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Types of Logos: 290 words

Brand Quick Start: Four Types of Logos

You want to establish "brand equity," but where do you start? By creating a logo. A professional logo represents your company in a form that can be protected through trademark law. Here's a quick tour of the main logo types you should know.

Image Logos

Graphic logos are composed entirely of non-textual elements. An example is the set of five rings that form the Olympic logo—without any wording, you know what they represent.

Text Logos

A wordmark logo consists of text only. Think of Revlon^®, the manufacturer of hairspray, shampoo, and other products for women. Microsoft^® uses a bold faced, italic, sans-serif font with slight modifications that make it unique.  If a company's logo is only an abbreviation, it is called a lettermark logo.

Image with Text Logos

Perhaps the most common type of logo includes both image and text. The text in these logos may include the entire company name or an abbreviation. Image and text should seem to "belong together" through the use of complementary elements.  

Even the largest businesses can make logo design mistakes. A logo sometimes cited for including elements that are not complementary is the Sun® Microsystems logo.  The sun—oddly square shaped—and italic text lack cohesiveness.

Logo with Slogan

A custom logo can include a "brand slogan." For example, EMC® Corporation includes the phrase "where information lives" with its logo. A slogan may be used with any of the logos discussed here. Often the slogan will be tied to a particular advertising campaign.

Next Step

Now that you understand the main types of logos, decide which approach is best for your company or service. For more guidance, see "How Your Company Knows It Needs a New Logo" and other articles on this site.

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Designated trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners. The brands listed in this article do not sponsor, affiliate, or endorse the products or services herein. The Olympic logo and trademark are the property of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).  Sun Microsystems is a registered trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc. EMC and the "where information lives" slogan are registered trademarks of EMC Corporation. Revlon is a registered trademark of Revlon Consumer Products Corporation. Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

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All content Copyright 2003-2005 Phillip E. Honstein, except where copyright by Namo Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Work samples are provided for educational use by prospective employers and clients and may not be duplicated or distributed in any format, electronic or otherwise.