and a list of add-ons or designs that Harley can put together to personalize the riding experience. Add to the tailor-made machinery, a leather outfit, a pair of Levi’s, and The Rebel cap retailing for $500, and you too can be Marlon Brando.

Cruiser

harley davidson model

First appearing in the 1930s, the cruiser design focuses on the rider’s comfort. The captain’s chair reclines so that feet are forward rather than down and the hands are somewhat elevated. The engines were originally designed for comfort and ease with shifting but left a lot to be desired in terms of horsepower. Power cruisers are beefed-up options for those riders desiring a little more power.

Touring

side of the motorcycle

Designed for long-distance touring, riders sit upright behind weather and wind protection and large capacity gas tanks. Passengers are well accommodated and so is baggage, including saddlebags. These big bikes can weigh up to 900 pounds. The only thing missing is a roof.

Harley Davidson Logo Design & History

No matter what motorcycle image comes to mind, the Harley Davidson logo evokes the American “freedom of the road” mentality.

The first legally recognized Harley Davidson logo was officially registered at the US patent office in 1911.

 It is known as the Bar and Shield logo. Although the logo has been varied over the years, logo designers have, for the most part, kept fidelity with the original.

Harley Davidson Logo: The First

Good old Aunt Jane Davidson: in 1904 she helped out the lads – her two nephews, including William Harley – by adding the finishing touches to their first two motorcycles with her hand-painted red striping detailing the words “Harley-Davidson Motor Company” on the fuel tanks.Jumping forward in time to the 1960s and 1970s, the company manufactured golf carts, snowmobiles, and travel trailers in addition to their trademarked motorcycles. As a result, the logo was modified by dropping the words “Motor Company” and leaving the logo to read simply, “Harley-Davidson.” The words “Motor Company” were added back to the Harley-Davidson logo in the 1980s when the company got rid of its non-motorcycle interests.

Harley Davidson Logo: The Classic

Perhaps it was the clear branding of this first patented Harley Davidson logo that enabled the motorcycle company to survive the Great Depression. The first logo featured a bar with the words Harley Davidson in capital letters.

Behind the bar is a standard shield, shaped like a policeman’s badge, with the word “Motor” above the bar within the shield and the word “Cycles” below the bar, again within the shield. The logo featured three colors: black, white, and orange.

logo

Harley Davidson Logo: The 50th Anniversary V-Medallion

​​​​​​​In 1953, Harley-Davidson celebrated their 50-year anniversary by changing the classic Harley Davidson logo into a medallion. A central bar featured the name “Harley-Davidson” in a script font, with a large capital V (for V-2 engine) behind it.

Behind the bar and between the arms of the V, a modified shield displayed “50 Years” above the bar and “American Made” below the bar. The top of each arm of the V protruded above the circular border of the medallion, and the lateral edges of the bar extended beyond the circular border as well.

Harley Davidson Logo: Monochromatic Classic

Logo designers for Harley-Davidson returned to their senses in 1965 when they reverted to the original and highly successful design – the Bar and Shield. No one can argue with the elegance of simplicity; the colors were swapped out for black and white.

Harley Davidson Logo: Number 1

In 1971, the Number 1 logo was introduced to market the FX Super Glide motorcycle. Borrowed from the earlier days of motorcycle dirt track racing, this logo is simply a stylized number 1 with white stars on a blue background at the top of the number. Red and white stripes extended horizontally down the body of the number. The base of the number is where the block letter brand, “Harley-Davidson,” is located.

harley davidson on the tank

Harley Davidson Logo: 100th Anniversary

Thank heavens 2003 rolled around and gave Harley Davidson logo designers an opportunity to save buyers of Number 1 logo-laden products and memorabilia.

Although the Bar and Shield had always been around, this Bar and Shield logo is centered over a stylized pair of wings. Below the shield is the 100. On either side of the shield in the same latitude as the bar is the year 1903 to the right and 2003 to the left.

Harley Davidson Logo: 105th Anniversary

Logo designers decided to do a bit of blending for Harley-Davidson’s 105th birthday in 2008 by combining a medallion, a pair of wings, a Bar and Shield and a pair of years.

The classic central shield is black and orange; the center of the medallion is black, circled in white, and trimmed with a black stripe around the circumference of the medallion. The wings are curved upward like the kind you see on the Viking helmets of opera singers. “105 years” is at the top and “1903 * 2008” rests in the bottom curve of the medallion.

Conclusion

Harley Davidson has used its logo and its permissions wisely. Dealers are allowed to make variations on the original logo. Harley owners – The Harley Owners Group (HOGS) – design variations on the brand name and logo to signify their affection for and relationship with the motorcycle.

