The Olympic rings are one of the most recognized symbols in the world. So are the McDonald’s “Golden Arches”.Given that McDonald’s is the Official Restaurant of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games, prepare to be completely bombarded by these two images in less than one month's time.
The term logo refers to the graphic devise that companies and organizations use as part of their overall branding. By today’s standards, a company would seem naked without some sort of corresponding emblem. However, it wasn’t until 1960 that Chase Bank became the first company to utilize a truly abstract logo.
We see hundreds of instantly recognizable logos on a daily basis, such as the Nike swoosh, the Red Cross; the Ferrari prancing horse, and the Starbucks mermaid.
Carolyn Davidson, a graphic design student at Portland State University, only charged the executives at Nike $35 for the now world famous “Swoosh” she created back in 1971. Rumour has it, she was compensated much more years later.
Although the success of the "Swoosh" can’t be easily duplicated, developing a solid and recognizable logo can do wonders for a company’s brand and it doesn’t have to cost a fortune. If you were to ask the executives at MasterCard what their company logo is worth and I’m sure they would appropriately answer “Priceless”.
Here's a list of the Top 20 Most Famous Logos.
