History of Logos
Logos are so embedded in our society that we recognise them unconsciously. No one wonders what a big golden M is doing stuck on a pole, instead, we say “Ah, there’s a McDonalds.” Nike no longer needs to apply their name to products, one look at the world-famous tick and you know exactly who produced that shoe.
The term logo originates from ancient Greek and means word or speech. Today’s use of the word has a logo being defined as an image that pertains to a product, company, campaign, event or concept. This could be in the guise of a badge, symbol, sign, or trademark.
It seems a more appropriate name would be a melding of the words logo and Icon. For those into their web design, the Favicon (which is the tiny image to the left of the URL-mine is a large red E) file extension is called a .ico so it seems that I’m not the only one thinking in this vein.
Ancient History of Logos
The practice of using logos dates back to ancient civilisations:
- Egyptians branded animals with hieroglyphs to prove ownership.
- Chinese used personalised Chops to differentiate an author of a letter or contract.
- The Ancient Greeks and Romans put logos on the bottom of their pottery to identify the maker.
- Religions adopted symbols for better recognition – Christianity with the crucifix, Judaism with the Star of David, and Buddhism with the Om.
The modern history of logos used to identify a product or company can be traced back to the 1300s. Trades started using marks to identify their products. Paper makers used a watermark, Blacksmiths etched a symbol into metal and gold objects and Potters would press a thumbprint into the bottom of their wares. In this way, a trade could be instantly recognised. The most widely recognised form of trade branding today would be the medical association’s caduceus – a picture of a serpent entwined on a staff.
Logos in the Middle Ages:
- Coat of Arms
- Wax Seals
- Figures on Coins
- Silver Hallmarks
Over time and with the rise of the industrial revolution, merchants increasingly required symbols for identifying their products in a rapidly growing market. Industrialisation created the manufacturing of goods and services on a mass scale. There grew a need to differentiate their product from others.
An effective logo not only identified a product but could promote it in a certain light and make it look superior to the competition.
Within the current business world, logos are a tried and tested method in an overblown advertising world, and as such everything seems to be a cleverly placed ad. We cannot go a day without being used as a promotion aid ourselves. Think about the Adidas stripes on your shoes, Levi’s arches on your jeans pocket, and the brand name emblazoned on the front of your t-shirt.
Logos have been a vital part of society for thousands of years and their importance isn’t going away anytime soon.
Take a look around the room you are sitting in now and see how many logos you can spot.
You may be surprised.
Rob Jennings