As well, the Harley-Davidson logo appears on motorcycle accouterments such as clothing, shoes, decals, luggage, and home decor.The Monochromatic Classic is the image for when pavement meets steel. The subliminal evocation of riding America’s highways and byways suggests the necessity of owning a touring or cruiser type bike.

 The V-Medallion logo departs from the original and speaks to the originality of the custom design bike. The Number 1 logo screams dirt bike racing or street spinning and might make the street bike model a big kid’s request for Christmas.The 100th Anniversary logo is reminiscent of an airplane captain’s shirt pin, or perhaps the insignia on an airport baggage porter’s cap. One isn’t completely sure if they should head out on the road or fly in the sky.No matter how many times one might blink, look away and then look back. The 105th-anniversary logo is straight out of a Wagnerian opera. Brunnhilde rocked opera houses in her Viking helmet with wings on either side; Bugs Bunny was hysterically funny as Brunnhilde in drag. Given those images, one can see how the Classic Harley-Davidson logo stands at first place.The Classic orange, white, and black Bar and Shield logo is brilliant. Some things cannot be perfected and need not be burdened with marketing attempts to fit as many messages onto an evocative symbol as possible. It is not the logo that needs to be changed, it’s the product.Although the owners and admirers of Harley-Davidson motorcycles are rapidly aging and will eventually retire from the ride. Whatever Harley Davidson does to appeal to the younger, upcoming generations. They will probably not need to worry about the Classic Harley Davidson Bar and Shield logo.

The old saying, “don’t fix it if it isn’t broken,” certainly applies to this marvel of marketing. Perhaps those who design logos at Harley Davidson should figuratively jump on their touring bikes and cruise back through the streets of time to the First logo. Sometimes it’s the old-timers who are the most successful.

Mitsubishi Logo Design History and Evolution

By Eric N. Addams Leave a Comment

Mitsubishi’s logo is simple in a way that’s hard to understand. With minimal elements and basic colors, it shouldn’t seem special. Somehow, though, it immediately catches the eye and draws in the interest of the consumer. It’s minimalist to be sure, but not in a way that hides the company. Instead, the logo provides an image that simply works on a consumer level. Taking a look at how the Mitsubishi logo has evolved can say quite a bit about why such logos work in the marketplace.

Mitsubishi Logo Design Elements

The Mitsubishi logo is famously known as the three-diamond logo, though the modern iteration of the shape is actually three diamonds. The logo is a riff on a much older logo, but it actually pays off in some unique ways during the modern era. It’s a logo that certainly stands out as unique, but the use of the diamond shapes does help to ensure that the logo seems to stand for high quality.

The logo makes use of a deep red color as well, one that stands out in a sea of silver car badges. This makes Mitsubishi products easy to identify on the road and in stores. The logo also uses a custom font, helping to ensure that one can easily pick out something that’s coming from the company just by seeing the shape of the letters. It’s a fantastic piece of design work that really ties together the company’s image.

Changes and Evolution

1. Shape

The original Mitsubishi logo was incredibly close to today’s logo. The triple diamond pattern has been in play since the 1870s, but initially in a much thinner form. It’s a definite move towards modernity with the larger diamond shapes, but the individual shape played an important function as a combination of two different house symbols in Japan. The larger diamond shapes, on the other hand, play much better as a symbol on a vehicle as they are both easier to see and much easier to identify at a distance.

2. Color

Mitsubishi and red have always gone together, at least internationally. Again, this is likely a nod towards the necessity of making automotive designs easy to see at a distance. It should be noted, though, that the company frequently uses blue in its wordmark – especially in its native market. This helps this helps to provide a unified image within Asia, one that is as much about the company’s electrical manufacturing as it is about automobiles and motorcycles. As such, the split in wordmark color does make sense even if it stands out from the logo itself.

3. Font

The font choice for Mitsubishi is interesting, in that it’s not the original font of the company. As one might expect, the original font uses Japanese characters rather than English characters. As such, the move towards international markets in the 1960s necesstitated a change in how the company’s wordmark would be viewed. The simple, custom lettering helps consumers to identify the company’s official products without causing any difficulty in reading the name. It’s a solid way to make sure that the company stands out without being too difficult for consumers.

Influences/ Inspiration

The primary influence on the Mitsubishi logo is actually well-documented. It is a version of the Tsukomo Shokai  shipping company’s flag. This predecessor to the modern Mitsubishi company actually took its own inspiration from the crests of two Japanese houses, which helped to pay tribute to the contributions of both at the same time.

