Logo Symbolism

Playstation

When the Playstation brand was conceptualised in 1994 over three dozen logo concepts were presented for the final selection. The final logo which would become iconic in the gaming industry was created by Japanese designer Manabu Sakamoto who has also designed other logos for the company. The logo consists of four colors that were used to symbolise joy, passion and excellence. The logo consists of a font typeface that was designed specifically for the company.

This design has become one of the most iconic logos in the gaming industry; it is the logo that started the Playstation brand name. The choices of colours represent a hidden meaning which isn’t represented when viewed but after finding out the reason behind it supports the values its gaming console strives for. The logo conveys the name Playstation in short form, which the name PS has become a name its self for the future consoles that came after.

Walt Disney Pictures

The Company Walt Disney Pictures was founded by Walt and Roy Disney in 1923, it was not until 1985 when the first appearance of the Sleeping Beauty/Cinderella Castle which is iconic for the Disney theme parks was used as a logo for the company. The logo symbolizes a fairy tale world focused on providing quality entertainment to children.  Part of the Disney world’s identity as a message to have fun in a fairy tale atmosphere and over the year has maintained its exclusivity and success. Originally the logo featured the castle with a beam of light appearing behind it but over the years it has slowly developed, the first change was introduced in 2006 with the modification of the light into a shooting star, this can be symbolized as the iconic Tinkerbell or Blue Fairy.

Overall the reason why I chose to look into this logo is because it works well in representing the company‘s feeling and message, it is one of the examples why using iconic imagery associated the name can work so well when viewed and the slight modifications can add more meaning. It represents that magical feeling that comes with the Films they produce that is felt from audiences of all ages.

 









Burger King

First introduced in 1967 and mostly looks the same to this day. It incorporates two half buns with the brand name in the middle that acts as the fillings, the slight difference font size in the word King also enhances the visuals of the logo. The use of simple bright colors draws the attentions to the audience irrespective to age demographics. The swirl is there to encase the logo an unify the elements.

The overall I chose to look into this logo as I am a regular customer to this chain and normally chooses this over their competing brands. The logo feels vibrant and sparkles which is alluring to the audience. As this is a logo for a fast-food chain it works well in representing a positive feel of the company with the expectations of selling quality food, which is a reputation that fast-food chains commonly don’t get from the general public. The logos simplistic symbolism of the two half buns represent the message that this is a fast-food brand while using attractive colors and a swirl that showcases the entire logo is inviting.

Le Tour de France

Created in 2002 by designer Joel Guenoun this logo remains unchanged. It was introduced for race’s the 100^th anniversary with a 100e underneath meaning 100^th in French. The logo consists of name of the annual and vigorous biking competition, within the name its self it uses the letter R to represent a cyclist in racing position while using the O and the circle as the bike wheels, the letter U can also be interpreted as the bike seat. The use of yellow also signifies a sun as the event takes place in the day.

This logo stands out with its playful font that bursts out compared to other tradition typefaces and the use of symbolism within the slight colour and the design of the lettering to create the imagery of the cyclist help enforce the event behind the logo which can be recognised even with the French wording.

It is a simple logo that conveys the message and feeling of the event to the audience that this day is full of positive, joy while also showing that this is a competition with serious participants.

Apple

Created by Rob Janoff in 1977 this logo has become a symbol of knowledge. Many have taken this logo as a symbol of Adam and Eve as in the bible they are tempted by Satan to taste the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge, Eve gives in to temptation and takes a bite, with their first taste of knowledge they are aware they are naked and ashamed, the first bite represents the fall of man. The creator has claimed that he didn’t explicitly intend this meaning when he created the logo and that the inclusion of the bite was meant for scale so that people would understand that it was an apple and not a cherry. The apple is a symbol one of the oldest and most potent in Western Mythology. The use of the apple is a simple use of imagery that carries the weight of centuries of meaning, Apples use of the logo is powerful and their name and corresponding icon are known worldwide.

Apple has made a simple icon from its brand name which holds many meanings that can be interpreted in different ways, the symbolism of knowledge works very well with their products as it represents the use of their computers to obtain knowledge. By using something that has a long history of meaning makes it one of the more interesting and recognizable logos without using a more complicated icon.