• 21Apr
    Beyond Words: Do Logos Need Words to Market Themselves?

    Some companies use their name as their logo such as Google, Yahoo!, Coca Cola, Sony or Fed Ex. All of these major businesses are known for their names, but there is a world of famous logos in which we all know what they are without the use of words.

    Is it better to originally design a logo that doesn’t use words or is the combination of words and pictures more effective in marketing a business? Is a logo design somehow more powerful when it stands alone? One could argue that a memorable logo should stand alone without any adornment, as a silent testimonial to the work and creativity of the designer.

    However should creativity trump practicality? What good is a professionally design logo if no one knows the company behind it?

    Take a look at these famous, word free logos. They make a bold statement with an image alone and are ingrained in our minds from years of successful marketing. You will see some classics, like Nike, Windows, NBC, and Disney. Do you know their names because of their word free logos or their successful brands?

    What do you think is a better style for a logo, with or without words?

    -Nora Reed

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8 users responded in " Beyond Words: Do Logos Need Words to Market Themselves? "
    • brianballa Says:
      April 22nd, 2009 at 4:13 pm

      I am a designer of “text-driven” logos. These are ideal for new, start-up businesses and I am quite fond of having text stand out as the “spotlight” in logo branding.

      I would argue, though, that many of the example brands in your post do often utilize a text version along with their graphic-driven logos. Perhaps if it weren’t for these companies occasional use of text then the logos wouldn’t be as recognizable as they are today?

      Either way, multinational corporations pervade every aspect of modern culture. Text or no text, they have built businesses that are recognizable by many different marketing strategies: logo, slogans, jingles, etc.

      - B

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    • Nora Reed Says:
      April 23rd, 2009 at 7:44 am

      Thanks for offering your thoughts! What you say is true, that a lot of the companies I mentioned do have a form of their logo that contains words, however my point is that they have marketed themselves so well over the years that they now have earned the ability to display a wordless logo and still be well recognized. Kudos to their marketing teams!

    • Trevor Says:
      April 26th, 2009 at 8:43 am

      I think we might be missing a trick hear.

      Once all the famous logos shown above were always accompanied with words. This is because they were all once un-known company’s that had just been launched. However because these companies were so hugely successfully and they put so much written advertising out there there logos eventually became instantly recognizable.

      So in sort yes, some company’s can just use there logo without words however this is because they have done so much written advertising in the past.

    • riahnblaks Says:
      May 6th, 2009 at 12:41 am

      its had to get an identity without word i support nora reed that the companies have gone an extra mile in marketing themselves thus can afforfd the logo only

    • Angel Says:
      September 12th, 2009 at 11:21 am

      I think it really depends on what company you’re talking about. Some company are so famous that you can just take one look at their logo and you will know what company it is. But if it’s a small company, then no one will know what company it is. That is a situation when it makes sense to put your company’s name on the logo. I hope this helps. Thanks!

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