Mitsubishi’s logo definitely influenced many other Japanese motor vehicle makers. You can see elements of the design in Honda and Toyota’s simplicity, for example. The logo’s use of simple shapes and colors also extended internationally, with many car brands using something similar until moving on to more updated designs. Even so, the simplicity of the logo did help to contribute to the change in how vehicle badges would be designed across the world.

Trivia

  • The predecessor of the Mitsubishi company was founded in the 1870s.
  • Mitsubishi is made up of two words – Mitsu (three) and hishi (chestnut).
  • Mitsubishi products are sold in over 140 nations.
  • The modern Mitsubishi company started life as a steel supplier to the Japanese navy.
  • Mitsubishi introduced Japan’s first four-wheel-drive car in 1936.

Conclusion

The Mitsubishi logo is a great update on a truly classic design. It took what worked from the distant past and updated it in a way that made it function in a modern era. It is a prime example of solid modernization and one form which other logo designers can learn when updating their own products. If you want to learn how to take a design from the past and bring it to the present, the three diamonds will help you.

Volkswagen Logo Design History and Evolution

By Tanya O’Donnell Leave a Comment

Volkswagen is just one of the many car brands that have come out of Germany, but it is perhaps the most well-regarded when it comes to safety and dependability. Usually thought of as one of the ultimate vehicles in terms of sheer durability, it’s likewise has a range of vehicles that run from the incredibly sensible to the somewhat whimsical. As the brand has grown and changed over the years, so too has the brand’s logo. But examining what makes up the current Volkswagen logo and what has made up the logo in the past, it’s easy to get an idea of the image the company tries to project.

Volkswagen Logo Design Elements

The Volkswagen logo is right on the line between incredibly simple and fiendishly clever. The logo is nothing more than the company’s initials inside the circle, but those initials are arranged in a way that really helps to give the Volkswagen logo a sense of character. Not only are the V and W very easy to recognize, the stack of the two gives a sense of motion – something that’s very important for a car brand.

Of course, there’s more than just the letters in the logo. The primary color used in the logo is silver, which is a common color in a car badge as well as one that denotes luxury, while the secondary blue color denotes stability. While Volkswagen is not primarily known for being a luxury brand, it is known for its high-end engineering. The font chosen is unique but very readable, showing how Volkswagen is not only a high-end brand but one that’s also very sensible.

Changes and Evolution

1. Shape

Volkswagen doesn’t have the most pleasant history when it comes to its logo. The initial Volkswagen logo certainly did feature the well-known letters, but it also featured the Nazi flag in the shape of a swastika and a Nordic rune that was supposed to confer victory in battle. As one can imagine, the logo changed significantly after World War 2 – the logo became much closer to that of the present, albeit within a gear rather than a simple circle. 1945 through the present day would see the logo shape change incrementally, but not in any ways that are a wild departure from today’s logo.

2. Color

The biggest change in the Volkswagen logo after World War II is the coloring. The initial color of the logo was black and white, but by 1967 the company had switched over to largely using blue in most of its advertising. Blue and white would remain the colors throughout the rest of the company’s history, with the modern version being a darker, more computer-friendly version of the same. Once Volkswagen established an identity internationally, the color seems to have settled.

3. Font

Volkswagen’s font has essentially been the same since the beginning. The font size has grown significantly since the 1930s, though, likely in an attempt to enhance the company origins while downplaying its Nazi past. The modern version of the logo uses the same font, though, and it has become such a recognizable part of the brand that it is now hard to imagine changing.

Influences/ Inspiration

Volkswagen’s primary influence is perhaps the most negative part of its history. Being Nazi-derived and filled with Nazi symbolism, it’s amazing that the company has held on to as much of the logo as it has. It does, however, also take modern design cues from companies as varied as Honda and Dodge – simple, easy to identify logos that don’t distract from the lines of the vehicle.

At the same time, Volkswagen probably helped to define the logos of similar brands. It’s been such a presence in the car world that it’s hard to see a way that other car companies wouldn’t have taken at least some notes. While the letters are more in line with a examples such as the Honda logo or Toyota logo, it’s safe to say that the simplicity of the design carried over to many other car companies across the world.

Trivia

  • The basic idea of Volkswagen, an affordable ‘people’s car’, was designed by Adolf Hitler.
  • Ferdinand Porsche designed the first Volkswagen vehicle.
  • Volkswagen was briefly under British control after World War II.
  • Volkswagen used to give out bonds to babies born in Volkswagen Beetles.

Conclusion

Volkswagen has managed to pull its logo out of a very dark place. It shows that you can salvage what works, even if the problematic elements come from some of the darkest times in history. It’s to the company’s credit that it has figured out a way to rescue its logo and its overall image from something that would otherwise destroy an average company.

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