Brand Dots

Posts Tagged ‘shape’

MTV has taken building interactivity and community into a brand strategy to the next level.  They are giving their fans complete creative control over their branding.  Today I came across this really cool website that allows people to submit their own version of the MTV logo, and if enough people like it, it will be used on the MTV website.  How cool!

MTV’s brand strategy had a humble beginning.  For those of you who haven’t noticed, MTV doesn’t really stand for “music television” as it once did.  MTV is synonymous with “pop culture,” so why not choose a logo that represents the same.

Frank Olinsky, Pat Gorman, and Patti Rogoff, young independent designers at the time, created the first MTV logo.  The original design consisted of a blocky 3-D “M” with a graffiti-scrawled “tv” on top of it. In the spirit of pure-nonconformity – rather than choosing “corporate colors” for the logo, they decided that the logo should always change, as music, art, and culture changes.  Over time, it has changed size and style, but the fundamental logo design has stayed consistent.  The ever-evolving design has kept the brand strategy current and trendy.

Now that’s what I call brilliant design!

According to Brandz Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands 2009, Google is this year’s most valuable brand.  What I find fascinating about the Google logo is that it’s so strong that Google can change its appearance to a “Google Doodle” on a regular basis on their website and it is still easily recognizable and well known among all consumers.

There are a few things that we can learn from the Google logo.  It has key elements that make it iconic.

1. Color: The logo has a consistent application of color.  Google uses the same red, yellow, green, and blue colors in their branding.  The colors are vibrant.  They don’t look washed out or dehydrated.  A logo’s colors should be chosen because of their meaning and should convey the company’s image.
2. Shape: The logo is horizontal.  This makes it easy to read and legible.  Every logo should be appealing to the eyes.
3. Font: The text is clear, bold, and distinctive.  The font that Google chose is Catull.  They made it unique by giving is a 3D look.
4. Simplicity: This wordmark isn’t too complex to easily be reproduced.
5. Timelessness: This logo has been eternally recorded in the mind’s of consumers.  A successful logo should never go out of style and should be designed to mirror the organization’s image until the end of time.
6. Imagery: Google’s playful choice of color, font, and style mimic the brand’s image.  It represents their corporate culture.

Memorable logos communicate what the values of the organization are and what they promise to their customers.  A company’s symbol provides a summary of what their clients should expect.  They symbolize the company’s distinct characteristics and the reason why customers should choose them over a competitor.  Logos are one of the most effective ways to communicate what an organization is all about and it is evident that Google did a great job developing theirs!