Although I could not uncover the price of Google logo in my last post regarding cost of famous logos, but what I did find out during the research was that Google was originally named “Backrub”. This made me realize that many companies that are now famous under their present brand names weren’t so prominent under their previous names.

Some corporate name changes took place due to corporate mergers, some changed their identity to keep aloof from controversies while other corporate name changes are the result of logo redesign. Irrespective of the reason, a change in company name can have dual consequences. It may either boost the previous brand equity to the skies or deplete it completely.

Below are 10 of the most famous corporate name changes that ever took place.

1. Accenture – - – - – Andersen Consulting (old name)

2. AOL (America Online) – - – - – Quantum Computer Services (old name)

The famous AOL was established in 1985 under the name Quantum Computer Services. It was renamed to “America Online” in 1991. Finally in April 2006, America Online officially adopted its AOL abbreviation solely, replacing "America Online".

3. Google – - – - – BackRub (old name)

4. Nissan – - – - – Datsun (old name)

5. Pepsi-Cola – - – - – Brad’s Drink (old name)

6. IBM – - – - – Computing Tabulating Recording Corporation (old name)

7. SEGA – - – - – Service Game Company (old name)

8. Sony – - – - – Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo K.K (old name)

9. Sprint – - – - - Brown Telephone Company (old name)

10. Yahoo – - – - – Jerry’s Guide to the World Wide Web (old name)

Often you come across logo designs that make you think “where have I seen this before?” What do you assume at that point in time? Is it a copy? Is it inspired or just a co-incidence? While it is easy being judgmental on a look-alike logo design, but the truth is not that simple. The menace of plagiarism and content stealing was initially found prevalent in the academic field. Students who are unable to solve or submit their assignments within due date, resort to copy-paste stuff from the internet, claiming it to be original.

But nowadays, the blogosphere is one the most vulnerable place, prone to plagiarism and copyright infringement cases. With the advent of online logo design, this nuisance has been rampant in the logo design industry as well. But hold on… its not just logo plagiarism or copying we’re talking about. When we look at identical logos or logo designs that look alike, there are three conclusions that may been drawn from it. The first could be that it is an imitation of another logo design. Second, it may have been inspired by an already present design. Last, it is just by chance that the logo designs look alike. When it comes to logo design, there is a thin line between plagiarism, inspiration and coincidence. Let us analyze each facet individually.

1) Plagiarism – Copy Cat:

The word “plagiarism” comes from the Latin origin meaning “kidnapping”. Plagiarism in the logo design world refers to kidnapping others logo design ideas and thoughts. You wouldn’t like it if someone steals your efforts and reaps its fruits, would you? It is a mostly a downright copy-paste job that implies using others logo and labeling it as your own. Logo plagiarism occurs mostly when the offending party is incompetent of designing a logo within due time and resorts to stealing existing logo designs from the internet.

2) Inspiration – Stimulating Ideas:

Let’s move on to the next aspect, inspiration. Picture this example. Newton was sitting beneath an apple tree. Suddenly, an apple falls on his head. This gave him motivation to think why this happened. Consequently, Newton discovered gravity. In the scenario, the fallen apple was the source of inspiration since it caused the interest and motivation in Newton. The notion of gravity is the inspiration. Similar is the case with logo designs. When logo designers plan for a corporate logo, they mostly refer to the competitor logos for inspiration and to get a rough idea of what the field demands. This stimulates new and distinct ideas and a somewhat analogous logo design is evolved. The example below….do you really think it’s an inspiration?

3) Coincidence – Twist of Fate:

Finally, over to the most interesting feature…coincidence. This is the part where logos look alike just by sheer chance. Sometimes, two identical logo designs emerge out of no connection whatsoever. This happens mostly due to lack of research and investigation on the part of a logo designer. When beginning with their logo design, designers should always make sure that what they create must not coincide with the already present designs. Therefore, what do you say about this coincidence between “Google Buzz and UNO”?

Ever thought why we crave for a drink or want to order a pizza while playing video games? Although we don’t really yearn for it, still our impulses persuade us. This is known as the art of In-game advertising.  With rules of advertising shifting through the development of technology, the applications of logo design are on the rise. Long gone are the days when companies were restricted to advertise through conventional ways. With the advent of video games and its rampant popularity, corporations have found a new way of advertising their corporate logo design to the masses. It’s time to say bye-bye to conventional advertising and hello to In-game advertising, the latest hype in the corporate promotion world.

Popularly known as IGA (in-game advertising) has gained corporate attention for its extensive usage and widespread reach. The technique used to advertise a corporate logo in a video game is called subliminal advertising. The users of video games are inadvertently exposed to the corporate logos in the background of the game. This stimulates the subconscious mind of the viewer and generates the necessary response from the advertisement. According to industry reports, in-game advertising will continue to rise to $1 billion by 2014.

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Pepsi In Game ad # 1

Pepsi In Game ad # 2

Did you know that Barack Obama spent over $ 44,000 on in-game ads for his presidential campaign? Take a look at the screen shots taken from the hit games, “Burnout” and “NBA”.

Obama In Game ad # 1

Obama In Game ad # 2

While conventional mode of advertising still holds the bulk share, the trends of corporate advertising are changing rapidly. Corporations are shifting to more unique and contemporary forms of promoting their logo design with the help of In-Game Advertising.

We are well accquainted with world famous brands and their renowned logo designs but some interesting facts about these brands/logos are not known. Being at the pinnacle of the corporate world, we continuosly get to read the bizzare history of these famous logo designs. However, their past holds some amazing facts that you will be surprised to learn.

Today, I share the unknown tales about the most recognized corporate logos of the modern world.

These brands have faced the test of times to reach where they are at present. Their story revolves around some astonishing realities that most of us never heed.

So go ahead and start reading the unbelievable truths about these famous brands: